tresses of hanging moss.
She looked closer. Down along the banks of the dark water she could see long, rough-skinned creatures basking in patches of sunlight. One of them opened its huge mouth as they flew over and bellowed. Celeste could see rows of sharp teeth.
“Gators!” Lafayette hollered out, grinning. “Hold on tight! Don’t want to drop you now!”
They flew above long-necked birds that lined and dotted the tree limbs by the thousands. As Lafayette and Celeste cleared the tree canopy they surprised the birds. The birds’ necks and wings stretched out, and they squawked and croaked in a deafening cacophony. Celeste looked down as the entire flock took flight, flapping and swirling, brilliantly white in the morning sun.
Lafayette flew inlong, wide circles over the area, with Celeste scanning for anything familiar. Suddenly she shouted out. “There! Below! That’s it, I’m sure! That’s the big house!”
It was hard to recognize, because she had never seen the plantation house from this view; but the little bedroom window with the magnolia nearby was unmistakable. Lafayette circled down.
“I’m glad I’ve gotten you back before the sun was up too high or else someone would start shooting at me,” the osprey called down. “More and more guns shooting into the air these days…. It’s gotten so a bird isn’t safe in his own backyard anymore!” The wingsstopped beating for a moment, and the bird glided and banked again, turning closer to the house.
The morning was brightening, and Celeste could see that the early activity of the plantation had begun: Horses were pulling wagons toward the rice and sugarcane fields, and smoke was rising from a few chimneys dotted across the landscape.
Celeste had another idea.
“Lafayette! Drop me at this dogwood tree for a minute, please!”
“What?”
“Just let me grab something before you leave me at the window.”
Celeste quickly but carefully climbed out of the gondola and grabbed on to a branch of the dogwood tree. Lafayette hovered overhead. Finding a cluster of berries, she hurriedly chewed through the long stem. She grabbed the stem firmly before leaping back into the basket.
“Up to the window, the one on the left!” Celeste called out, and they flew to Joseph’s windowsill.
The osprey hovered just above the windowsill as Celeste carefully leaped out again.
“I’ll see you soon, sweet pea!” Lafayette called down.
“Thank you!” Celeste squeaked, as Lafayette dropped the basket on the sill. “For getting me home. And for the most wonderful time I’ve ever had!”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
A Homecoming, and Inspiration
C eleste hopped onto the desk and glanced around the room. She was ecstatic to be back in Joseph’s room, where things looked and smelled and felt comforting. Her heart felt a twang when she saw Joseph’s shirt hanging from its wooden peg. Cornelius was perched in the cage, head tucked underhis wing, eyes closed. Celeste heard soft breathing coming from the cot, where she could see Joseph draped, sound asleep.
She squeaked up at the cage. “ Psst! Cornelius!”
Cornelius opened one eye.
Celeste tried again. “It’s me!”
Cornelius leaped up with a start, calling from his cage. “Well, look what the cat dragged in!” he chirped.
“Quiet! I don’t want to wake anyone!”
Cornelius glanced over at the cot. “Hey,” he whispered, “I’ve been worried sick! Where in the world have you been?”
“Well, it’s quite a tale, involving lightning, wind, lots of rain, mud, almost drowning, and an osprey.” Celeste sighed.
There was a creaking from the cot. Joseph was turning over in his sleep.
“Here, a present for you,” whispered Celeste.
“Dogwood berries!” chirped the thrush. “You remembered!”
“Help me get this branch into your cage.”
She poked one end of the branch into the cage, and Cornelius eagerly plucked several berries, gobbling them down two at a time.
Celeste whispered,
She looked closer. Down along the banks of the dark water she could see long, rough-skinned creatures basking in patches of sunlight. One of them opened its huge mouth as they flew over and bellowed. Celeste could see rows of sharp teeth.
“Gators!” Lafayette hollered out, grinning. “Hold on tight! Don’t want to drop you now!”
They flew above long-necked birds that lined and dotted the tree limbs by the thousands. As Lafayette and Celeste cleared the tree canopy they surprised the birds. The birds’ necks and wings stretched out, and they squawked and croaked in a deafening cacophony. Celeste looked down as the entire flock took flight, flapping and swirling, brilliantly white in the morning sun.
Lafayette flew inlong, wide circles over the area, with Celeste scanning for anything familiar. Suddenly she shouted out. “There! Below! That’s it, I’m sure! That’s the big house!”
It was hard to recognize, because she had never seen the plantation house from this view; but the little bedroom window with the magnolia nearby was unmistakable. Lafayette circled down.
“I’m glad I’ve gotten you back before the sun was up too high or else someone would start shooting at me,” the osprey called down. “More and more guns shooting into the air these days…. It’s gotten so a bird isn’t safe in his own backyard anymore!” The wingsstopped beating for a moment, and the bird glided and banked again, turning closer to the house.
The morning was brightening, and Celeste could see that the early activity of the plantation had begun: Horses were pulling wagons toward the rice and sugarcane fields, and smoke was rising from a few chimneys dotted across the landscape.
Celeste had another idea.
“Lafayette! Drop me at this dogwood tree for a minute, please!”
“What?”
“Just let me grab something before you leave me at the window.”
Celeste quickly but carefully climbed out of the gondola and grabbed on to a branch of the dogwood tree. Lafayette hovered overhead. Finding a cluster of berries, she hurriedly chewed through the long stem. She grabbed the stem firmly before leaping back into the basket.
“Up to the window, the one on the left!” Celeste called out, and they flew to Joseph’s windowsill.
The osprey hovered just above the windowsill as Celeste carefully leaped out again.
“I’ll see you soon, sweet pea!” Lafayette called down.
“Thank you!” Celeste squeaked, as Lafayette dropped the basket on the sill. “For getting me home. And for the most wonderful time I’ve ever had!”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
A Homecoming, and Inspiration
C eleste hopped onto the desk and glanced around the room. She was ecstatic to be back in Joseph’s room, where things looked and smelled and felt comforting. Her heart felt a twang when she saw Joseph’s shirt hanging from its wooden peg. Cornelius was perched in the cage, head tucked underhis wing, eyes closed. Celeste heard soft breathing coming from the cot, where she could see Joseph draped, sound asleep.
She squeaked up at the cage. “ Psst! Cornelius!”
Cornelius opened one eye.
Celeste tried again. “It’s me!”
Cornelius leaped up with a start, calling from his cage. “Well, look what the cat dragged in!” he chirped.
“Quiet! I don’t want to wake anyone!”
Cornelius glanced over at the cot. “Hey,” he whispered, “I’ve been worried sick! Where in the world have you been?”
“Well, it’s quite a tale, involving lightning, wind, lots of rain, mud, almost drowning, and an osprey.” Celeste sighed.
There was a creaking from the cot. Joseph was turning over in his sleep.
“Here, a present for you,” whispered Celeste.
“Dogwood berries!” chirped the thrush. “You remembered!”
“Help me get this branch into your cage.”
She poked one end of the branch into the cage, and Cornelius eagerly plucked several berries, gobbling them down two at a time.
Celeste whispered,
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