The Flock

“Why is your uncle joining us?”

Mildred turned her neck around so she could see her Uncle Milfred behind her.  “He’s family. He lost his son to a hunter last month.”

“And?”

“You can be so cruel Henry. Besides, he fills in the gap left when Margaret flew off with what’s his name.”

“Tony, I think. No wait. His name was Tim. That’s it.”

“He was handsome that I must say.” 

“Handsome and dumb. He talked Margaret into taking the dark route. No one takes the dark route. It may be quicker, but deadlier.”

“Now how would you know. Have you taken it?”

“Well, not really. You do remember I nearly steered us there that one fall.”

“How could I forget. You blazing away with your chest all pumped up and shouting through the wind ‘It’s only a southwester. I’ll get us through it.”

“I did, didn’t I?”

“You are remarkable Henry the way you seem to twist everything you do wrong into something that only a moron would think was right.  Of course you got us through it but only after we had to land in that parking lot with no woods or water in sight. And you. Oh what I sight that was?”

“Leave it alone Midlred.”

“No I won’t. Ask Agnes or Clara, they’ll tell you what a fool you made of yourself. Approaching those humans and pecking at their shopping bags to get to their water bottles and groceries.  We could of flew a few more miles to somewhere else, but no, you made the decision to land in that parking lot. You embarrassed me and the flock.”

“I got us water didn’t I?”

“You sure did. Three plastic bottles we had no clue as how to open and one bag of Twinkies. Yummy.”

Henry waddled over to Mildred.  “Now look. If it wasn’t for me devising a way to puncture those bottles with my beak using the curb as support we wouldn’t have made it a hundred yards more that day. But I did it. I found a way. I sucked up my pride and did it. So don’t you go walking about with your ‘I told you so’ look  thinking you’re all that.  Don’t forget Sally over there. She thought I was marvelous that day. And besides, those Twinkies were damn good and filling.”

“And me Henry,” butt in Uncle Milfred. “To this day I tell all the goslings of how you saved the flock that day..”

Henry turned to face Milfred. “No offense Uncle, but you weren’t there that day.”

“Let me tell you something.  The way Mildred lit you up when you guys came back from Tennessee  made me think you’d save all the geese in the world. What did you call him Mil? “

“A fool!”

“No. Something else.”

“Idiot.”

“I hate to interrupt here, but it doesn’t matter what she called me. I did what I had to do.”

“It was ‘My King’.” 

“Really Mil?”

“Don’t be bashful Mildred. The flock all knows how you strutted your stuff that day because you and Henry were a thing back then.”

A disheveled goose, beak coated in a white powder and head sagging makes its way via a zig zag course to Mildred, Uncle Milfred and Henry.  Mildred turns to Henry and whispers “It’s George, the Roberts boy. Strung out on cocaine again, I bet. Ignore him.”

“The Roberts boy. I thought they left already for Virginia.”

“They did. But he stayed.” Uncle Milfred turns to look at George. “The kid’s bad news. Left the pond for a cleaner pond and somehow wound up eating the white powder he thought was snow on the leaves of grass.”

“What! In July he thought there was snow. What was he thinking?”

“Henry. Sssh. He’ll hear you.”

Sally comes running up and barges through their little semi-circle.  “How dare you mock him. Especially you Henry. He didn’t know. And Mildred.  Always sticking up for Henry no matter how foolish he sounds. I won’t even get to you Milfred. Look at you. You’re no better. “

“Well I am starting to show my age.”

“Now wait a moment Missy.  You have no right to talk. Didn’t I just see you with Jeffrey. Or was it Todd. There’ve been so many lately it’s hard to keep track.”

Sally takes a peck at Mildred who dodges it then counters with her own. Henry wedges in between them. “Look! We’re about to make the winter trek that’s over a thousand miles.  I won’t stand for any delay.  Especially from you Sally. We all know what happened to George.”

Sally is standing tall on her legs ready for battle as is Mildred. “Girls, may I suggest..”  

“Shut up,” Milfred Sally and Mildred say in unison. They look at each other and start to laugh. Henry breathes a sigh of relief as their banter diffuses their momentary conflict. That's the last thing I need is a fight between two of my wingwomen.

George stumbles up to them. “I’ll be ready for take- off as soon as I can get rid of these…” George flaps his wings as if something is attached to them.

Henry waddles over to George and wraps a wing around him. “I’m sorry George. You won’t be making this trip.”

“But look Henry.”  George takes a few steps, flaps his wings and lifts himself into the air only to fall to the ground seconds later. Henry and Sally run up to him. 

Sally leans over him. “Georgeo, you okay my Georgeo?”

“That was wild man. How long did it take to get here?”

Henry leans over George. “You’re still in Cleveland, man.” Emphasizing sarcastically the word ‘man.’

Henry wraps a wing about Sally. They walk away from George.  “I can’t let him come with us. I can’t be looking back wondering if he’s going to make the trip or not.  I have ten other geese with you to worry about. She pulls away from him. “Then I won’t go.”

“Sally, be reasonable. It takes all I have to lead the ‘V’ formation. Once I get tired another has to take my place.  We need the lift. This isn’t an ‘I’ thing, it’s an ‘We’ thing.  You know this.  If you don’t go there’ll only be nine of us. Our trip will take six, maybe seven days instead of five if we make it at that.  The head winds this year will be even stronger. I'll need everyone I can get. Besides, I'm counting on you. We need ten geese. I doubt if Milfred will last a hundred miles. ”

“And my Georgeo. What about him?”

Henry looks back at George who is still lying on the ground. “He stays.” 

“Then I stay.” 

“You’ll freeze. You know as I do the snow will come, food will be scarce, no, check that, non-existent and the water of our pond will freeze up. There will be nothing here. You must come with us.”

Sally remains quiet with her head down. Several silent moments pass. "Your silence is your answer I take it."

"No. Yes. I don't know." She looks over at George.

Henry walks away and summons the other geese.  “I’m sorry to say that Sally will not be joining us nor will George.”  

“That only leaves eight of us,” a goose in the back shouted.

“Yes, I know. Two less means more rotational shifts to the head of the ‘V’ for all of us. It will tough going, but we’ll make it. Any objections?”

The geese huddle together. As they do so Sally is attending to George who has just gotten to his feet. His eyes focus on her and in a moment of clarity,  “I’m sorry Sally. I never really thought that the white powder was cocaine.” He chuckles. “I thought it was just some type of bread crumbs or something. I just wanted to taste it, that's all.” 

“Don’t worry about it. They’ll be gone soon. We’ll make it through this winter.”

“No we won’t. I won’t. You will”

“What do you mean?”

“I want you to go with them.”

“No!”

George takes his wing and wraps it about Sally’s neck then pulls her closer to him. “I’m done. I can feel it. I won’t last another week whether I stay here or go with you. That shit is poison. You and I both know it. I can feel my heart racing now.” He laughs. “I can’t even fly anymore. You saw that.”

“But, we can…”

George pushes her away with both his wings. “We can’t do anything. I’m dying and you can’t stop it. Now go. Go now or I swear I’ll fly myself into the nearest oncoming car or truck. Go!”

The other geese raise their wings in unison. “ We go with eight.”

Henry peers over them to where Sally is standing by George. He shouts to her. “What will it be Sally. Stay or go?”

Sally looks down at George. He takes his beak and gently nudges her. “Go. Whatever happens we’ll have those memories of our moments together.”

Sally spreads her wings as she runs from George. Her wailing splits the silence of the day.  She stops, turns and looks at George then takes several steps toward Henry and the rest of the flock. With a defiant stomp of her feet she shouts, “I stay!”