Birds of a feather flock together

On Sunday morning, Hubby Dear and I went to the Club by the edge of the sea, the most restful place in Mumbai. I waited by the clubhouse while and Hubby Dear parked the car.

It was almost noon and the sun was high in the sky. There was a stillness in the air and I found it hard to keep my eyelids from closing.

I turned around and found a scrawny egret walking nonchalantly down the middle of the road. I wondered what he was doing there. Had he hurt his wing and unable to fly?

At a distance I spotted a car coming down and worried for the poor bird. Would he be able be avoid the wheels of the car?

I needn’t have worried as he looked up, and made his way to the grassy embankment on the side.

The two groundsmen of the Club who were smoking a bidi in the shade, were amused by my consternation.

“Don’t worry,” they assured me. “This Club is his home. He lives on top of this tree and flies down every morning to meet his friends – a crow and some starlings ( salunki in Marathi). After a breakfast, the crow and starlings fly away while walks around walks around till lunch time.

He’s waiting now for his lunch which he will share with us,” He continued and stubbed his bidi.

What a strange story that was!

Ciao,