After we sent Grover to that big, warm rug in front of a fireplace in the sky, we spent a few days at the cabin to lick our emotional wounds.
We all assumed our positions: Diana on the couch, me at my Lego building table, the boys in front of the TV. Jerry spent most of the time looking for his old friend. Sigh.
About three days in, I heard a cry from the other room. “Daaaaaaad!” I assumed it was just a continuation of whatever it’s-my-turn-on-the-Xbox fight that has been going on since 2018. But the “Daaaaads” grew louder and more urgent.
I found the boys standing in front of our old iron stove in the corner of the house.
“There’s a bird in there.”
I ignored the “Peep! Peep! emanating from the stove. I assured the boys their ears were tricking them, as there was no way a bird could be stupid enough to fall all the way down the big, iron pipe.
Eli pointed through the foggy old window and sure enough, there was a little blue bird sitting on the metal grate. “Peep! Peep!”
I had no idea how to get him out. I said, “Sunrise sunset. Sometimes things die.”
The boys stared at me in horror. I just killed their dog and now was casually adding to the body count.
Plan B. I closed off all the doors to the room except the one leading outside. I then opened up all the doors and little iron compartments and said, “Be free!” The bird just looked at me. His “Peep! Peep!” seemed to say, “Naw man, I’m good in here.”
Meanwhile, Jerry was freaking out on the other side of the door. He was dancing around like the Cowardly Lion. “Let me at ‘em! Let’s me at ‘em!”
Elijah appeared in full battle gear. Gloves, goggles, mask, spatula. And for some reason my old Patagonia fleece jacket. “In case he poops on me.” Great.
I gently shoved the spatula into the stove. “Just hop on, little buddy. I’ll give you a ride to the outside land.” His “Peep! Peep!” said, “No thank you. I’ve heard what you do to dogs.”
The bird decided it was far safer outside with the hawks and foxes and flew out of the stove and into the world.
As he flew away he said, “Peep! Peep!” Which was bird for “I’m glad I could give you a story for HamannEggs!”
