Miss Birdie and the Caged Crow

Oh, my, I didn't hear you come in the room, Lizzie Beth. I reckon you think I'm crazy, setting here on the side of the bed and jigging about like a crazy woman.  Come on in and get you a seat in my wheelchair.

I ain't lost my wits -- them was my exercises. The therapy girls showed me what I need to do to get strong enough to where I can get around with a walker, oncet that bone doctor says I may. And oncet I can do that, Lizzie Beth, why then I can go home.

Dor'thy has said she'll stay with me as long as I need her and, law, how I do want to be gone! The folks here is all good somebodies and I couldn't have made it without them but it ain't home. The water don't taste right, for one thing. And there ain't that much to look at except the TV, the trees and sky outside the window, and this picture here at the foot of my bed.

I been studying on that picture right much. Reckon where that is? Some fine city in the olden days . . . maybe Charlotte, do you think? Look at that horse pulling that pretty red wagon and all the fancy folks out taking the air. That woman in the long white dress had best watch out though. The pavement looks wet and was a wagon to come by on her side, that fine dress would get ruint for sure.

Oh, listen to me run on. I get so tired of the TV that I spend a lot of time thinking about that picture and wondering where all them folks is going. Imaging the sound of the horse's hooves and the smell of rain on the pavement and the sweet smell of all them flowers over there to the right . . . In that picture ain't a bad place to be, though there is too many buildings and not enough trees for my taste.

But I'll tell what else I think about, especially when I'm setting here doing these exercises. I think about the time Cletus brung home a crow with a broken wing. He wanted me to carry him to the animal doctor but I called first and the doctor said that what we should do was to cut the toe out of a sock and make a kind of sleeve to put over that old crow. He said it would hold his wing close to his body so that it would heal.  And he said to leave it on for about six weeks before we took it off.

So Cletus fixed a cage and we got a sock on the old crow and fed him dogfood and hard boiled eggs. The crow was right calm about the whole affair -- crows have a lot of sense, you know.

Howsomever, when at last it come time to take the sock off, that crow would set there on his perch and flap his wings -- just a little bit at first but then more and more and harder and harder, like he was getting ready to fly. And at last we figured he was ready.

Cletus opened the door of the cage and that crow just set there looking, then, big as life, he hopped out onto the grass, spread his wings, and took off flying, getting higher and higher till he reached the trees across the road. Law, it was such a sweet sight, me and Cletus both like to busted out crying for happiness.

So that's how come you to find me setting on my bed and waving my arms and legs like a crazy woman. Honey, I'm a-making ready to fly the coop!