Amazon Adventures
Chapter Twenty-One: Macaw Matchmaker
With the kids out of the hollow for the day, Blu and Jewel were enjoying some precious "alone time".
"Finally, a little time to ourselves." Jewel purred as they danced.
"Yeah." Blu smiled, dipping his wife. "Just you and me..."
Roberto was suddenly standing beside them.
"Hey, guys." He waved.
"Ah!" Blu dropped Jewel in shock.
"Ow!" Jewel yelped.
"Oh, sorry!" Blu gasped, helping her up. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Blu." Jewel assured him.
"Are you sure?" Blu asked.
"Trust me, I'm more annoyed than hurt right now." Jewel snarked.
"Sorry to interrupt." Roberto said sheepishly. "Hey Blu, could I talk to you in private for a sec?"
"Well, we're kind of in the middle of something here..." Blu said awkwardly.
"Sure, Beto." Jewel said, realising that Roberto was acting a little off at the moment. "I thank Blu can spare a couple of minutes. Go ahead, sweetie."
"Well, if it's okay with you." Blu smiled. "Be right back."
"I'll be waiting." Jewel winked.
Blu followed Roberto outside.
"So, what's the problem?" Blu asked.
"Well, you see..." Roberto took a deep breath. "This is kind of embarrassing..."
"What, have you got a rash or something?" Blu asked.
"Not that kind of embarrassing." Roberto grimaced. "It's, well... yesterday, I was eating some berries, when I saw... her."
"Her?" Blu frowned. "Her who?"
"Her." Roberto sighed. "Evita. She was flying by with some friends of hers. They landed on one of the other branches, ate some berries, talked. All the while, I was mesmerised by her beauty. I've never seen a bird so gorgeous."
"A real looker, huh?" Blu asked, noting the glazed look in Roberto's eyes.
"And the voice of an angel." Roberto sighed. "Like music to my ears. And her name... the second I heard it, I thought 'her name's as beautiful as the rest of her'."
"I'm not really seeing the problem here." Blu shrugged. "If you think she's so great, why didn't you just put on the charm like you always do?"
"I... couldn't." Roberto admitted. "I wanted to catch her as she flew by, but I just... couldn't say anything. Not a word came out of my beak. That's never happened to me before."
"Not once?" Blu asked.
"Not ever." Roberto shook his head.
"Hey, maybe it's the real thing." Blu suggested.
"You mean... love?" Roberto gaped.
"Sure sounds like it." Blu nodded. "That's pretty much how I felt when I first saw Jewel. I was so awestruck by her beauty, I didn't even notice she was about to attack me until it was too late."
"I'm guessing the feeling wasn't mutual at the time?" Roberto chuckled.
"You could say that." Blu snorted. "But still, why have you come to me? Don't you have other guy friends who could help?"
"If they found out I choked like that, they'd never let me hear the last of it." Roberto declared grimly. "I know you wouldn't do anything like that. So what do you say? Can you help a bird out?"
Blu thought it over for a second.
"Okay, I'll do it." Blu nodded. "We'll meet up by the clay banks tomorrow morning."
"Thanks, buddy." Roberto grinned.
"No problem." Blu smiled. "Now, if you don't mind, I have a romantic rendezvous to get back to."
"By all means, pal." Roberto chuckled. "Ju-Ju's lucky to have a guy like you."
"She's not the only lucky one." Blu beamed.
Blu returned to the hollow.
"So, are you and Beto all done with your 'private' chat?" Jewel asked.
"We sure are." Blu embraced. "Which means it's just you and me again."
"Goody." Jewel whispered, as their beaks met in a sweet kiss.
The next morning, Blu met with Roberto by the clay banks.
"So, what's the game plan?" Roberto asked.
"Game plan?" Blu repeated.
"You know, to get me and Evita together." Roberto declared.
"Well, I don't have a plan per se." Blu admitted. "But I do have some thoughts."
