Little friends

The cluster of ten o'clock flowers had woken up to welcome the sun after lying flat in the late afternoon rain yesterday. There was no longer any rustling or the sound of raindrops falling on the branches and leaves. Since the day the branches in the schoolyard were trimmed, the birds had also left. The absence of their familiar chirping made the usually noisy and bustling schoolyard quiet as the students were absorbed in their lessons. In the quiet space, the flapping of the wings of a pair of doves could be clearly heard. They circled a few times high up in the air to find a place to land. The female bird seemed to have something on her mind, she responded to the request of the male bird with a string of beads around its neck to stay with an inquiring look. After that moment of contemplation, the two shadows moved around and landed on the remaining ornamental areca tree next to the row of classrooms that stretched up to the second floor. It seemed that the pair of birds had decided to choose this location because in this space, their family had made nests for generations.

The couple chose a leaf that stretched close to the corridor of the classroom to build their nest instead of building a nest in the middle of the vast space of the sky and the old trees. They chose for themselves new friends who were humans even though they knew that it was the most difficult decision in their lives - a life and death decision. Maybe in a moment, they would be caught in a trap set to catch them immediately or their newly built house would be destroyed as soon as it was formed. Or maybe their children would be kidnapped as soon as they opened their eyes to the world by the hands of these new neighbors. Perhaps, the appearance of the students made the male bird hesitate, looking at the classroom then looking out at the sunny space outside. It seemed that they could not live without their friends, so they wanted to get acquainted with new human friends and hoped that their children would adapt to the new environment.

Finally, they decided. The pair of birds flew back and forth diligently, carrying dry grass to weave a small, simple nest on the areca leaf. The day the female bird gave birth, she lay down in the nest but did not dare to lower her head because she was cautious. Her mate stood at the top of the areca tree, looking around nervously. The classroom hallway, which had gone from quiet to bustling during recess. A little girl tied the two flaps of her white ao dai, pointed at the pair of birds and shouted. The students gathered around to look at the pair of birds. The clear, friendly eyes of her new friends made the female bird feel a little calmer. As if afraid that the pair of birds would panic, the students kept quiet for their own private space. When the pair of birds flew away, the two eggs were still warm and nested neatly.

Day after day, the female bird incubates her babies. She diligently performs her motherly duties despite the passing students watching. In the blazing sun or when the rain pours down, the female bird still persistently spreads her wings to protect the two little creatures that have just hatched. Seeing the couple take turns enduring the cold and rain to protect their babies, one can see that maternal and paternal love in any animal is equally sacred. Witnessing this scene, a girl felt sorry and wanted to take out an umbrella to shield them but hesitated because she was afraid that they would panic and run away.

Seemingly having been tested for safety, when flying out to find food, the dove couple “entrusted” their little ones to their new friends to look after. After school, the female students ran out to keep an eye on them. In the distance, a few cuckoos stood on the bamboo bushes at the gable of the classroom building, wearing their yellow-brown shirts, raising their tail feathers, and looking longingly at the small nest on the areca leaf. If it weren’t for the couple’s shyness towards their school friends, who knows what they would do.

The bird family is no longer reserved. They leisurely walk around on the areca leaves, nodding and playing while the students always look at them in a friendly manner. The harmony between humans and nature creates a peaceful atmosphere in front of the classroom corridor. The appearance of the bird family makes those growing souls love nature more, and appreciate the efforts of their parents. The pair of doves, although lacking their neighbors of the same species making nests in the school yard, these new friends are truly a reliable support, helping the bird family avoid the dangers that surround and lurk in the world of survival. Maybe in their heads they will have this thought: The human world is not only full of bird hunters, people who are always ready with air guns to shoot down poor birds, but also many other lovely people like these student friends. The students choose to live in symbiosis and harmony because this world is a world of all species.

If one day the birds were absent, and the cooing of birds were not heard, how dreary this place would be. The dreamy schoolgirls watched the baby birds grow day by day, imagining that one day the bird family would leave the nest and fly away. The children leaned against the railing, chins propped in their hands, eyes following the drops of sunlight swaying on the areca leaves, thinking of the day they would leave their little friends. A little sadness suddenly passed.

Then the day came, the little friends started to practice swinging from branch to branch. The first cautious steps made the leaves sway gently in the morning sun. From the time they practiced swinging from branch to branch until they left the nest, their feathers were completed very quickly, strong enough for them to leave their beloved home on the areca tree and say goodbye to their school friends.

One day, under the guidance of the father and mother birds, the pair of baby birds were preparing to spread their first wings and fly into the open space ahead. Seeing the pair of birds taking their first steps on the areca leaves, not daring to fly far, the school friends clapped their hands to encourage them. Not knowing if the birds understood or not, but when they heard the words "Come on! Come on!", the older bird approached the tip of the leaf and waited for the moment when the leaves were swaying rhythmically to gain momentum, it flapped its wings and flew to the nearby truncated rosewood tree. The younger bird followed suit, to the happy cheers of the neighbors. The pretty friends stood there, reluctantly saying goodbye to the doves' family, thinking to themselves, "When you grow up, you will come back here to build a nest. Your parents have completed their mission. Try to survive in this beautiful world." Their eyes turned to the rosewood tree where the family of birds was resting to prepare for the next flight. In just a short time, the students will also leave their nests and have to fly like those birds.

Outside the sun was flooding the school yard.

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