Dina M Wilks

When he arrived at his tree, Jadek did not see the bird. His eyes stretched to the highest limbs, but there were no traces of the brilliant red feathers, so he settled beneath the tree to wait.

 

As Jadek ate the cakes, the bird returned, but it did not go to the old man. Instead, the cardinal hovered in the safety of the limbs.

 

Jadek glimpsed the red bird. Pleased with his discovery, he smiled and pretended to eat, but his sight remained in the tree.

 

When the sun cast its smallest shadows, Jadek's patience was rewarded, and the bird flew to his shoulder.

 

"So, now you are hungry?" I have saved breakfast so we could eat together. You have brought me a great treasure, you have brought me my Nadia."

 

The old man offered pieces of his cake to his friend. "From now on, I will feed you and care for you and you will deliver my Nadia to me."

 

Jadek stayed with the bird until nightfall.

 

At his son's house, Jadek did not eat and escaped to his room. There, he spread himself across his bed and tried to sleep. Maria became concerned and went to his room.

 

"Jadek, how do you feel? What may I get for you?"

 

"I want to sleep, nothing else."

 

And Maria left the room.

 

For what seemed like hours, Jadek stayed in the bed with his eyes closed, but sleep would not come. His limbs tossed and tangled the covers around his body. His temperature rose and when a blanket was lost, it would drop too low. Jadek realized he was too anxious and tried to regulate his breaths, pulling in long, slow lengths of air. He refused his mind's attempts to unload the days' burdens, and in time, he fell asleep.

In his sleep, the cardinal returned, but this time, the bird was on his Nadia's finger. To his delight, she was as a young woman. He spoke to her, and she smiled. His hand stretched to her. Just as they touched, the cardinal was frightened and his Nadia disappeared. Jadek called to her, and his wife returned; her hair gray, her face lined. And the cardinal had gone.

 

Jadek looked further for his young Nadia, but for tonight, she had left him.

 

He awakened and was unable to return to sleep. In the darkness, he rose and went to the shed where he stored his tools. Throughout the night, he measured, sawed and hammered, creating a large cage for the cardinal. No longer would the bird fly away. He placed the cage in his granddaughter's wagon and toted it to the tree.

 

The dark morning hours were spent cracking the pecans and carefully placing the clean nuts in a tiny pile next to him. By the sun rise, he had enough to fill the bottom of the cage.

 

This day, the cardinal came early and sat directly on Jadek's shoulder, Jadek struggled to contain his excitement.

 

"Now we are good friends. I know, you see me and you are ready to eat." His voice was cautious and gentle. "I have spent the night preparing you a home with plenty to eat. All the pecans you desire." Carefully, Jadek gave the bird a piece of pecan, and the bird accepted without hesitation. "You will like the home. It has plenty of space, and I can put as many branches in it as you need."

 

The morning was used for talking to the bird, preparing it to enter the cage. When the moment came, Jadek quickly closed the door. For a moment, the bird did not notice its capture. Then it panicked; its wings catching on the side. It hissed and struggled until it could no longer and finally, it stood on the bottom, surrendering to exhaustion.

 

"I know it is a change, so difficult, but you will get used to it, we all do." Jadek stayed by the cage, calming the bird. When the night fell, he prepared to leave. "You will stay here. No one will know of you. This cage is sturdy, and you will be safe." And Jadek rose to leave.

 

When he stood, his legs lifted him without pain or struggle. His feet moved with a simple lilt, his heart beat with a new force.

 

Maria was surprised when Jadek entered the house; he was humming and stepping to a private dance.

 

"I am so hungry," these were the first words he spoke.

 

"The roast will be another hour, but I have some cheese and onions."

 

"Put it on pumpernickel, and I will have a beer."

 

Maria shook her head.

 

When she delivered his snack, Jadek stared at the plate. "Where is the crust?"

 

"I cut it. You tell me the crust is too tough."

 

Later, they ate; Jadek, Maria, and Walter. Jadek ate his meal with renewed enthusiasm. Walter and Maria watched with curious pleasure, their eyes occasionally meeting.

 

For many nights, Nadia came to Jadek in his dreams; there they danced and talked, laughed and remembered.

 

Jadek's days were spent with the cardinal. After the first days, Jadek noticed the food and water in the cage remained untouched.

 

"Why do you not eat? What do you want? What can I bring for you?"

 

The bird hissed more and kept the diameter of the cage between them.

 

"We are friends. I care for you, I need you. I will give you anything."

 

More days passed, and the bird still refused offers of sustenance.

 

"What can I do? If I let you go, you will leave me, and I will lose my Nadia. If you stay and do not eat, you will die." And he watched the bird with great sadness.

 

During the night, Jadek dreamed. But the dreams were not of his Nadia, they were of a bird flying in the sky, of it nesting with its mate, of the bird watching its young.

 

Jadek's stomach grew weak, his head tightened, his legs cramped.

 

"I will let you go, tomorrow, I will free you."

 

And Jadek spent his night in a restless sleep.

 

In the morning, his heavy legs carried him to the cardinal.

"I am sorry. Forgive this foolish old man." Jadek rested on one knee and removed the bird from the cage.

 

But it did not fly; it was too weak. He tried dropping water into its mouth with a rag, but the cardinal would not swallow. Slowly in his hands, the bird died, and Jadek stroked the beautiful red feathers as his heart filled with pain.

 

Night fell and Jadek did not return home. Worried, Walter and Maria began to search for him. Hours later, they found him, curled beneath a large pecan tree, his hands cradling a small dead cardinal.

 

"Papa, it is time to come home."

Jadek did not move, not even to look up, his eyes held only the bird. Walter tried to take the animal, but Jadek's hands clasped tightly around it.

 

"Let him bring it home," Maria whispered.

 

And Walter lifted his father and the bird and carried them home.