21/09/2023
A beautiful writing of a deep lesson taught by an animal šš»
She was doing her own thing when a chirping sound appeared out of nowhere. A chick entered her room. The same chick who caused her 10-minute late the day before because it took a long while before it realized how to get out of the same door it went into. Because of that awful history, sheās already pi**ed just by the sight of it.
She stretched her legs and fingers, prepared for a chasing game. The chick knew itās going to be a bloodbath this time. But just as when she took a few steps forward, she stopped. This is the same chick who gave her a hard time yesterday; and she was too focused on the fact that it gave her a hard time that she didnāt notice that the chick itself is having a hard time. It couldnāt step straight its right leg. Itās limping. She sat at somewhere far but not too far so she can still look at it closely. The chick, still in terror, looked like itās looking for all possible escape routes. She was quiet, observing the creature as it builds a plan on its little head. A sneeze broke the silence. And then another. She realized its was the chick who wheezes from time to time. Its eyes were watery and the beak was pale.
When that fully registered into her mind, she stood. The chickās eyes widened as it sinked into the her shadow. It was preparing for its fastest run. But she turned her back, went to the kitchen, reached for a huge container, and scooped a handful of grain. She went back to the creature and sat, laid the grain a few feet from where itās standing. The chick looked as if it the grains on the floor are rocks from Mars. Itās waiting, trying to figure out whatās going on.
Maybe itās an animal instinctānever trust someone who chased you out of the room with a slipper the day before. Or maybe, itās just not used to people being kind and gentle. Maybe itās the first time in a while that someone saw the need over the mistake; the reason behind the stubbornness. Maybe itās the first time in a while that someone saw the pain and understood.
She waited. Stepped a few steps back to give the chick some time. They froze in their places for a long moment. She wanted to give up but she didnāt. She stood there being the most patient she had been in a long time.
Finally, the chick moved. Slowly. One step at a time. One grain, then another. It stared at her from time to time to check if she changed her mind. But when it finally sinked it that thereās no danger in moving closer and accepting the help, it became comfortable.
Itās been two weeks now. The chick is getting better; and sheās seeing the world in a wider perspective. Truly, when you see the mess caused by a chick crashing into your room, you learn to shut the door. But when you see the pain, you learn to open your heart.
This is not about a chick.
āAli