When Laisy found a door halfway opened, she took it as a sign. She was welcome. No second thoughts. And so did Lolla. So, they met there by chance. For Laisy, anywhere was better than being at home. It just felt right. Right in every way: no fancy murals, family pictures or bright colours. No fights. Silence would be her only pal; the only one she needed that afternoon. Sitting on a tiny, wooden stool, she took a deep breath. The wooden wall squeaked. She jumped terrified. It was expected. The place must have been abandoned for years. The eerie, dark corners of the roof made her feel a presence, but she didn’t see anything.
She sighed. No, fear wouldn’t spoil this moment, she swore.
This would be her secret hideout. She was wrong.
Her folks were at it again.This time, it was about the farmhouse. Her father wanted them to sell it while her mother attached sentimental value to it.
“You know how much the house means to me.”
” I do, but it’s a liability we can’t afford!”
“Afford? You have stuff in this house we don’t need, yet you maintain them. Where do we get the money…”
Laisy didn’t care. If only they stopped fighting. She ran.
Lolla watched her family from a considerable distance. She preened her wings and fluffed them to keep warm. Since they moved, their newborn had been the centre of attention. She didn’t matter anymore, and so she fled.
With the door opened, she sought solace. At the far right of the roof, she perched on a frame. The miniature space was just enough to allow her to hide,at least for some time.
All of a sudden, someone entered. She couldn’t have missed it. Oh yeah, she hadn’t knocked either. Lolla nearly flapped her wings in readiness to take off but decided to hold on a little. It was a girl, about ten. What! Was she lost or something?
Something fell on Laisy. Soot. She looked up. Not even a bird’s companionship was welcome here.
They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Something unprecedented happened. The bird chirped. Laisy involuntarily nodded.
Lolla flew and landed on the dusty table near Laisy. She wept as she vented. Lolla listened carefully and interjected here and there with a chirp. She dried her eyes with a scarf. It was Lolla’s time. The name Lolla just came to mind. And she loved the alliteration- Laisy and Lolla.
Lolla chirped as she moved her head back and forth. Laisy frowned and nodded in agreement; the injustices committed against her were unfair. It was like the myths learnt in her history class. Humans and other species must have coexisted well. Her classmates wouldn’t believe her, so she wouldn’t tell them. Since that encounter, Laisy couldn’t wait to visit her friend after school.
” Sweetheart, where do you go after school?”
” To see Lolla.”
“Lolla, a new friend from school?
” Nope. A new friend.”
Laisy smiled. The glow in her eyes spoke volumes. Her mother returned the smile and nodded approvingly.
