Chapter 6: What Laurie Wants
THE first thing Olivia did in order to give Laurie what she wanted was go out onto the balcony and call to the city’s sparrows.
If you bring me bugs, I’ll give you as many pumpkin and sunflower seeds as you can eat! I have apples, too!
After calling out in her heart, she went back into the room. She’d already seen there were glass jars packed full of seeds next to Laurie’s cage, and there were apples on the table for the humans to eat.
Then, Olivia spoke to Laurie while Lord Woods, Lina, and Arthur watched. “Laurie, wait just a little longer and you can have some bugs. Is there anything you want other than food?”
Splashy splashy.
“Um. Do you mean a bath?”
In her mind’s eye, Olivia conjured an image of the deep dish set in the garden. She imagined the dish filled with clean water, and Peep having a good bath.
Laurie suddenly flapped her wings inside her cage. It wasn’t a very large cage. Laurie gripped firmly to the stand and flapped her wings carefully so as not to smash against the sides.
“Looks like you do want a bath.” Olivia turned to the count. “I want to let her out of the cage so she can bathe. Could I perhaps get a wash basin filled with water?”
“Right away. Lina, would you please?” said the count. “What else is Laurie saying?”
“Laurie, is there anything else? Anything you want to do?” asked Olivia.
Laurie’s thoughts rushed into her. Olivia saw an elderly man with a white beard. He was likely the previous Lord Woods. He stood there, smiling, watching as Laurie flew freely around the room. Laurie seemed to love the old man. Olivia felt enjoyment accompanying the images of him.
“It seems she wants to come out of the cage and fly around the room,” said Olivia.
“Actually, yes, my father did let her free in the room.”
Lina came back with a wash basin filled with water. Laurie furiously flapped her wings inside the cage. She really wanted a bath, it seemed.
Olivia double-checked that all the windows were closed then opened the cage. But Laurie didn’t come out.
“She’s been like this for a long time,” said the count. “Lina told me my father let her free to play in the room. Every day since my father died, I opened the cage door and waited, but she’d never come out. I eventually gave up, assuming she didn’t want to come out.”
“Laurie, why won’t you come out of the cage?” asked Olivia, as she searched through Laurie’s memories. What she found shocked her.
There was a woman, a maid by the looks of it with a fearsome expression, who was shrieking as she chased after Laurie with a butterfly net. Laurie flew around in a panic, but no matter where she went, the woman came after her, swinging the net.
Eventually the woman caught Laurie, who thrashed inside the net. The woman grabbed her tight and shoved her in the cage, throwing insults of some sort with that wicked look on her face. Those fearful memories stung Olivia’s heart.
“Oh, how horrible,” she said. “Laurie was terrified many times when she was outside the cage. That’s why she doesn’t want to come out. A woman wanted to put Laurie back in the cage if she came out even for a short time.”
“That can’t be possible…” said the count. “What exactly happened?”
“There was a woman with brown hair, who’s tall and thin. She chased Laurie around the room with a butterfly net, and she looked so scary. Once she caught Laurie, she violently grabbed her and stuffed her back in the cage. Even afterwards, she acted very mean towards Laurie.”
“But…” said the count with an expression of disbelief, but Lina looked like she had an idea of what Olivia was talking about.
“Lina,” said Olivia, “you seem to know who that woman is.”
“It must be Agatha. She’s already left His Lordship’s service. She was very experienced and had worked in the mansion for a very long time, but she started stealing. She must have had some financial difficulties. She just happened to be caught in the act and was sent away.”
“Lina, why was someone like that caring for Laurie?” asked the count.
“I’m sorry, my lord. She was a very good worker before the stealing incident. I trusted her. I asked her to look after Laurie while you and I were traveling between the capital and the county, since we took on those duties when your father passed. I can’t believe she was doing that…”
“Well, she’s gone now, right? That’s good,” said Olivia. “Laurie, the scary person is gone. You don’t have to be afraid of coming out of the cage.”
Laurie still didn’t come out.
Just like she did when dealing with wild animals, Olivia waited for Laurie to make the decision to move on her own. She didn’t forget to put her hand in the wash basin and make splashing sounds while she did, though.
Laurie seemed uncertain. She stood on her perch, swaying uneasily to each side and back again.
“It’s all right. No one’s going to chase you anymore,” soothed Olivia.
It seemed Laurie could no longer resist. She bounced through the cage’s door and flapped her wings, flying towards the wash basin set on a nearby table.
