A Pet Bird Living in a Cage
By: Y. Cheung
Tags: Short Story, Nature, Birds, Storytelling

I’m a pet bird living in a cage since the moment I was born. I never had to worry about food. My owner loves me so much and I’m so glad to sing for him every day. One day, he left the cage open — it was the first time. I was curious about the outside world but also didn’t want to leave my owner. Therefore, I promised myself that I wouldn’t leave for good. I would just take a quick look and be back to the cage in no time.

I jumped off the edge of the cage and looked around. Outside of our home window, the sky was blue. I could hear the voices of my peers from faraway flowing into the house. The scent from the blossom was inviting me to come out to play. Everything foreign beyond my cage suddenly turned appealing to me. I spread my wings and attempted to fly away. However, I was kept in a cage for so long — I took a few trials, and finally, my instinct took over and my journey was embarked.

My owner and I lived in the countryside. He enjoyed the refreshing air, the trees, and nature which is just a few steps away from the doormat. I hadn’t flown in quite a while so I landed on a branch and tried to take a breather. I started to chat with one of the birds which were also chilling there. He told me he was from the city. I said to him, “It’s my first time out of the cage. I’m super excited to explore the city!”. Surprisingly, he didn’t reciprocate the same energy and excitement, but instead, he shook his head and went, “The real world isn’t as wonderful as you imagine. The humans destroyed our homes and they left us wandering around for a shelter. I wish I was staying in a cage as you do.” I couldn’t fathom his words — my owner gave me all the love I ever wanted. There’s no way he’s ruining the lives of birds. He must be lying to my face because he was jealous of the bond I had with my human.

I flew away and after a while, I had reached the city. There were tall buildings, busy crossroads, cars, and everything happening seemed to be super fast to me. The first thing I noticed was the air — it was bad compared to that in the countryside. I saw these gigantic tubes, which were foreign to me, by the coast releasing thick clouds of gas into the sky. I tried to fly higher but the skyscrapers limited my vision. I decided to lay low instead and went into an alley. There was a bunch of birds eating off dead rats in the corner. Their features were once pure white and now sewage from the city took their beauty away. Ew…what’s happened to them? I couldn’t bear to look at them anymore so I flew off.

I arrived at the waterfront. I saw trash and plastic bags floating in the water. Sewage from the industries kept being pumped into the water and there was no sight of life in there. Floods of seagulls were circulating in the air, looking for food. I couldn’t bear the stinky smell coming out of the water. Suddenly, someone jumped on me and I immediately flew away — there were kids scaring birds away and they seemed to enjoy it a lot. These little humans didn’t understand to respect others’ private space.

After a long day of suffering, I was hungry and exhausted. I missed my cage and owner because I was once safe and never had to worry about filling my stomach up. I had no idea how to catch insects or ask for food. Therefore, I tried to get closer to the humans dining in the restaurants to get some breadcrumbs fallen on the ground. The owner of the restaurant saw us and he used a mop to kick us out. At this moment, I finally understood why the bird from the city said the reality wasn’t as I imagined…

I felt extremely regretful. The exhaust from the cars sickened me. I couldn’t stay in the city any longer. However, I was lost — I couldn’t find my way home. Shiny neon signs on both sides of the streets dazzled me. I panicky looked around and the surroundings all looked the same to me. The city felt like a maze to me. I never desired to stay in the city forever but how can I ever return?

I laid on the sidewalk. People avoided walking close to me like they were disgusted. My owner would never give me that look. The polluted air and hunger weakened my body. I didn’t have the strength to lift my wings. I missed my owner so much. Is he looking for me right now? I felt so sorry for leaving — I didn’t mean to do this to him. As I slowly closed my eyes, I saw somebody approaching me with a net. Is he coming to rescue me? Please help me!

The last thing I heard was, “Hey, there’s another one here!”…