Hi, this Mynah pair has given me a lot of joy last few days. My daughter Manal and her brother Maaz had left for higher studies in Malaysia. After being the fresh air and sunshine to us all of a sudden they had to leave. Children's leaving will always be 'sudden' to parents. We knew they would leave but there are events that you are never toughened to face.
This pair come to feed from the feeding table I have attached just outside my balcony. Breakfast around 6am. And another breakfast at half an hour's intervals. Lunch is from noon to four or five. Again I change the menu ! Only this couple visits us. I believe the chubby one or the healthier looking one is the lady. My Dad says they must have fledglings by now. From the fifth floor of our house, he has observed this pair taking large insects like grass hoppers to the nest in the building opposite to us.
Hope you enjoyed my guests. I shot some photos of them through a hole cut out of a newspaper so as not to startle them.. But my son Zin was more straight forward as always. He just snapped the picture while they were looking at him!
THIRTY MONTHS LATER: November 2011
Events took an unexpected turn; the pair stopped coming, food dried in the sun and wind. Ants got what the birds were denied. Maaz, my son (now on holidays )broke the news; two of our staff members had caught them and transported them to an island where one died the same month. The other bird's fate is not clear to me. When selfishness overcomes other peoples collective happiness the result is always bleak.
On a philosophical note:
Different people enter our lives, various events 'coincide' or ' collide' with our 'plans' for a reason. Many believe so. In this case a pair of Mynah birds flew into my life at a very difficult time. I had never experienced "heart break" or ever been ' brokenhearted' in my youth. Four decades behind me, I had started to believe I was immune to such youthful fallible!
After both my children left together , the emptiness I felt was like a physical pain which almost engulfed me. This was the time these two birds entered my life. The Mynahs in their punctual feeding habits made me get involved in them, with them. I had to get up early to clean the feeding tray, and replace it with fresh fruit, bread or something they can eat. Luckily for me my guests never refused anything. On very hot days, I cooled their drinking water with ice cubes!!! In helping them, I helped myself. Now I know that! So it is not only people who enter our lives, play their part and leave. It may be a bird, a hobby or a book! Do not be harsh on them or yourself, just be thankful they came, did what they were supposed do and off they went. We may be angry that they 'left for no reason' ! Just keep in mind that they came for a reason and also left us for a better reason! Have fond memories!
In the stage of the world, birds also play their part ! Even in Maldives!
