Fledglings

Rush hour traffic was a pain. She was looking forward to a glass of Pompelini for some grapefruity refreshment. She pulled into the driveway and noticed the purple allium blooming near the front stoop. Leeks, garlic, onions, shallots, she was fond of them all, but this flowery relative was special.

As Kate started unloading a file from the trunk of her Mazda, she recalled how friends had laughed about why she’d chosen this particular hatchback model. She’d told them it was because she liked the logo: the middle of the M reminded her of a soaring seagull. And it was silver.

The weekend promised to be sunny and mild, and she was looking forward to some R & R. This time of year could be stressful with grading and classroom clutter control. She’d sort the file tomorrow--another of those activities best not left until the end of term. She was glad to have the summer off, without needing to take classes for recertification. It was also her daughter’s last summer before starting college, and she hoped they could spend time together.

“Hi, Mom,” Nikki said. “Chloe’s picking me up for the soccer game and we’ll grab a bite later. I already had a snack to tide me over.”

“OK, honey, just don’t stay out too late, you have to get up early for work tomorrow.”

Nikki’s part-time job at the supermarket provided her with spending money and savings for college. Paying for tuition would be a joint venture.

When Kate went out on the deck with her flute of bubbly, she immediately heard the resident male cardinal tweeting from a nearby tree. She shaded her eyes and tried to spot him, but the leafy limbs were too concealing. She imitated the cardinal’s whistle, and after several back and forth responses, he flew to a neighboring bush where she could see him more clearly. Not only did she love his vibrant shade of red, she also appreciated that he and his mate stuck around over the winter, competing with the chickadees and squirrels for sunflower seeds.

The wine made her relax and she gazed at the trees’ dappled light. Her mind wandered to when Nikki was in middle school and her marriage had been falling apart. What a shattering experience that had been--both physically and mentally. At one point, she’d caught a virulent strain of pneumonia and landed in the hospital, her bed an oasis for contemplation. After the divorce, she eventually came to terms with living a more peaceful, less tumultuous, existence. Now, with Nikki heading off to college, her best friend was trying to talk her into dating again. Online. As an introvert, she was reluctant to wade into those murky waters.

Returning inside, she brought out some cheese and crackers, switched to a glass of white wine, and sat down to watch the evening news. Later, she planned to finish off the leftover curry while listening to Norah Jones. She’d finish her Friday de-stress routine by watching an episode of Masterpiece Mystery and reading a few chapters of the Donna Leon novel she’d picked up at the library: nothing like mysteries set in the English countryside and Venice to provide a diverting escape from reality.

***

By the time Kate woke up in the morning, Nikki was already in the kitchen eating a bowl of granola and sipping some chai before heading off to work. Her job wasn’t far away, so on nice days she rode her bike. 

Kate grabbed her favorite penguin mug, filled it with breakfast blend already brewed on the counter, and sat at the kitchen table to check her phone. Diane would be stopping by for their weekend walk in half an hour, so she had to wash up, tame her locks, and dab on sunscreen and some lip gloss. 

She always looked forward to what she used to call her walkie-talkies, back when it was a morning stroll with her boxer-mutt mix, Brindle. But Brin had passed away over two years ago, so now she depended on her best friend for peripatetic conversations.

“Hey, Kate! Should we walk in the arboretum today?” Diane asked after arriving and ringing the bell. ”Temps are supposed to get in the 70s.”

“Sounds great. Then we can stop at that new pastry shop, so we don’t skimp on calories for the day.”

They drove to the arboretum parking lot and started down a pathway fragrant with blossoming bushes and trees. The magnolias were already shedding, but various fruit trees and lilacs were in full bloom

“Have you spoken to Eric about Kate’s tuition?” Diane asked.

“Yup, he’s agreed to pay part of her college expenses. Between loans, her job, and contributions from us, she should graduate without too much debt.”

One of the truisms about divorce was the economic downturn of a two income household becoming one. Though Eric’s child support payments would soon end, he wasn’t shirking his responsibilities.

After walking down to the springs, they spotted some wild turkeys having a stroll. It was always fun to catch these kooky creatures parading about. Though not renowned for their intelligence, they were at least savvy enough to have found a safe habitat. 

Later, at the coffee shop, Diane resurrected the topic of online dating. “I think you’re going to feel lonely once Nikki goes off to school. You should at least give match.com or one of those other sites a chance. Remember, that’s how Jessie met Dave.”

“I just feel so awkward when I first meet someone, and it’s been decades since I went on a date.”

“That’s what all those probing questions and fancy algorithms are for. They sometimes find suitable candidates. And you can always just meet for coffee like we’re doing.”

“We’ll see…maybe in the fall. Then I won’t have to feign being busy if I need an excuse.”

After finishing their almond croissants, and washing down the last flakes with coffee, Diane dropped her friend at home.

***

Back in her dining room, Kate began sorting the portable file she’d brought from school. In front were student papers she had to grade, but she’d also brought home some of her recent lesson plans so she could make revisions over the summer. 

One of the files was labeled “Poems.” April having been declared Poetry Month, she’d willingly complied by teaching the subject. After studying a variety of famous poems, her students had tried their hands at everything from haiku to limericks to shape poems. They’d also experimented with both rhyming and free verse. As encouragement, she’d shared her own poem with them. It was one she’d written the previous year, both as a tribute to her mother, who loved cardinals, and to the birds themselves who’d made a nest in the thick honeysuckle vines by her deck. When she printed the poem, she’d attached photographs of both the cardinals and their nest.

She could hear a pair calling at that very moment, so she stepped out on the deck to reread her poem:

Cardinal

The cardinal’s my alarm clock—

He wakes me with his call,

Alerting me the sun’s up

From spring until the fall.

