"An Act Of Love"

"What a pretty girl are you." Mrs. Jones said to the new cockatiel she and Mr. Jones had just purchased.

Mr. and Mrs. Jones were an elderly couple who had retired and moved to the country. Their new home stood alone at the end of a gravel road deep into a heavily wooded area.

The scenery was beautiful and they even had a view of the lake just down the hill from their home. Everything seemed perfect...except for one thing. They were alone with no neighbors to talk to and make friends with.

They had four children but they hardly ever got the chance to visit them. All the children had married and left home years before. Some moved to big cities to help their careers. The ones who didn't move have families of their own to care for. Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Jones were feeling a bit lonely now.

They discussed the situation and decided to get a pet to keep them company. Now, they had to decide what kind of pet to buy. After all, a decision as important as this deserves a lot of thought. It would break their hearts, and the pet's, if they chose the wrong one and later had to return it.

They both agreed a dog was out of the question. They were getting on in years and a dog would have to be walked several times a day. Could we handle him if he grew too big or would we be capable of walking him in bad weather? No, a dog was out of the question.

A cat? No, that wouldn't do either. Mr. Jones has an awful allergy to cats. A cat would only have to be in the room for moments before he began sneezing and rubbing his itching eyes. No, this would just not do.

They decided to go to the pet shop and look at birds. Yes, a bird might be just what they need. There isn't a lot of trouble taking care of a bird and it's cheerful singing would always keep their spirits up. Now...what kind of bird should they choose?

They decided against a parakeet. It was a beautiful bird but just not what they seemed to want. A cockatiel maybe, yes...this is what they decided to buy. A cockatiel can be taught to talk and this amused Mr. Jones to no end.

When they arrived at the pet shop they had no idea how many different breeds of cockatiels there were. Grays, Fancy Grays, Lemons, Pearls and more. What a decision to make, they were all beautiful.

As she was gazing around the shop, Mrs. Jones saw a small, scared bird sitting all alone on a perch. She asked the shopkeeper if there was anything wrong with her. He told her there was nothing physically wrong with her, she just seemed more lonely than the rest of the birds. He said she was a little timid and he was sure she must miss her home in Australia where she was captured.

Mr. and Mrs. Jones talked it over and decided to buy the little lonely bird. They knew what it felt like to be lonely so they decided to give her a home. Now they would try their best to make the little bird happy again.

"Oh, isn't she the prettiest little thing you ever saw?" Asked Mrs. Jones as she was putting the new bird on the seat of the bay window in the kitchen.

"Yes, I must say, as birds go, she is indeed beautiful." Grinned Mr. Jones, almost like a proud father.

"You know, Dear," Mrs. Jones said, "I wonder if we shouldn't leave her right here in the bay window. She can see the birds outside from here...maybe that will make her happier."

"You're the boss Mrs. Jones, just as you always have been." Mr. Jones teasingly told his wife.

"Yes, that's it then, in our kitchen window you will stay, Miss...Miss..." Mrs. Jones stumbled for a name. "Oh my goodness...we haven't given her a name yet. What will we call her?" Mrs. Jones worried.

"Well...with that swatch of yellow feathers sticking up on top her head she resembles a sunflower to me." Mr. Jones stated as he looked the little bird up and down.

"Yes...yes, I see what you mean." Mrs. Jones gleamed. "We can call her Sunny...short for sunflower. What do you think Father, is that okay with you?"

"I think that is a wonderful name, Dear. It's bright and cheerful." He told his wife.

The couple began filling her cage with all the things needed to care for her properly. First, of course, they poured some cockatiel seed in one feeder than water in the other. Next, they added a cuttlebone to keep her beak sharp enough to eat. Then, they added a mineral block for her to get the vitamins and minerals essential for her good health.

The little bird just sat there on her perch as the Jones' were fussing about with her. She didn't seem any happier than she did when she was in the pet shop.

"There, there Mother, don't be upset. It will take time for Sunny to adjust to us, just as it will take time for us to adjust to her. Everything will be fine...you'll see." Mr. Jones comforted his wife.

"I know what you're saying is true Father, but she is such a lovely little thing and it just hurts me to see her so unhappy." Mrs. Jones sadly commented.

Later that evening Mrs. Jones sat at her old treadle sewing machine and began making a cage cover for Sunny. She found an old pair of kitchen curtains she had put away years ago and had forgotten about. The fabric was perfect! It was covered in sunflowers and small birds.

"What more could you ask for, Miss Sunny?" Mrs. Jones grinned as she was peddling away at her old machine.

When she finished the cage cover she began fitting it across the top of the cage. As she was carefully pulling it down, Sunny became startled and began squawking and flapping her wings.

"Oh...here now my sweet, I wouldn't hurt you for anything." She said to the tiny bird in a soothing tone.

The little bird's heart was visibly pounding in her chest but the longer Mrs. Jones spoke to her the quieter she became.

"Yes...yes, you are safe with us Dear, I promise you we won't hurt you."

Mrs. Jones kept talking sweetly to Sunny as she was putting the finishing touches on the cage cover. It seemed the quiet and soothing manner in which she talked, definitely, was calming her down.

Mrs. Jones covered Sunny's cage with her new cover then retired for the night. It was her hope that Sunny now would feel more secure and in the morning she would be feeling more cheerful.

Alas...it didn't seem to help. Sunny sat frozen on her perch staring out the big bay window. The only thing that seemed to pick her spirits up was when the wild birds came, curiously, to the window.

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