Fly Away
by Margaret Ryan
It was dark and gloomy. Sarah sat at the kitchen table in front of an untouched bowl of oatmeal. All she could here was the pitter pat of the rain. Her mother was in the living room reading a book.
Suddenly, a car came up their street and pulled in the driveway the car door slammed. Sarah heard the footsteps approach the house. She heard the jingling of keys and within seconds the door was open.
A tall man walked in. He had black hair and dark brown eyes. He swung a bird cage on the table and smiled, “For you my dear Sarah.” he said proudly. He looked very pleased as if he had done the greatest thing in the world.
Sarah sat at the table unfazed. She looked at her father questioningly.
“Well,” he said, “How do you like it?"
Sarah listened to the pit pat of the rain, it seemed to be waiting for her answer longing to know what she thought.
Her mother got up from her chair and silently went over to father. Sarah looked at her, her eyes seemed to say, “Please like it, it would mean so much to me.”
Sarah looked back at the cage a little yellow bird clung to the cage his eyes were sad, he was saying, “Help me!”
Sarah hesitated for a second, then she snatched the silver bars and wrenched open the cage door. Her father rushed to stop her but it was too late, the bird was out of the cage.
Her mother shook her head and looked at her sadly. Sarah stalked off to her room.
~
The sun poured in through the open windows of Sarah’s bedroom. She slowly awoke to the bright light, got up and peered out her window. The last of the winter snow had finally disappeared into the ground.
A robin swooped down and strutted around the yard, the first sign of spring.
Sarah glanced over at the golden bird in the bird cage attached high to the ceiling where she could not reach the silver latches.
She looked back and forth between the robin and the pretty yellow bird. The robin sang out a lovely song and fluttered off into the sky.
Distressed, the yellow bird flapped his wings frantically. Sarah looked at him in sympathy. Then, looking straight into his eyes she whispered pitifully, “You’re a beautiful creature.”
Startled at her own words, Sarah looked away quickly. She glanced out the window once more and then began to dress.
~
Sarah’s room was extraordinarily gorgeous. The walls were painted a light pink that caught the sun’s rays perfectly and gave the room a glowing aura. It was very spacious with a big bed that had petite roses bordering the pillow and the coverlet looked like the delicate color of cherry blossoms. At the end of the bed, a patchwork quilt was folded nicely. The detailed design of birds, butterflies, and roses were in each square.
In one corner of the room, a small rocking chair sat with a rosy pillow that had intricate roses embroidered on it, and a red blanket fit perfectly on the seat. The windows were to the left of the rocking chair with white curtains made of the finest lace.
Finally, the dresser which stood tall and proud in the room with a big oval mirror and four wooden drawers with crystal clear knobs.
To any ordinary child a room like this would be marvelously enthralling and quite breathe taking when the sun rises and sets. But to Sarah, this caused no joy. Instead, she found the room deeply depressing and lonesome.
~
Walking to the kitchen, Sarah felt a jolt in her heart. Picturing the little yellow bird trapped in the cage. She pictured him so happy outside soaring through the crystal blue sky, the pure satisfaction of ecstasy.
Then she pictured herself on a lovely green mountain with green grass, and little buttercups. The trees on her mountain were so tall, so humble.
But then she stopped. She was like the little yellow bird, trapped in her own house stuck breathing in the horrendous toxic gases from the cars that whizzed down the street. But then, pushing the sad feelings back down into her throat, Sarah realized she was trapped in her own mind! Ignoring this sudden, startling discovery, she walked into the living room to see if her mother was up.
~
Her mother was in the living room reading a book as usual. She looked up at Sarah and gave her a sad smile. Placing her book down beside her she said, “Sarah, why are you always so depressed?”
Turning away, Sarah got her breakfast.
~
Later that evening, when Sarah was in her room, her father came home. He sat in the living room with her mother. She shook her head, “Oh, is there a cure for such an ill mind. How can we make our little child happy?”
