As the world orbits the sun, time flows on. Seasons change, and what was once old is new. Those once young grow up; selecting one of the many paths they want to journey down. Some may succeed; some may fail; some may go back and try a new route. No matter how one looks at it, life will not wait for you. You will grow with it and somewhat transform yourself, forgetting some aspects of the past.
An eleven-year-old bird looked from the wooden counter from where she perched. From a peculiar chick, she had grown into a gorgeous macaw. Her mismatch solid pattern became more noticeable. Her wingtips had a darker shade of blue compared to her sky blue body feathers. Her beak was pitch-black, which matched the color of her feet, but it had a glossy finish to it. Her hazel eyes were less distinctive due to the colors of her feathers; her feathers made her eyes look light blue. She stood a little less than two feet tall and a wingspan about ten and a half inches. Her name, as her pet owner referred to her, was Salvia, meaning healthy.
Salvia flew over from the pet shop counter to one of the cages. She hovered in front of the cage that used belong to Donec, a Mealy Amazon who knew Salvia's original name. He had been sold three weeks after he was captured with Salvia. During those three weeks, he tried to convince Salvia about her origins and her real name being Aurora. As soon as she began believing him, he was gone. Her mind told her that he was probably a crazy bird and threw out all the thoughts he put in her head. A new bird, a Sun Parakeet, was in the cage. Salvia smiled.
"Hello."
The frightened juvenile bird looked up at Salvia. The bird approached the closed cage door.
"Hi," she replied.
"You're new here?"
The Sun Parakeet nodded. Salvia smiled.
"My name is Salvia."
"Casey."
"Welcome Casey. The doctor will be with you in a few minutes."
"Doctor? God, I got captured from my home to whine up in a doctor's office? My life sucks."
"Well, I've been living here for as long as I can remember. Nothing bad happened to me."
Casey slowly smiled.
"Well," began Salvia, thinking aloud, "there were those two shots, the clipping of my feathers, and the monthly excruciating check-up."
Casey's smiled dropped.
"Wow. Thanks for making me feel worse."
"Um, I'm sorry about that. Don't worry. It will be over soon and hopefully a caring person will buy you."
"Buy me? I thought this was a doctor's office."
"Well, it's both. My owner makes sure all birds are healthy before they are sold. You are very pretty. I am sure you've find a loving human to take care of you."
"How can you say that? I was taken from home, away from all my family and friends, and now I'm stuck here to be, according to you, sold to a human being. Where are we anyways?"
"Roseburg, Oregon."
Casey half-closed her eyes.
"Figures."
"Figures what?" asked Salvia with interest.
"That I would be in such a greedy country."
"I wouldn't say that. I mean, it is true some people are, but some are not."
"The majority overweigh the minority."
Salvia thought about it, trying to be careful about her next words.
"Yes, but sometimes that's a good thing. Don't worry. I promise you'll be fine."
Casey sighed.
"Alright. I'll try. After all, we are both from Brazil."
"Brazil? Why do you say I'm from Brazil?"
"You're a pretty bird, like the ones back home. You look like the Hyacinth Macaws I'm friends with back home, but I'm starting to realize you're not. But I still think you're from Brazil."
Salvia chuckled lightly.
"I'm sorry, but I deny the fact I'm from Brazil. I was raised here all my life."
The back door of the pet shop opened, which led to the clinical room. Angelica, a veterinarian with curly, brown hair and green eyes, walked into the room. Salvia faced Casey and nodded. Salvia flew towards the walking Angelica and perched on her shoulder. Angelina welcomed her with a pet on her head with a finger.
"So, I see you met the new arrival," said Angelica.
She opened the cage and gently grabbed Casey out. She wrapped both hands around the bird like if she was lightly cuddling it. Casey looked up at Salvia. She reassured the parakeet with a nod. The three females walked into the medical room, the door closing behind them.
Jalin and Blu were perched on one of the several hundreds of branches in the jungle near Rio. Not much had changed with Blu's appearance. His feathers were still dark blue, but they had a gray tint to them. It wasn't that noticeable, but one could see the grayish tint when that bird was standing an inch away from Blu. Jalin had grown from a knowledgeable chick to a resourceful macaw. He stood over two feet tall and his feathers had a similar shade of blue compared to Blu. His beak was big and black, and the color of his eyes was amber. Instead of calling him Jalin, his brother named Leoncio toyed with him and called him Daddy Jr.
"Another day in our lives is going away," said Blu, referring to the setting sun.
"Yep," responded Jalin as the light wind brushed against his feathers.
"So, are you sure you want to go through with your plan?"
"Yes. Unlike Leoncio, I'm free."
"Son, freedom is something you share with someone. Your mother always said she was free, but she was always lonely. To enjoy true freedom, you must share it with someone."
Jalin smirked.
"But unlike Leoncio, I have no mate. Elena chose Leoncio over me and the four other family members are four years younger than me. They are going to pair up with each other.
He faced Blu.
"I'm alone."
Blu looked down and sighed.
"If only Aurora was here."
"… Yeah."
"That day has changed our lives, especially your mother."
Memories of Jewel crying, determination to find her, and the suicide attempt flooded into Jalin's mind.
"I know. Mom almost drowned herself in the river. I remember that day, but I prefer not to."
Blu looked up at the setting sun.
"You know what the setting sun symbolizes?"
"You told me once. It was the end of a new day."
"Yes, but it also symbolizes flashbacks of one's lives."
"Flashbacks?"
"Memories of the past. A rising sun is the start of a bird's life. Now, the sun is setting, telling the bird his life is ending. It is time to reflect on what one did in life."
The sunlight dimmed as the sun went away.
"Once the sun is gone, your life is at an end."
Jalin gulped. The memory that always came back was when he and his siblings got rid of Aurora. He looked at Blu and smiled.
"Why don't I fly with you back to the den?"
Blu nodded.
"Thanks. You're a good son to me."
The two birds flapped their wings and flew back to Blu's den.
"So, Jalin. What are you going to do now?"
"Probably go to the club for a drink."
Blu smiled.
"Just try not to get drunk."
"I know. Mom told me that it was alcohol that made us born."
"Well, um…"
"Our births were an alcohol screw, the four rascals were the leaf broke, and…she was because you forgot the leaves. Wow, Dad. All of our births seem accidental."
"Hey, just be glad. I know that they all sound accidental, but…um…"
Jalin smiled.
"I'm just pulling your leg."
"A kidder. And I thought you were the serious one."
"I have my moments."
They landed in the tree den and looked around. They saw Jewel on the nest, alone. She looked the same as she did in her younger years except her feathers also had a tint of gray to them. Blu looked back at Jalin as he took a few steps towards the nest.
"I guess your mother had a busy day."
"Dad, you know the whole jungle heard your strange noises."
"Oh…that. Wait. How did-"
"Your neighbor a half mile away from you stopped me to talk about it. He was a little concern."
"That was because I popped my back."
"Sure, Dad."
"Honest."
Jalin faced his father. Blu nervously smiled.
"It might be the last time."
"The last time?"
"Jalin, in a few years, we will probably be gone from this world. We figured out this might be the last few times we can do it."
Jalin looked at Blu's feet.
"I understand. Besides, it's nice that Mom and you have a strong relationship."
"I wish we could say the same for you."
Jalin looked at his dad and smiled.
"I better go."
"Alright," said Blu, walking to the nest. "Fly safe."
Jalin nodded and left the den. Blu sighed.
"I still wish that day never happened all those years ago."
Blu perched himself next to Jewel on the nest and closed his eyes for some rest.