The parrot cage

She held the parrot’s cage with both hands.

The bird looked at her tilting its head at an angle. She could see the reflection of her face on the black pond of the parrot’s eyes. It opened its beak  and let a few sounds stretch between her face and its mouth.

—–

Bobby ran into the kitchen. She left the pan frying and stood there watching him jump up and down.

“Knuckles!” he shouted. “Knuckles, knuckles!”

“Look at you all sweaty” she passed her hand over his dirty forehead. “Where have you been?” she pressed his nose and gave him a soft tap on the head. “So dirty”

Bobby started burping out, almost breathless. He opened his hands and there it was, tiny green and frightened. “I will call him Knuckles!”

She smiled. “Ok Bobby. I hope you know Knuckles needs to be taken care of. You need to feed him and clean him”

“I know mommy. I will keep him fresh and clean!” He smiled. His smile was patched in black for two milk teeth had just fallen.

“You better be fresh and clean yourself before dinner little one. Go shower”

—–

From the other room a cry was audible. It took her out of her sleepiness. “Knuckles, knuckles!” She heard “Knuckles, knuckles, knuckles!” the parrot shouted again and again and again. After a few minutes it stopped and the house was quiet again.

——-

“Bobby, don’t climb on that. Bobby be careful. Bobby don’t do that. Bobby! Bobby no!”

He missed the edge of the water only by a few centimeters. The blow opened his skull and tainted the swimming pool with red.

——-

The bird look at her and tilted its head to the other side. It remained quiet. She opened the door. Knuckles gave a few steps that resonated on the metallic bottom of the cage.