Who will keep these objects?
Franklin Furnace, OH
38° 36’ 41.83”N, 82° 51’ 5.90”W
January 15, 2022
Thwack! Something hits the storm door glass.
Ellie, my 8-year-old granddaughter, opens the door and we see a male cardinal lying on the porch.
In case he’s only stunned, he needs moved somewhere to recover. We get a small towel and wrap it around him and Ellie soothes him with soft talk. Inside the garage, in an open box seems safe enough from predators. We begin our vigil from the inside door.
After 15 minutes and no movement, we take a heating pad out to set it near the bird. As Ellie suggests water and food, he shoots out of the box, perching on one of the garage door frame bars. We cheer and celebrate his resurrection.
It took about an hour for him to find the partially opened garage door. During that time, we watch him flit and land on tools and tubs. Ellie notices he is scared and nervous and we talk about that for a while.
When he finally finds the opening and flies away, we cheer again, but with a tinge of sadness, our newfound friend is gone.
February 12, 2022
Ellie is back for a visit. She gets out of the car and points across the road. “There he is! The cardinal we saved!”
All weekend, every cardinal at the feeder, in the tree, on the fence, that was the one we saved.
February 24, 2022
Today I went on an Artist Date and stopped at an estate sale. There, on a table, were two miniature red glass cardinals, one slightly smaller than the other. I brought them home to live on my windowsill.
Unless Ellie wants one or both, then they’re her objects to keep.
This is the ninth story in the Objects as Waypoints Writing Project series.