Weekly Visit
She will be here soon, Koraki said from his perch. I did not respond as I rocked slowly back and forth in my chair, slowly clicking my knitting needles.
She will try to take you away again, he persisted. I nodded slowly. Sarah was my only child, who visited me once a week for an hour. I was very happy she came to see me at all, but I also hated the fact that to her our visits were nothing more than an unavoidable piece of her schedule. Sarah was a busy young woman who loved nothing except her job. She was 43 with no family or prospects of one, content to spend her career as a lawyer alone. The only thing keeping her from her job 24/7 was me, and it seemed that she was set and determined to send me off to a retirement home where she could be sure I was getting the care I needed. That way she could reduce her visits to once every few months. I sniffed reproachfully. This was the thanks I received for bringing her into this world?
She comes! Karaki cried. Sure enough, moments later I could hear the clack of her heels against the floor outside in the hall, followed by a rapt knock on my door.
"It's open, dear," I called out to her. Sarah came sweeping in like the plague. Her smile was as fake as her chest, her dye-blond hair sculpted into place, and acrylic nails poised like claws.
"Hello Mama," she smiled. But as she looked around her smile faded slightly. I kept my place as clean as any old woman could keep a small apartment with 78 years worth of stuff could, but apparently she was not satisfied.
"You know Mama, this place really isn't the best place for a woman of your age..." She began.
Here we go, Koraki sighed.
"I saw a whole group of hobos on my way in. Imagine! And that strip club? I really don't feel comfortable leaving you in this neighborhood." Sarah proclaimed with a shake of her head.
You don't care! You never cared! Koraki said with an audible screech. Sarah looked at him in horror.
"Ugh! A raven!" She screamed.
"He is a crow," I corrected her. This didn't seem to help.
"Shoo! Shoo, you nasty thing!" Sarah said, waving her fingers at it, refusing to get any closer. Karaki did not move. I laughed, finding that the whole thing looked rather silly.
"Do you see? This is why you should move!" Sarah said hysterically, "Vermin like this all around the place! It is disgusting!"
Vermin! He cried again.
"Hush." I told him, and both he and Sarah fell silent. My daughter assumed it was directed at her, and she became offended.
"Fine," She huffed, "I know when my opinion isn't wanted, and I won't stay here knowing I can't speak my mind." She spun on her heel and left, slamming the door behind her. I sighed, squeezing my eyes shut.
Good riddance. Koraki huffed.
Although the building has been quiet for days, I woke up this morning to Corbies' companion Koraki screeching at the top of its lungs. I guess her daughter is here again... Koraki always seems to be louder whenever her daughter is here. Sigh. I don't even know why she bothers to come visit anymore because she always causes a riot!
ReplyDeleteI crept to the window and looked in. Frauline Corbie was seated in her rocking chair with her daughter standing above her, looking furious. Then the daughter turned on her heel and left. I crept back around to the front of the house.
ReplyDeleteMs. Macintyre from upstairs walked by, the damn crow she keeps on her pointed shoulders cried "Alfred!"
ReplyDelete...
I unhinged my jaw and hoped it looked more like a damn smile and less like an alligator. I have a feeling it probably resembled the latter.
"ALFRED!" I heard Ms. Macyintyre's crow hollering from the other end of the stale hallway. I tore towards the unpleasant sound, begging to find Alien at the end of it, tripping on nothing and landing on the flat carpet somewhere between a fox with piercings and an old woman with a crow.
"That's Switch" I heard Alien say as if that explained everything.
"So, Alfred is my horse." Alien paused dramatically, like a damn movie kid. "Well, he's not a real horse, he's a stuffed horse" She stopped. I guessed she was talking to Ms. Macyintyre. "but he is real" Alien continued.
I stumbled in what I guessed to be the direction of Ms. Macyintyre.
"Sorry about the kid." I mumbled.
"Its ok dear" I heard a voice say behind me.
I guess I had guessed wrong. I could feel the odd looks coming at me, the piercing gaze of the fox, Ms. Macintyre's croaking glare. Even the damn kid was looking at me. I knew she was, probably in fear. Her "legal guardian," god, I sound like that polyester job, was talking to a wall. The blood thudded in my ears and spun through a projector, displaying my pathetic life onto a wall I could I barely see in front of me. Complete with credits and a theme song.
As he made his way over to his motorcycle, he heard a crow caw over his head.
ReplyDelete"Damn birds..." he muttered, "They're such a nuisance."
He strapped the precious, mysterious box on to his bike, once again looking from left to right, making sure no one was watching him. He put on his helmet and drove away quickly, heading back to his apartment to discover what had been assigned to him and how he would manage to carry it out.
Little did he know, someone had been watching him. The bird named Koraki witnessed it all, and he quickly flew back to his beloved Corbie with much to tell her. Flying up to the roof top garden where she sat watching people go by, he landed by her side.
"Koraki, what happened?" Corbie quickly asked when she noticed how distressed the bird looked.
As she stepped outside, the sounds of Watershed Heights overwhelmed her ears. She could hear a crow cawing in the distance probably trying to make its owner deaf she thought. She looked up and saw Koraki behind a window cussing (she didn't care) in crow at someone leaving the building. Chaz wondered who had excited Koraki so much. Ah...this town.
ReplyDeleteLoli woke to the sound of a cawing bird outside of her window. She staggered out of bed over to the window to peak outside through the blinds. There was a elderly woman talking a stroll outside of the building, hovering above her was a black crow.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't help but notice Corbie MacIntyre sitting alone, watching the cleanup and talking to a bird. Tragedy can drive us all crazy sometimes. I thought about going up to her to offer my prayers, but it seemed like the bird was the only one who could help.
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