"I was countin' on that." Roberto smiled. "I mean, you managed to sweep Ju-Ju off her feet... Maybe I can try whatever you did."
"Not really an option." Blu frowned. "Not unless there's a plane around here you can jump out of."
"Okay..." Roberto drawled, unwilling to ask just what Blu meant.
"Maybe you could try talking to her again?" Blu suggested.
"What if I freeze up?" Roberto asked. "Wait, I got it: You can talk to her for me!"
"I can?" Blu gaped.
"Sure." Roberto nodded. "I heard her friends mention something about going to the Brazil nut grove. We'll go there, and you can tell her all about me!"
"Well..." Blu scratched his neck, unsure.
"Come on, there's no time to lose!" Roberto took off.
"Wait for me!" Blu flew after him.
They flew off to the Brazil nut grove. Blu was barely able to keep up with Roberto and his superior flying speed. Roberto suddenly landed on a tree branch, and was joined seconds later by Blu.
"Well, there's my exercise for the day." Blu said breathlessly.
"There she is." Roberto pointed. "The glorious Evita."
Blu looked over to where Roberto was pointing. A slender Spix's macaw with brown eyes and three long crest feathers running down her back was chatting with two friends.
"Isn't she a sight?" Roberto sighed.
"Yeah, I guess." Blu, who only had eyes for Jewel, shrugged.
Roberto made a quick trip to the ground and picked up an orchid.
"Here." He gave it to Blu. "Give this to Evita, and tell her that I think she's the most beautiful bird in the world."
"Okay, but I still think you should be doing this yourself." Blu sighed.
Blu flew over to Evita and her friends.
"Excuse me, Evita?" He asked.
"Yes?" Evita turned.
"I have a message from my friend, Roberto." Blu held up the orchid. "He thinks you're the most beautiful bird in the world, and he wanted me to give you this."
"Oh, really?" Evita took the flower, her friends giggling. "And why exactly isn't he saying this to me himself?"
"Well, uh..." Blu muttered.
"Too good to talk to me himself, huh?" Evita glared. "I know exactly who Roberto is. That smug would-be ladykiller's always flying around, putting the moves on girls, acting like he's god's gift to lady macaws."
"Well, I wouldn't put it quite like that." Blu said awkwardly."
"I'm not going to be his latest conquest." Evita said dismissively. "Tell your friend 'thanks, but no thanks'."
"Okay." Blu said awkwardly. "Thank you for the feedback."
Blu flew back over to Roberto.
"Well?" Roberto said hopefully.
"Basically, she hates you." Blu said bluntly. "She thinks you're this smug ladykiller who only wants her as his latest conquest."
"What?!" Roberto spluttered. "I wouldn't... I haven't... I may pour the charm on around the ladies, but I'd never treat them like that!"
"Well, she seems to think so." Blu shrugged.
"I don't believe this." Roberto collapsed, shattered. "The girl of my dreams wants nothing to do with me."
"Don't give up yet." Blu urged. "If you'd just go talk to her-"
"I can't!" Roberto yelled. "I just can't. Not that you'd know what that's like, not being able to tell the love of your love how you feel about her."
"Actually, I do." Blu declared.
"Whoa, really?" Roberto gaped.
"Really." Blu nodded. "When I realised I'd fallen in love with Jewel, I wanted so badly to tell her how I felt, but I couldn't get the words out. I almost lost her forever before I could muster up the courage to say it. Believe me, I know how hard this is."
"Sorry, Blu." Roberto sighed. "Didn't mean to assume."
"Forget it." Blu shrugged.
Evita and her friends suddenly took off. Evita shot a glare at Roberto as she passed by. Roberto tried to say something, but the words died on his beak.
"Should we follow them?" Blu asked.
"Nah." Roberto groaned. "Evita would really think I was a creep if she caught me following her."
"Maybe we should pick this up again tomorrow." Blu suggested. "Take the time inbetween to mentally regroup."
"Yeah, sure." Roberto sighed.