Her father sighed, “I don't understand it, kids love pets and Sarah loves birds. I see her watch them out her window, and still I get her such a charming bird and that doesn't seem to cheer her up in the slightest!”
Indeed, Sarah was not delighted by her new pet. In fact, it was even more depressing to her, for an animal to be trapped in a cage rather than outside gliding through the open air, where it would like to be.
~
Sarah's father walked down the hall into her room. He found her sitting in the rocking chair staring off into space. “Come, follow me.” Said her father, turning back down the hall. Sarah glanced up and then obediently followed like a little puppy. They went outside and walked up the street and took several turns down different roads, busy roads, peaceful roads, down streets with neat houses all the same size and the same distance apart from each other. With the lawn trimmed so that the grass was only two inches high and the bushes were all in a perfect sphere shape. Some might say that these people kept their property in very great maintenance and that it looked fabulous while others might say the houses all were very dull and that they look exactly the same.
~
Finally, they reached their destination. It was a park with a huge pond that had ducks, geese, and swans swimming around happily. The swans held their heads high and proud, their gorgeous white figures standing out against the deep darker colors.
Her father pointed at them, “Do you like the swans?” She nodded but her heart did not feel it. She knew the swans were not free. They could only survive because people helped them to. Sarah pointed at the mountains far in the distance, "I want to go there."
~
It was hard for her father to realize what had just happened, for it had been perhaps two years since he had heard her voice. Very seldom indeed, and not for a whole sentence. He looked at her in wonder, “Someday we will go there, I promise.”
~
But someday was too long.
Sarah began to dream of going there. She did not come out of her room often and spent much of her time drawing pictures of what she dreamed the mountains would look like up close.
Every day, she asked her parents, “When can we go to the big mountain?”
Her parents were delighted with the new attitude of their daughter. Her father would smile and say proudly, “I knew that walk would do her good. Get out, see nature.”
But soon Sarah’s enthusiasm began to die out and she began to seem more and glum. But still she would ask her parent if they could go to the mountain.
Her father began to say, “Maybe we can go next week.” And the week after he repeated, “Maybe next week.”
Of course he would keep his promise, but how long would it take?
~
It took too long. Sarah got up early one day. Her mother was not up. Her father was gone. She stood up on top of her rocking chair. It wobbled under her feet getting her balance she reached up to the ceiling where the bird cage hung. She could hardly reach it but stretching to her fullest extent, she unhooked the birdcage from the ceiling.
Carrying it out of her room, she took it down the hall, into the living room, and out the door. She closed it tightly behind her and walked down the street.
~
It was very early, and very few cars went down the street. Sarah walked and walked. Down many streets, past the park, down the busy road. She walked through the woods, past places she’d never been before.
She went up and down hills. But she only had one destination, the mountain.
Finally, Sarah reached an ideal place. She was partially up the mountain, not all the way, but there was a meadow with small hills rolling along the horizon. It was the peak of the day. The meadow was green with yellow buttercups and little pink flowers speckled across it and dark green trees bordered the meadow.
The mountain was even more beautiful than she thought it would be. The yellow bird twittered in satisfaction. She put down his cage and flopped down in the lush, soft grass. Staring at the clear blue sky and breathing in the pure fresh air she knew this was where she belonged.
A flock of birds flew overhead, coming back from their long migration. The little yellow bird twittered and flapped his wings excitedly.
Sarah got up and cautiously reached for the silver latches, but hesitated. Nothing was stopping her she quickly pulled down the latches and took the tiny bird in her hands. He suddenly seemed so small. But even if he didn’t stand a chance in the wild, Sarah new he would rather die in happiness, then trapped in a cage.
She held him up into the sky and slowly she whispered, “Fly away!” and let go.
