Sister Rain’s Note:
In 2015, I published 9.5 parts of “Piper & Me: A Love Story.” Beginning in March 2024 I reposted them weekly. I have since written new chapters and will continue to do so. If you would like to read any of the parts, type “Piper & Me” in the search bar.
Piper seemed to love the 90 minute ride home from A Helping Wing Parrot Rescue & Sanctuary. He either sat facing forward on the top perch of his travel carrier, looking out the windshield as best as he could, or held on to the side bars closest to my husband who was driving, moving side to side very quickly, a dance of sorts. I sat behind Mister Rain. Back then I was fully sighted, I did not take my eyes off of Piper. It was surreal that we were bringing this little soul home. Only 25 days has passed since I found him on petfinder.com. Three visits later, we were a family. Forever.
We arrived home, my husband carrying Piper in his carrier from the car to our front porch. Having started the second we descended the rescue’s long driveway, we continued our intermittent conversation with him in calm voices, making sure to use his name often. I unlocked the front door, then we all crossed the threshold of our new life tougher. I was excited but also nervous. Would Piper like his new mansion (we never call it a cage and seeing it you know why)? Were the toys that we had chosen for him going to keep him entertained as well as physically and intellectually strong? Was he going to be happy with the food we purchased, based on the rescue’s recommendations? Even the water we used was sure to taste different to him.
Setting the travel carrier on the dining room table, we took the lid off. Without hesitation, Piper climbed up the inside to the top, putting his foot up to be picked up. He did not nip as was his usual MO at this point. I stood holding him, talking to him, explaining this was now his home. There would be no more moves for him, this was it. That’s the thing about forever.
I walked with Piper on my finger to his mansion, setting him on the top of the door. He was taking it all in, and either very brave or very convincing. It did not take long for him to go inside and get a drink, he also inspected the contents of his food dish. When we heard chewing, Mister Rain and I both took our first real breaths since walking into the house. What would happen in the next hour, the next few days did not matter in that moment.
For the next few hours, Piper didn’t explore or move very much, he watched us watch him. Our first bird, Cato, would stay up until we went to bed around 11 pm. That initial evening, Piper put himself to bed around 7 p.m. We did not know if this would be his normal schedule, but we understood that this had been a big day for him. For all of us. I closed the door to the mansion, a bird parront’s way of tucking them in for the night. I told him how much he was already loved, that this was his home. I pledged to keep him safe and happy. I told him I would take care of him.
Three months later, after spending a week in the University of Pennsylvania Hospital after waking up blind, the only thing I was worried about, I swear, was how was I going to make good on that promise? What I didn’t know was that Piper had made the same vow to me. In a few months, he would save me.
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