Blu knew how Roberto felt. It was a feeling he'd experienced himself, which was why he was now more determined then ever to help Roberto get his dream girl.
The next morning, they regrouped at the shore of the claybanks, right behind a bushel of berries.
"Okay, I know I'm gonna sound like a broken record, but why don't you just tell Evita how you feel?" Blu suggested. "Maybe even straighten this whole thing out?"
"How can I do that when I can't even speak around her?" Roberto sighed.
"It's a conundrum, alright." Blu admitted.
While Roberto lowered his head in shame, Blu looked around, hoping desperately to receive inspiration from his surroundings. As he looked up, he saw Evita descending from the forest. She landed right behind the bushel and Roberto, and started cleaning herself in the water. She didn't appear to have noticed Blu and Roberto.
Suddenly, Blu had an idea.
"Say, Roberto." He smiled. "Let's say you could talk to Evita, and she was here right now. What would you say?"
"What would I say?" Roberto lifted his head up. "I'd say she's the most amazing vision of beauty I've ever seen. I'd say her eyes are like the two most perfect Brazil nuts I've ever seen, that her feathers are as blue as the purest water, that her voice is more beautiful than a thousand songbirds. I'd tell her that I'd gladly give myself to her, heart and soul, for even a single minute of her company, for she is truly an angel, and I can only dream of being worthy of her."
The bushel suddenly parted, and Evita stood before them.
"Roberto." She whispered.
"Evita!" Roberto turned around, surprised. "I-I..."
"Did you really mean all that?" Evita asked.
"I-I-I..." Robert stuttered. A jab in the side from Blu spurred him on. "Yes. Every word. I've never felt this way about any girl before, I swear."
"If that's true, then why didn't you tell me?" Evita asked.
"He couldn't tell you because he gets tongue-tied around you." Blu declared. "He didn't want to embarrass himself, so he sent me to talk to you."
"And I said all those things about you..." Evita said regretfully. "I guess I was wrong about you. You're really not some egotistical ladykiller. You have a really beautiful soul."
"Thanks." Roberto gushed.
For a moment, they stood there, Roberto grinning like an idiot. Blu cleared his throat loudly.
"Evita, I think Roberto has something he'd like to ask you." He declared. "Right, Roberto?"
"Right." Roberto steadied himself. "Evita, would you like to watch the sunset with me this evening?"
""I'd love to." Evita smiled. She planted a kiss on Roberto's cheek. "Don't forget to bring that beautiful soul with you."
Roberto stroked his cheek as Evita flew away.
"Wow..." He gasped. "That really just happened, didn't it?"
"It sure did." Blu nodded. "Congratulations."
"I couldn't have done without you." Roberto clapped Blu on the back. "Setting us up like that, you sly bird!"
"Happy to help." Blu grinned.
"Now, I've a date to prepare for." Roberto noted. "Better start getting ready."
"Best of luck to you both." Blu smiled. "And who knows? Maybe you'll wind up getting that flock of little Robertos you've been hankering after."
"A little early to be thinking about that." Roberto chided him. "Still, talons crossed! Catch you later, buddy!"
Blu smiled as Roberto flew away. Helping him win the girl of his dreams was almost as rewarding as it was when he won Jewel's heart. He could only hope Roberto and Evita would end up as happy as he and Jewel were.
With that in mind, Blu's thought's turned to Jewel as he returned. The moment he returned to the hollow, he swept her up into a kiss.
"Well, hello to you too." Jewel chuckled.
"Have I ever mentioned how lucky I feel to have you?" Blu asked.
"Maybe once or twice." Jewel shrugged.
"Well, I mean it." Blu nuzzled against her. "Being with you makes me feel like the luckiest bird in the world."
"Right back at ya, sweetie." Jewel purred, as she pulled him in for another kiss.
To Be Continued...
(Rio 2 and all associated characters are the property of Blue Sky Studios and 20th Century Fox.)