The bird flew swiftly through the air, singing out a wonderful song circling around in the air a few times and then he disappeared over the horizon, his song fading away in the mountain air.
by Margaret Ryan
It was dark and gloomy. Sarah sat at the kitchen table in front of an untouched bowl of oatmeal. All she could here was the pitter pat of the rain. Her mother was in the living room reading a book.
Suddenly, a car came up their street and pulled in the driveway the car door slammed. Sarah heard the footsteps approach the house. She heard the jingling of keys and within seconds the door was open.
A tall man walked in. He had black hair and dark brown eyes. He swung a bird cage on the table and smiled, “For you my dear Sarah.” he said proudly. He looked very pleased as if he had done the greatest thing in the world.
Sarah sat at the table unfazed. She looked at her father questioningly.
“Well,” he said, “How do you like it?"
Sarah listened to the pit pat of the rain, it seemed to be waiting for her answer longing to know what she thought.
Her mother got up from her chair and silently went over to father. Sarah looked at her, her eyes seemed to say, “Please like it, it would mean so much to me.”
Sarah looked back at the cage a little yellow bird clung to the cage his eyes were sad, he was saying, “Help me!”
Sarah hesitated for a second, then she snatched the silver bars and wrenched open the cage door. Her father rushed to stop her but it was too late, the bird was out of the cage.
Her mother shook her head and looked at her sadly. Sarah stalked off to her room.
~
The sun poured in through the open windows of Sarah’s bedroom. She slowly awoke to the bright light, got up and peered out her window. The last of the winter snow had finally disappeared into the ground.
A robin swooped down and strutted around the yard, the first sign of spring.
Sarah glanced over at the golden bird in the bird cage attached high to the ceiling where she could not reach the silver latches.
She looked back and forth between the robin and the pretty yellow bird. The robin sang out a lovely song and fluttered off into the sky.
Distressed, the yellow bird flapped his wings frantically. Sarah looked at him in sympathy. Then, looking straight into his eyes she whispered pitifully, “You’re a beautiful creature.”
Startled at her own words, Sarah looked away quickly. She glanced out the window once more and then began to dress.
~
Sarah’s room was extraordinarily gorgeous. The walls were painted a light pink that caught the sun’s rays perfectly and gave the room a glowing aura. It was very spacious with a big bed that had petite roses bordering the pillow and the coverlet looked like the delicate color of cherry blossoms. At the end of the bed, a patchwork quilt was folded nicely. The detailed design of birds, butterflies, and roses were in each square.
In one corner of the room, a small rocking chair sat with a rosy pillow that had intricate roses embroidered on it, and a red blanket fit perfectly on the seat. The windows were to the left of the rocking chair with white curtains made of the finest lace.
Finally, the dresser which stood tall and proud in the room with a big oval mirror and four wooden drawers with crystal clear knobs.
To any ordinary child a room like this would be marvelously enthralling and quite breathe taking when the sun rises and sets. But to Sarah, this caused no joy. Instead, she found the room deeply depressing and lonesome.
~
Walking to the kitchen, Sarah felt a jolt in her heart. Picturing the little yellow bird trapped in the cage. She pictured him so happy outside soaring through the crystal blue sky, the pure satisfaction of ecstasy.
Then she pictured herself on a lovely green mountain with green grass, and little buttercups. The trees on her mountain were so tall, so humble.
But then she stopped. She was like the little yellow bird, trapped in her own house stuck breathing in the horrendous toxic gases from the cars that whizzed down the street. But then, pushing the sad feelings back down into her throat, Sarah realized she was trapped in her own mind! Ignoring this sudden, startling discovery, she walked into the living room to see if her mother was up.
~
Her mother was in the living room reading a book as usual. She looked up at Sarah and gave her a sad smile. Placing her book down beside her she said, “Sarah, why are you always so depressed?”
Turning away, Sarah got her breakfast.
~
Later that evening, when Sarah was in her room, her father came home. He sat in the living room with her mother. She shook her head, “Oh, is there a cure for such an ill mind. How can we make our little child happy?”
