I woke up when my stomach started growling. I came out of my new cage dreaming about a fresh fruit outside the cage to eat. No, there is nothing for me to eat and someone has switched off the big yellow light sooner today. I went back to my new cage with no lock and no food. I would choose a locked cage with food over this open cage. Freedom is very expansive and painful, I realized. I slept in hunger.
When I woke up again the yellow light was bright and I am still hungry. I came out and saw a half eaten fruit on the branch. I hurried to take it and that’s when I heard the scream of that same big hunting bird that wants me dead. I sounded delight that I came out. I didn’t want to be her fruit for the day. I ran back inside the cage. I was trapped.
In few minutes somebody has started pouring the water over the tree and sprinkles of water came inside my cage. It was an awkward feeling never before I had; water sprinkle over my body.
“Hey, whoever pouring water, can you please stop. ‘Stupid bird’” I scolded.
The pouring didn’t stop but the good thing is the scary big bird disappeared. I guess she too felt awkward. I went out collected the half eaten water poured fruit but when I came back the water was all over my body. I ate, waited for the water pouring to stop, I shivered with water all over me but eventually I slept.
The yellow light when switched on again warmed me. I sat on the edge of a branch to feel the heat of the yellow light. Somebody has poured water not just over my tree but over everywhere to wash. Or did the trees take bath like my mother human and master human. Oh, even Roger was bathed once in a while though he didn’t like he did it for master human.
I wondered many a times, why Roger don't have a cage like me and when he has no cage why didn’t he run away like me! But now I know the answer. Not all humans are same like master human and not all mothers are like my mother human.
I miss you both, I miss my food, and… and… I miss my cage. Silly me, I missed the same cage I wanted to be free from. Now I learnt free being costs pain needs lots of courage. Only my master human’s home is safe.
I want to go back.
I gathered all the left out courage in me and started flying in the direction opposite to the yellow light; that is where I came from. After a long hour of flight I was tired and couldn’t find my master human. I sat on a wire which gave me trickles to my feet and looked in all directions for my master human, my mother human or at least Roger to appear. Sad I couldn’t see any.
I was about to give up and fly back to the tree cage and that is when I saw Roger running in the road and mother human was behind him. I shouted in happiness and flew towards my mother human. She saw me and become happy; yards before I reached my mother humans shoulder something solid hit me on the right side of my head and before I closed my eyes I saw Roger’s nose over my beak. I opened my eyes in pain to see my mother human, master human around me and Roger sleeping on the floor. A cup of water, cereals and a fruit was kept for me. I jumped over my mother human and then over my master human to tell them I am happy to be home, to see them again, and to be alive.
I ate, drank and looked for my cage still hanging in the same place. I flew and entered into the cage. My master human usually locks the cage after placing food inside. My master human saw me entering the cage and he left me there and went back to his room.
My cage was left opened and unlocked from that day on but… but… I never left the cage.
To be free you need courage!
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