Together for Hester

“I'm glad you could come,” Travis Hardy said with a warm smile on his broad, bearded face as he opened the gate to the 6-foot fence surrounding his raptor rehabilitation compound. He was as tall as the fence and built like a linebacker.

Emily Tucker smiled in return and stepped through the gate.

“I wouldn't miss this for the world!”

Her soft southern drawl was gentle to his ears just as her delicate, fey face and rich brown hair were easy on his eyes. She stood a little over five feet in height and he felt like a giant standing next to her.

They had met seven weeks ago when she had called him about an injured barn owl in her father's pasture. Afterward, they had spoke frequently on the phone as the bird was treated and rehabilitation had begun. Unfortunately, its injuries were such that it would never be able to fly again so Travis had set about gentling it with an eye toward presenting it as part of the talks he gave at schools about raptor conservation and rehabilitation.

“Have you named her yet?”

Travis grinned, “Hester.”

“Hester?” Emily laughed as she followed him along the gravel path toward the back of his house. “Pray tell, why?”

“It sounds like she does when she's pissed with me. She hisses.” His dark brown eyes twinkled as he demonstrated. “Hesss-ter, see?”

She grinned in response.

“And when is that?”

“Anytime I open the door to her cage without food in my hand.”

“A demanding lady, obviously.”

“You don't know the half of it.”

They walked around a large area that was surrounded by a low rail fence. Inside, the ground was covered by cedar chips and there were T-shaped posts of varying height. Emily was fascinated by the variety of birds she found housed in large aviaries. Some watched them pass with curiosity while others were obviously threatened by the humans' presence. A few wore bandaged splints on their wings. One, a darling screech owl, had just one leg but it seemed to challenge Emily's immediate pity. It certainly didn't seem to need it!

Eventually they reached Hester's tall fenced aviary. In the back was a nest box while between it and the gate was a post for perching. She peered out from her shadowed nest, her snowy round face tipping from side to side in curiosity.

“She's made remarkable process in healing,” Travis commented, “and she'll let me approach to feed her. But though she'll let me touch her, she won't let me hold her yet.”

Emily looked away from Hester with a teasing grin.

“How many mice do you go through to get her to do what you want?”

Travis chuckled.

“It varies with her willingness to cooperate. Sometimes it'll take one or two, other times I finally give up after three or four.”

“Smart lady holding out for more.”

“More like wily.”

“Well, owls are known for being wise.”

“True.”

They were silent for a few moments as they watched the owl looking back at them.

“She's so beautiful,” Emily murmured, “It's hard to understand why some people fear them.”

“Superstition mostly. In some places they're known as ghost owls for their pale coloring and silent flight. In other places they are believed to portend death. Most farmers welcome them in their barns to help keep the mice and rats at a minimum.”

Suddenly, Hester let out an ear shattering screech and Emily jumped, then started to giggle.

“Well, that woke up the dead!”

Travis chuckled.

“She's demanding her mice.” Putting his fisted hands on his hips, he shook his head and faced the owl with a rueful grin. “Sorry, girl. It's too soon.”

They stood there for a couple of minutes longer before Travis led her back up the line of aviaries, introducing her to the various residents. There were hawks and falcons, two more owls, and, to Emily's surprise, even a bald eagle.

“Wow!” she breathed, “What a gorgeous bird!”

“He's almost ready to be released back into the wild.”

“What was wrong with him?”

“Someone shot him with an arrow then left him to die. A hunter found him and called the veterinary school who then called me. They had removed the arrow and patched him up, but it took a while for him to heal.” He looked around at the trees. “His mate comes sometimes and perches up in the trees.”

Emily looked at Travis with a small smile curving her lips.

“You're really a remarkable man, Travis Hardy.”

“Nah. Just someone who loves what they do.”

“How long have you been a veterinarian?”

“About twelve years. I loved working the bird rotation and especially working with injured raptors. After a couple of years in private practice, I decided to become a rehabilitator full time.” He nodded toward the house. “Would you like to come inside out of the heat? We can get something to drink and just relax for a while.”

She agreed and they left the aviaries for the well maintained craftsman-style house. Two worn wicker chairs and a swing graced the porch and they stepped on a sisal doormat sporting the image of a peregrine falcon. Opening the screened and windowed doors, Travis guided her in with a gentle hand on her back and Emily found herself in a large kitchen where an ancient refrigerator stood in one corner and a gas range was located about half way down the counter. An enameled iron sink sat under the window with a few dishes in the drain board beside it. Taking up nearly a third of the room was a large table with six straight back chairs circling it. Scattered around one end were files, papers, and ornithology catalogs.

“Make yourself comfortable,” Travis invited. “I have sweet tea, a few soft drinks, and some bottled water. Which would you prefer?”

“Oh, sweet tea, please.”

Moments later he set two glasses of iced tea on the table before taking a seat at the head of the table to her right. He asked her how things were going now that the end of the school year was approaching and Emily began to regale him with stories about her second grade class and their antics as excitement built with the passage of days.

“The only time there's more excitement is just before Christmas break.”

They talked for a couple of hours, getting to know one another better and talking about things that interested them. Happily, they found quite a bit of common ground, which allowed them to grow increasingly comfortable with one another.

Finally the angle of the sun reminded them that it was late afternoon and, after a final glass of tea, Emily announced regretfully that she had to go.

“I have a lot of papers to grade before tomorrow.”

They stood and Travis carried the glasses to place in the sink before walking her back outside.

“I'm glad you came,” he told her as they followed the path back around the house.

“I'm glad, too.”

He followed her out the gate and to her ten-year-old Ford.

“Would you like to come for dinner next Saturday?” he asked as she opened the door, “We can barbecue some ribs, and I make a mean potato salad.”

Emily grinned up at him.

“And I make a mean apple pie. What time?”

“Say, about three?”

She slid onto the seat and shut the door before meeting his eyes, her face still alight with her smile.

“Sounds good. Will there be anyone else there?”

“No. I don't have too many group get togethers because they upset the birds.”

She nodded and turned the key. Putting the car in Reverse, she smiled once again.

“I look forward to it.”

“Good! I'll see you then.” He backed away from the car a couple of steps. “Be careful going home.”

Backing out of his yard, she waved and turned the car toward the main road, her smile becoming a grin of anticipation of the following weekend.

The End