In this week’s newsletter, we move to the next chapters after Amelia has laid out her discoveries and what she believes should be done next. We also learn more about the visitors who were alluded to in a previous chapter. We also learn that Nate’s instincts when naming Lefty and Rudy’s first young chicks were right on target!
There was a raucous flurry of activity above us. Then as if right on cue, a large sack labeled “Chicken Scratch” was lower into the play area the by a pair of barn owls being guided by a raven.
I heard a deep “Oof!” from inside and then a sweet “PeeP!”
“You honestly do need an easier way to transport chickens!” I heard a familiar blustery voice inside the sack complaining with all its might.
“Lefty!” said Gracie, Bessie, and I all at once.
We could see the cloth sack changing shapes as Lefty raised his wing and stepped closer to the opening, and as he did the peeping sounds grew louder until a beautiful pure and innocent young pullet appeared. As she stepped out, I helped Lefty free himself from his bag transportation which was quickly taken away by the barn owls.
From atop the chicken coop, the Young Raven and The Barn Owl named David and his father watched intently. They had agreed to help Lefty return to The Garden and David’s keen memory had found their destination. Though not as entertaining as the cartoon reels at the movie theater, he was still quite sure he would see something he had never seen before.
“Hello, everyone,” said the pullet. As she looked up at me, I suddenly recognized her voice and feather pattern. She was Lefty’s own little Tippity, and she boldly said, “Which of you is the one we have come to see, my Aunt Gracie?”
“I am,” said Gracie. “And the other one who looks like me is your Aunt Bessie.”
“I have wanted to meet you—both of you—for so long! My parents have told me so much about how you all grew up together.”
“You see, it’s like this...” explained Lefty.
“You don’t need to explain anything,” I said. “We are so glad to see you.”
“Let him explain,” said Amelia. “But in The Ancient Language shared by all birds rather than the Chicken language so that everyone can understand and appreciate what he has to explain. Our number of participants in this journey is growing, and all must know what to expect.”
“You are as wise as my mother told me you were,” said the Young Raven to Amelia.
“News reached me of Emily’s gift for drawing and Gracie’s gift for making them open gateways across space and time,” said Lefty. “And I can tell you this would have certainly made our trip to you here in this Garden much simpler and less cramped,” he said, shaking out all of his wing feathers.
“I knew it would not be long before you would figure out those gifts would be just the ticket to get you to Paris, and so I called on my friends here to get me to you the only way we knew how.
“But one question has plagued me, and that is what I am here to ask in person because I doubt you can tell me anything I’d rather not hear when we are looking at each other. Who will be your partner for the pas de deux when you are in Paris?”
Gracie looked at Lefty with a curiously surprised expression on her face, “You silly boy,” she said, “There has never been a better dance partner than you. It has always been you. I could not imagine dancing with anyone but you.”
“Gracie, you are a beauty on stage or off stage in every way possible,” said Lefty. “And that is especially true because of your heart. I do have one request aside from taking me with you to dance in Paris with you.”
“Yes, go ahead,” said Gracie. “When we speak of dancing, you know my heart is open and free and can refuse you nothing.”
In all of the days I had known Lefty, I had never seen him hesitate to do anything, but he did when he asked Gracie the question he had most longed to ask her. “Will you teach my Tippity to dance like you? Rudy and I have done our best, and she does have a natural aptitude and ability. There are moments when she appears to approach your greatness.”
“Tippity, let me ask you something,” said Gracie, “but as I do, I want you to imagine you are alone in this Garden and that Lefty and Rudy and your brothers and everyone else you know are far away.”
Tippity closed her eyes, trembles slightly and said to Gracie, “Ask whatever you will.”
Gracie leaned in and said to her, “Imagine that you have been commanded to never dance again or death will come for you. When it does, you will be taken from everyone you love. Now, how will you dance as if it is your last dance.”
Tippity stood on her toes and spread her wings as if to fly away. But instead, she began to dance a coupé jeté en tournant en manége, a series of grand jeté leaps in a circle as if to surround and protect everyone within the circle she loved with the joy of dancing.
As she danced, we could all hear the Song of Love Triumphant, and it filled us completely.
Then, as we more clearly heard the music of her steps, her movements changed to being focused on a single spot in the center of our play area. From the furthest distance away she ran to it and leapt with all of her might. Landing solidly, she bowed her head and wings and trembled slightly before remaining motionless as the music slowed to a quivering breath and stopped as her wings and head reached to try and touch her outstretched toe.
As I looked around to see the faces of the others assembled around, every single face showed a heart touched by what it had seen and felt: the stories of their own daily battles to rise above and ultimately to fail but without giving in to what gave each life purpose. Knowing that chickens do have tear ducts that produce tears but never use them to express their feelings, I looked and saw Lefty wiping a tear from his eye.
“Little one, I am so proud of you, and I only wish your mother could have seen how you danced. Let there be no doubt that you are a dancer of the highest ability and deepest meaning,” said Lefty. Then he turned to me and asked in his most gentlemanly voice, “May I?”
As I nodded my approval, not knowing what I was giving approval for, Lefty held his head up and back and let out the most resounding Cock-a-Doodle-Do we had ever heard.
His fatherly pride would have continued, but Gracie stepped up to take the center of the play area. “I have seen something I never thought I would see. As many of you know, I have been been working on the choreography for The Rose Garden Princess, but have been perplexed by how to end it. Every story—even a story told by dance—must have a meaningful ending.
“And so, dear little Tippity, I passed that conundrum on to you, and you solved it brilliantly as only the young can. You looked at things with fresh eyes and did not labor over failures from the past. You have shown each of us how we must do what we were given life to do, and in doing that we will find peace and solace even in death.”
“And to think that one so young can help us see the beauty of death,” said Amelia.
“What do you mean?” asked Lefty.
“When she did her final leap before her full extension of her head and wings, it was like she had leapt into the arms of the Great Gardener who held her until death released her from her earthly body and set her free to dance for all eternity with the one who had lovingly made her.”
“Amelia is exactly right,” announced Gracie.
“Although you, Friend Lefty, are likely to be my partner for the first pas de deux, the Great Gardener is surely my partner for a pas de deux to last for all eternity once I have taken that leap which we all must eventually take—a leap of faith.
“Nate, our visitors have done exactly as we were told they would do, let us not delay. Get us to Paris—all of us, as many as can come. We have a ballet to perform!”
Until Next Time
If you have any comments—good or bad—please share them on Substack or you can also reach me directly at John.Spiers@yahoo.com. We are looking forward to sharing with your exactly what happens when our cast of characters journeys through Emily’s Parisian Garden Gate!
Our Best Advice for the Days Ahead: Remember to face each moment as Tippity danced and as Gracie explained. Remember who is there to catch you when you leap into your own eternal pas de deux!
Thank you for reading!
John, Gracie, Bessie, Blanche, Pearl, Emily, and Amelia (Yes, six names for six chickens—just as Amelia said were so important when journeying through Emily’s Garden Gate drawing.)
"I got a sweet little angel/I love the way she spreads her wings" (B.B. King).
You have a sweet little fictional universe here, J.R. I envy you.