Kitkat's Pet Birdie (or Chirpy?)

It was summer, circa 1981, when I was at our backyard in Cabanatuan City. As I watched our two new ducks, I saw something fall from the roof. Because during that time, a "child star" with a genetic condition resulting in short stature was popular, I had mistaken it for a dwarf.

Then, slowly walked towards it. When I saw the two ducks staring at it, as though they were trying to figure out if it was good to eat or not, I realized that it was a bird!

I picked up the bird as fast as I could, then called my mom and a helper. We placed Goldy in a box with crumpled tissue papers. Everytime I fed the bird, I used to form a beak with my thumb and index finger. As I touched the bird's beak, I would do an ascending whistle which lasted for a second, to make it think that it was his mother trying to feed her. Because Goldy recognized my whistle, whenever I would call her, she would hop towards me while chirping. (She didn't live long to try her wings.)

This incident happend again, on June 6, 2006. While I was in Lucena, Kitkat was at our backyard in Quezon City, with two dogs, Kisbee (a poodle), and Jasper (a shi tzu). As she sat on the swing, she saw Kisbee staring at something. When she saw that it was a little bird, she immediately called on her yaya Merlyn.

Because Merlyn didn't know how to take care of the bird, she thought it would die. So, instead of watching it slowly starve to death, she decided to place it on an ice cream lid and left it where Kitkat found it, hoping that its mother would find it.

When I arrived early in the morning of the following day, Kitkat told me what she found. The memories I had with Goldy started to come back. It felt like it was just yesterday. But the more important thing is that I felt it was a message from God. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. It was I who has changed over the years, but His loved has remained the same.


I asked Merlyn where the bird was. She said she left it outside because she thought it was going to die. I told her to get it. When I saw that the frail creature was exactly like Goldy, I told Kitkat and Merlyn that that bird would live.

Now, Kitkat takes care of her new pet. She knows how to whistle too.

She observed how Birdie eats. While the eyes are closed, Birdie would point his beak straight up then open it wide. Kitkat asked me what would happen if somebody feeds Birdie with poison instead of food. I told her, that's how Papa God takes care of us. We have to trust Him that everything He does for us is for our own good. If Papa God takes care of every bird out there, He would certainly take care of us.

Well, I hope Birdie (or Chirpy, if she's a girl) would grow up and be able to fly. Kitkat is prepared to let the bird go when it is able to flap its wings. What's important is that Papa God has given her the privilege of taking care of Birdie, while showing her how He takes care of all of us. For me, it's the privilege of seeing myself in my child. -- NCG