All Seen From Above

 

            Maeve watched Jumpstart as he loped off to the north until he was no longer visible from the ground level.
            She rose into the air to keep a better eye on him. He was moving pretty fast, but as we know, Maeve is faster than any landbound creature.
            Her wings lifted her high into the currents of the air. She drifted for the sheer pleasure of it. Miles spread out before her eyes. Yes, the forest and then the meadow and far away the town where humans live their lives on streets of asphalt, among buildings and the busyness of it all.
            The blue and grey of the immense sky was over it all.
            Wheeling back towards the Great Forest, Maeve spotted Jumpstart again. He had almost made it to the first dirt street outside of town. He wasn’t running now. He had met her whom he sought, his home and his heart. They were conversing right down below Maeve.
            Satisfied that her mission was complete, Maeve turned toward home.
            “Evermore,” she whispered to a passing wind.
            On purposeful wings she headed straight to the forest and the Home Clearing.
            The forest below reached something like two hundred feet into the sky, Maeve’s world.
            Nevertheless, she dropped down through the canopy looking for Ralph. She found him sitting by the fire with Ramona drinking coffee.
            She gronked a few times to let them know she was in the air above them. Ramona smiled up at her.
            “Where have you been, Birdy?” said Ralph as she settled onto his left shoulder.
            “Oh, flying to and then from, Boss,” said Maeve, importantly, preening a bit.
            “And what did you see, Birdy, flying to and then coming back to us?” said Ralph, smiling.
            “Well, I saw the end of a successful mission,” said Maeve. “I followed Coyote. Like the wild thing that he is, he visited the campground out by the ranger station. While there he got the best of a pair of unlikely campers. He captured their dinner. He laughed his way out beyond Uncle Bob’s Stump House and then settled down to devour his prize.
            “While he was eating, he failed to notice me landing nearby. When he was done, I asked him why he was wasting time. Didn’t he know she was looking for him? That got his attention. So I sent him on his way.
            “So, Boss, I watched from above, I made sure that he and she found each other. And they did. I left them together and came on home,” said Maeve.
            “Thanks, Birdy. Always the watchful mother,” said Ralph. “You did well, as always.”
            “Jumpstart will always be Coyote,” said Ramona. “But we wish him and her well in all of their story together!”
            “Maeve, would you like a bit of coffee, dear,” said Ramona, who knew that Maeve didn’t generally share their taste for coffee.
            “Today, yes, I think I would like a small cup of coffee,” said Maeve. “Thanks, Ramona. I’m a little tired now. That sounds like a good idea this time.”
            The coffee was good, not overly hot for a bird. She was pleased. Ralph and Ramona were also pleased. Dinner was good later, and it was an altogether successful day.

🍁