Her father sighed, “I don't understand it, kids love pets and Sarah loves birds. I see her watch them out her window, and still I get her such a charming bird and that doesn't seem to cheer her up in the slightest!”
Indeed, Sarah was not delighted by her new pet. In fact, it was even more depressing to her, for an animal to be trapped in a cage rather than outside gliding through the open air, where it would like to be.
~
Sarah's father walked down the hall into her room. He found her sitting in the rocking chair staring off into space. “Come, follow me.” Said her father, turning back down the hall. Sarah glanced up and then obediently followed like a little puppy. They went outside and walked up the street and took several turns down different roads, busy roads, peaceful roads, down streets with neat houses all the same size and the same distance apart from each other. With the lawn trimmed so that the grass was only two inches high and the bushes were all in a perfect sphere shape. Some might say that these people kept their property in very great maintenance and that it looked fabulous while others might say the houses all were very dull and that they look exactly the same.
~
Finally, they reached their destination. It was a park with a huge pond that had ducks, geese, and swans swimming around happily. The swans held their heads high and proud, their gorgeous white figures standing out against the deep darker colors.
Her father pointed at them, “Do you like the swans?” She nodded but her heart did not feel it. She knew the swans were not free. They could only survive because people helped them to. Sarah pointed at the mountains far in the distance, "I want to go there."
~
It was hard for her father to realize what had just happened, for it had been perhaps two years since he had heard her voice. Very seldom indeed, and not for a whole sentence. He looked at her in wonder, “Someday we will go there, I promise.”
~
But someday was too long.
Sarah began to dream of going there. She did not come out of her room often and spent much of her time drawing pictures of what she dreamed the mountains would look like up close.
Every day, she asked her parents, “When can we go to the big mountain?”
Her parents were delighted with the new attitude of their daughter. Her father would smile and say proudly, “I knew that walk would do her good. Get out, see nature.”
But soon Sarah’s enthusiasm began to die out and she began to seem more and glum. But still she would ask her parent if they could go to the mountain.
Her father began to say, “Maybe we can go next week.” And the week after he repeated, “Maybe next week.”
Of course he would keep his promise, but how long would it take?
~
It took too long. Sarah got up early one day. Her mother was not up. Her father was gone. She stood up on top of her rocking chair. It wobbled under her feet getting her balance she reached up to the ceiling where the bird cage hung. She could hardly reach it but stretching to her fullest extent, she unhooked the birdcage from the ceiling.
Carrying it out of her room, she took it down the hall, into the living room, and out the door. She closed it tightly behind her and walked down the street.
~
It was very early, and very few cars went down the street. Sarah walked and walked. Down many streets, past the park, down the busy road. She walked through the woods, past places she’d never been before.
She went up and down hills. But she only had one destination, the mountain.
Finally, Sarah reached an ideal place. She was partially up the mountain, not all the way, but there was a meadow with small hills rolling along the horizon. It was the peak of the day. The meadow was green with yellow buttercups and little pink flowers speckled across it and dark green trees bordered the meadow.
The mountain was even more beautiful than she thought it would be. The yellow bird twittered in satisfaction. She put down his cage and flopped down in the lush, soft grass. Staring at the clear blue sky and breathing in the pure fresh air she knew this was where she belonged.
A flock of birds flew overhead, coming back from their long migration. The little yellow bird twittered and flapped his wings excitedly.
Sarah got up and cautiously reached for the silver latches, but hesitated. Nothing was stopping her she quickly pulled down the latches and took the tiny bird in her hands. He suddenly seemed so small. But even if he didn’t stand a chance in the wild, Sarah new he would rather die in happiness, then trapped in a cage.
She held him up into the sky and slowly she whispered, “Fly away!” and let go.
The bird flew swiftly through the air, singing out a wonderful song circling around in the air a few times and then he disappeared over the horizon, his song fading away in the mountain air.