The Nest of Love
Since last few days, a bird was frequenting my home and its mate soon followed. Throughout the day, the couple would chatter and make lovely sounds. The male bird was jet black in color with a beautiful dark red collar. The female was of aslate color and slightly smaller in size. They selected a corner in our verandah. Soon they started to build a nest there.
Day and night, they would bring shreds of paper, grass, tiny branches of shrubs and twine these to make a tiny yet beautiful nest. We eagerly observed the nest grow and soon enough it was ready. It took about 5 days for them to build the nest. However, all of a sudden, the chattering stopped. What could have happened? It was then that we discovered that the female had laid eggs. They were off-white eggs with a brownish tinge. Throughout the day, she would sit on the eggs and incubate them. This she would do for hours together. Sitting atlike that, she looked bigger than her nest. Her wings barely fit in her home as she sat there waiting patiently.
It became a routine for me to see the birds before going to work. And the first thing I would do after coming back was to peep in and look for any signs of a new born. The days passed by and every day seemed to drag on. I was not able to hide my eagerness anymore. I wasn’t the only one who was excited. My kids were just as eager. The air at home was filled with enthusiasm.
“Papa, what are they doing?”, asked my youngest daughter.
“They have built a home and they have laid the eggs, and soon tiny babies will be born,” replied my wife.
“The way we were born?” asked the tiny tot. My wife smiled.
The birds remained silent throughout the period of incubation. There was not a sound. And soon the tiny, little ones were born. They were a featherless bundle of muscle mass, with closed eyes and tiny beaks. We all congratulated each other, as if there was a newborn in our own family.
The mother bird brought feed and fed the new borns. The father bird was always nearby keeping a close watch.
Often, the kids would be seen alone and protruding their beaks, as if they were very hungry. Then, the mother would arrive, carrying some insects for the young ones. It seemed like time barely passed, yet the kids had started to grow. They started making noise and the chattering began, anew. The hungry kids would shout as if they were demanding food and the mother bird would reply with a call as if to assure them. The moment she would arrive with the food, the chattering and eagerness would increase. They would jostle among each other to get their share.
One day, early in the morning, I got a call from my hospital. It was an emergency and I was to come immediately. I got ready in a huff and rushed to the hospital. As I was nearing the gate, a frail voice called to me. I turned around. It was my mother, calling me back.
My mother is about to complete her ninth decade. She has tremors in her hands and tongue. She is lean and thin. Her face is full of wrinkles that hold years of wisdom and experience. She contains all of the love, affection and strength I need. For me, She is my home. I have always remained a tiny child for her. She was calling me, asking me to come back.
“Why don’t you have some food and then go to the hospital. After all, your return is unpredictable.”, said my mother with a trembling voice. She had slowly come out of her room, walked with shaky steps up to the door and then made her way to me. Even in the most urgent situations, I could not say no to her. I turned around and walked to the dining table. She served me breakfast which I gulped down hurriedly. She looked relieved when I finished eating
As I started on my way back to the hospital, I heard the chattering of the birds again. I looked up at the nest - the mother bird was feeding her children.
All mothers are same, I realized.