And then she became obsessed with her bath. She spread her wings, shaking her body, half of it sunk into the water as she flapped her wings into the water, splashing it on her upper half.
“That splashy splashy must feel nice, Laurie,” said Olivia.
Splashy splashy! Fun! Splashy splashy! Happy!
Water went splattering across the table and floor, but the count smiled as he watched Laurie bathe.
Oh, he really does seem to care for her, to treasure her, thought Olivia.
“Olivia…”
“Hm? What is it, Arthur? Ah! Oh, hurry!”
Olivia glanced over and saw sparrows lined up, completely filling the railing of the balcony, each one with something in its mouth. Not just anything, though. It was the insects Olivia asked for.
Hurry! Seeds! Hurry! Seeds!
Want eat seeds!
Apple, apple, apple!
The sparrow who knew what an apple tasted like must have gotten one from a human before.
“Laurie, the sparrows brought you bugs. I have to go out on the balcony to get them, could you go back in your cage for just a moment?” requested Olivia.
Laurie took a look out the window then flew into her cage. Olivia quickly closed it, the elegant clasp shutting with a click.
“Um, Arthur, could you come with me?” she asked. “It’s not like I dislike insects, but there are so many. We have to make sure we get all of them.”
“Sure, no problem.”
“Lina, could I have one of those apples? I promised the sparrows they could eat some.”
“Promised? Oh… Right, please, go ahead.”
“And, if you don’t mind, I’ll just use this fruit knife here.”
Arthur and Olivia stepped out onto the balcony and scattered Laurie’s food onto the ground. The sparrows plopped down the insects from their beaks and swarmed the seeds with joy.
Arthur gathered the dragonflies, butterflies, caterpillars, and worms into a handkerchief. Olivia sliced up the apple then stacked the pieces in a mound on the ground once they were cut small enough.
The pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and juicy apple made a feast the likes of which the sparrows rarely got. They were focused on eating, their brown backs turned to Olivia and Arthur, but Olivia still said, “Thank you. You were a huge help.”
The two of them went back into the room and closed the balcony door to find Lina watching the whole scene with a stiffened expression. The count, too, looked like he wanted to draw back from the handkerchief bulging with insects.
“Eat whatever ones you like,” Olivia said to Laurie. “Once you’ve eaten, you can fly around the room.”
Laurie came out of the cage with a joyful cry and gobbled down lots of the insects. Having finally had her fill, she began preening her feathers. Once she carefully arranged each one, she flapped her wings and took off.
There was something imposing about the large parrot flying around the room. Both Arthur and Olivia looked on with gasps of surprise.
Laurie landed on the curtain box above the curtains, then flew to the chandelier. From the chandelier, she moved to the backrest of the sofa.
“How wonderful,” said the count. “She seems much better. Was what she ate just now what gave her all this energy?”
“Food alone wouldn’t make her this energetic this quickly,” said Olivia. “I think she was emotionally weakened, as well.”
“I see. But I’ll make sure to let her play in the room like this from now on. I’m so glad,” he said, looking at her with satisfaction.
And then Laurie spoke. “Laurie, good morning. Are you well? Want an apple? You’re such a good girl, Laurie.”
“My lord, that’s…” said Lina.
“What a surprise,” said the count. “That’s what my father would say to Laurie every morning.”
Laurie kept talking, seemingly in a good mood, her head moving side to side while she rested on the back of the sofa. “You’re such a good girl, Laurie. Good morning. Want an apple? Laurie. Laurie. You live a good, long life, you hear?”
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🍲🍲🍲
“ARE you sure, Olivia? Didn’t you want to spend time with Laurie tomorrow, too?” said Arthur.
“I think she’ll be all right. The count said he’d feed her insects from now on, and she’s able to come out of her cage without feeling frightened.”
“The count said he’d arrange a place for us to stay. You sure you don’t want to stay the night?”
“Rob’s waiting for us back home. I set out two days’ worth of food when we left, but I’m sure he just went and ate it all in one go.”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t be surprised if he did.”
“And Pete and Pepe are waiting too. They’ll want to eat grass. But, actually, Arthur, are you sure you don’t want to stay? It must be hard on you to drive the carriage at night.”
“How many years do you think I was a mercenary?”
“I’m sorry. And I made you take time off work, too.”
“Don’t worry about it. Freddy said it was all right. Besides, I plan to forage enough herbs for him to make up for my time off.”
“I’ll help.”
“Grateful for the help.”
The carriage trundled down the dark road. Annie, pulling the carriage, was still murmuring to herself, Mates so close, that good, that good.