His song is somewhat muffled

By winter’s snow and cold—

Not so his crimson feathers

So all ablaze and bold.

When looking out my window,

I see him with his mate.

His actions seem protective,

A most appealing trait.

When others start to migrate,

These vivid pairs just stay—

Resilient at my feeder,

Fluffed up in down array.

In spring, the honeysuckle

Extends its tendrils green,

A bower for the bird’s nest

For eggs to hide unseen.

The mother guards her treasure,

Those oval, speckled shells,

Within whose curving chambers

A future hatchling dwells.

Then, after a scant fortnight,

The shells begin to break,

Revealing tiny beaks and

The chirping cries they make.

As summer starts to blossom,

The youngsters try to fledge—

Time for them to spread their wings

And fly from hedge to hedge.

Soaring from a pine tree bough,

They land on lacy limb,

Calling through the latticed shade

Till natural light grows dim.

Come autumn, woods are burnished

With leaves of red and gold,

Mimicking the cardinal’s hues,

So pleasing to behold.

It would certainly win no poetry awards, but her mom had loved this Mother’s Day effort and given it a place of honor on her kitchen bulletin board. Unfortunately, like the baby birds, her mother too had fledged--or at least fled. After being widowed, she’d moved near Kate’s sister to enjoy Florida’s warmer climate. She was definitely more of a roseate spoonbill than a snowbird. 

***

As the school year sprinted to a finish, Nikki took her final exams and graduated with honors. They celebrated with a backyard potluck and Eric was one of the guests, as they tried to maintain cordial relations for Nikki’s sake.

“I’m so proud of you honey,” said Kate when the festivities were over. “Let’s go out for dinner next week, just the two of us.”

When the evening arrived, Nikki choose her favorite sushi restaurant and they ordered a platter of rolls with exotic dragon and spider names.

They talked about the college information that had come in the mail and how Nikki would be in a suite with two other girls. 

“I hope you’ll like having roommates after being an only child,” Kate remarked. “During my college years I liked many of my dorm mates, but I shared an apartment one semester with someone who wasn’t very considerate.”

“Well, university housing sent me a questionnaire asking about various personal preferences, like degree of neatness and messiness, musical tastes, study habits, etc. I assume they’ll try to match me up with girls I’m compatible with.”

“For me, coming home to an empty house is going to take some getting used to,” Kate said.

“”I overheard Diane encouraging you to date again,” said Nikki, “I think that’s a good idea. Even if you just find someone to go to dinner or a movie with. You know…a platonic friend. Though a romantic fling or something more serious would be nice.” 

Knowing that Nikki herself had only had crushes up to that point, Kate wished the same for her daughter.

Later that evening, as she got ready for bed, Kate realized she was about to become a cliché. By fall, she’d be an “empty nester.”

“What will that portend?” she wondered. 

***

July arrived quickly and Kate realized this would be Nikki’s last hurrah with her high school friends before they all scattered to different schools. At least Nikki was going to an in-state university and would be able to return for holidays and the occasional weekend. Chloe was going to a private school out of state.

Just when they were getting in the swing of things with the farmers market and outdoor concerts, Kate got a call from the emergency room and suddenly their lackadaisical summer was upended.  

“Mom,” Nikki tearfully cried, speaking into her cell, “We were in an accident and they’re taking me for x-rays. My lower abdomen really hurts.”

“Ok, honey, I’m on my way. How’s Chloe—was she injured too?”

“No, it was the other driver’s fault and he hit my side of the car. The police came, got all the accident information, and called an ambulance.”

“I’m so sorry honey. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

The x-rays showed a fractured pelvis, requiring lots of rest and restricted movement. That meant no more swim team or working at the supermarket, but on the bright side, more mother-daughter time. At least Nikki’s injury would be healed in time for the start of classes. And their lawyer assured them that an insurance settlement would more than make up for lost wages, pain and suffering.

By the time Nikki was dropped off at her college dorm more than a month later, her pelvis had mostly healed. Kate helped pile her luggage and boxes in one of the provided bins that they wheeled to the elevator. After unloading and arranging things around the spartan room, Nikki hugged her mom, said goodbye, and promised to call.

***

Fall classes started up for Kate as well, and that meant new names to memorize, new faces and personalities to get acquainted with, and new piles of paperwork. She could hardly wait for her Saturday walk.  

“How are you surviving being an empty nester?” Diane inquired.

“At the moment, it seems like my nest has moved to the classroom,” Kate replied. ”But Nikki’s been good about calling. She seems to be getting on well with her suite mates. I guess their lifestyles match up well enough that sharing a bathroom isn’t an issue. How does Jordan like his new room mate?”

“You know Jordan. He’s pretty easygoing. As long as someone’s politically progressive.”

“Speaking of politics, I’m feeling the opposite of easygoing about the latest headlines: Immigrants Detained, Black Lives Matter, Climate Change, Government Agencies Shutting Down--it’s depressing as hell.”

“”I know,” Diane agreed. “Life is patently unfair. And our world’s in trouble.”

“Why is it that karma rarely comes back to bite evildoers in the ass? When I think about all the pain and injustice in the world, it breaks my heart. Putting things in perspective, the suffering Nikki experienced in the accident and I experienced from my divorce pale in comparison.”

“Ah, that reminds me of that Humphrey Bogart line from Casablanca,“ replied Diane. Then, with exquisite mimicry: “Ilsa, I’m no good at being noble, but it doesn’t take much to see that the problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.”

“Amen,” laughed Kate. 

“So, will it be Match.com or eHarmony?”