=> Topic started by: Zainab_M on July 29, 2008, 07:49:19 pm => Topic started by: Zainab_M on July 29, 2008, 07:49:19 pm|
Title: Mystery of the eagle I adopted Post by: Zainab_M on July 29, 2008, 07:49:19 pm BismEm (https://i.imgur.com/hLHc60h.png) It happened several years ago when I was in my country of origin. I returned home from work at 5.30 p.m. as usual. An hour later, I drove down to the nearby bakery to buy some bread and pastries. I recall, outside the baker's shop was a huge mango tree underneath which I parked my car. When I came out of the bakery with two shopping bags full of baked stuff in my hands, I suddenly heard the fluttering sound of wings from the branches of the mango tree above me. It sounded like crows or eagles fighting. I was right. Before I could even look up, a young eagle fell from the tree on the sidewalk with a thud just a few feet ahead of me. The eagle wasn't fully grown nor yet a baby but in between. One of his beautiful wings had been irreparably damaged in the fight. It was fanned out and he couldn't use it to fly. He looked helpless and scared. He also seemed to be in a bit of pain. He could only hop a few steps here and there. I was afraid he might get run over by a car or a motor-bike. So, I quickly put the shopping bags in the car and again went inside the bakery, requesting one of the guys to help me pick this gorgeous looking young eagle and put him in the boot of my car. We did exactly that. I took the young eagle with me and left him in our garden where he would be well protected and comfortable. This would be his home for the next three months. His name was simply 'Eagle.' We had a beautiful garden. It wasn't too large but not small either. It was a place with lush green grass, a variety of flowers and plants and many lovely trees all along the compound wall. It was an ideal 'hangout' for birds, butterflies and bees. Sometimes the neighborhood cats would jump over the wall and visit our garden to relax or simply bask in the sun, sprawled in the green grass. Like all of them, Eagle loved it here. He had plenty of place to rest, sleep and look around. We would feed him twice a day with meat, bread and fruits .. sometimes thrice. A bowl of fresh water was always there for him in the corner of the garden. We also had Eagle shown to a vet. I asked the vet if there was a hope for his wing to heal. The vet was positive that it wouldn't as the delicate bones along the wings had a tendency of getting calcified very quickly. For that reason Eagle's damaged wing remained permanently fanned out. It was apparently calcified in that position and all he could do was hop. He learned to hop real fast! Though it made us sad to think that Eagle would never be able to fly again, both my Dad, my brother and me felt very happy to see how willingly he made himself 'at home' in our garden. For a bird not being able to fly is no different from being paralyzed waist down for a human being. Yet, amazingly, Eagle accepted his life with no complaints and loved lazing around in our garden. Despite being handicapped, he seemed to appreciate every moment of his life and the attention and affectiion he got from us. The moment my Dad, me or my brother would step into the garden, Eagle would pop out of some bush or flowering shrub and come hopping right before us. It tore my heart to return from work one evening to find Eagle missing from our garden. The servant said he saw Eagle an hour after mid-day on the grass as usual when he fed him with some flat bread and meat. My Dad also recalled seeing Eagle from his bedroom window at the same time. But at 5.30 p.m. he was nowhere to be found. We were shocked and anxious. We searched for hours but there was no trace of him anywhere. We called him aloud from every part of the garden - no response. There just wasn't any plausible explanation where or how he could have left the premises of the compound. He couldn't fly, the garden had high walls (about seven feet high) and the gate always remained shut. We first surmised that some neighborhood cat may have attacked and killed him. But that was impossible. After almost three months, Eagle grew into a big hawk. The cats were wary of him. He would sometimes even chase them around if they walked by too close. Furthermore, even if a cat attacked him fatally, some remains would be found. But he vanished without a trace. So, what might have happened? It's a mystery until this day. He just disappeared. That's all we know. We wondered if some other eagle or hawk might have carried Eagle away by lifting him up with their beak. But why would they do that when they could surely sense that Eagle was happy and had no desire to leave our place? Unfortunately, all our questions remain unanswered. Only Allah knows what may have happened to Eagle. May Allah Almighty rest his soul in peace, ameen. 😥 ocean of tears |