Will He Stay or Will He Go?

Floyd took the last bite of his supper and sighed as he looked at the window.

He couldn’t deny it anymore, it was definitely nighttime.

“You know, you don’t have to do it tonight.” Floyd looked up to his mom from across the table, who was looking at him sympathetically. “Harry could stay here another night, just in case. I don’t think he would mind another night of free food and rest.”

Floyd was tempted by the idea but after debating it with himself for a few moments, he knew what had to be done. He sighed as he literally felt his heart sink to the bottom of his stomach.

His dad had been right, he shouldn’t have named him. But it had been too tempting.

“I have to,” Floyd refused sadly as he shook his head. “He was a little restless last night...and I don’t think I’ll be able to do it if I pushed it off till tomorrow.”

His mom sighed in response.

“Well, I suppose you’re right. And I know your father wanted Harry to be gone by the time he got home tonight. Go on, I’ll take care of the dishes,” his mom offered as she stood up and picked up her plate.

“Wha...Are you sure?” Floyd asked, a little shocked because the only time he got excused from helping with the dishes was when he was sick. And his current ailment was completely emotional, not physical.

“Yeah, all I have to do is put the plates and silverware in the dishwasher and put the taco casserole in the fridge. It shouldn’t take long at all,” his mom reasoned as she picked up Floyd’s plate. “It's okay, go.”

There was a small part of Floyd that wanted to protest and stay to help if just to prolong the inevitable for a little bit longer. But the other part of him, the part of him that just wanted to get this awful deed over with and wasn’t in the mood to do the dishes, was much larger and louder.

“Okay, thanks,” Floyd accepted gratefully as he stood up and quickly left the dining room, not willing to let this rare chance of avoiding kitchen duty go to waste.

“You’re welcome honey,” his mom called out to him. If she said anything else, Floyd didn’t hear it as he headed to the back door. Within a few minutes, he was out of the house and headed to the shed at the back of their yard. Along the way, his steps grew both shorter and slower but despite that, he reached the shed in about a minute.

Floyd couldn’t help but stop for a moment at the door, however, his hand on the doorknob as he reminisced about the last week. The week had been so fun, Floyd had something to look forward to each day and he liked it. But now the time had come to say goodbye and Floyd could only wonder where the time had gone.

And wish that Harry could stay forever.

But knowing that it was not meant to be, Floyd sighed and opened the door. He was instantly greeted with the sight of a small barn owl in a cage. The pale-feathered bird picked his head up and hopped a few steps towards him, his dark eyes fixated on Floyd. The boy himself smiled slightly until his eyes landed on the bandage on Harry’s leg.

A week ago, Floyd had been wandering around the woods near his neighborhood when he came across the barn owl on the ground with a bloody leg. Floyd carefully picked up the injured bird and hurried back home as fast as he could. Luckily, his parents had a birdcage from the time they used to have a few pet cockatiels and Harry fit perfectly in it. Floyd’s dad would have taken him to an animal shelter but the one in town closed down recently for repairs, making the nearest one was about an hour away.

So instead, Floyd, with help from his parents, wrapped the bird’s leg up and for the following week, fed him, make sure he was kept clean, and cleaned out his cage daily. Harry, luckily, got better quickly but before Floyd could ask his parents if he could keep the owl as a pet, his dad informed him that it was illegal to keep owls as pets. Meaning that once Harry’s leg healed, he had to go.

Floyd accepted this, albeit with some reluctance, but despite himself, he grew very close to Harry. He couldn’t help it, Harry was smart, gentle, and always seemed to be happy in Floyd’s presence. And for a boy who didn’t really have any friends, it was wonderful.

But Harry’s leg was finally healed. At least, it should be healed considering the way Harry hopped just a second ago.

“Hey Harry,” Floyd greeted the owl as he crossed the distance to the cage. “Let’s take a look at your leg.”

He opened the cage and held out his arm. Harry, without hesitation, flew to it and despite having sharp talons, perched on it surprisingly gently.

“Good boy,” Floyd praised him as he carefully took off the bandage. He inspected and as far as he could tell, the wound was healed. At least, healed enough for Harry to be able to take care of himself now.

Floyd sighed. He had slightly hoped that Harry’s leg wouldn’t quite be this healed, if only so that Harry wouldn't leave tonight.

“Well, Harry, ole boy,” Floyd said as he looked at his friend and forced himself to smile. “Today’s the day.”

Then, with Harry still on his arm, Floyd walked out of the shed and towards the back fence. The boy sighed once and looked at Harry, who was staring at him with his head slightly tilted. Floyd patted Harry’s head, causing Harry to nuzzle his hand. His heart flinched when a bittersweet tidal wave crashed into it.

“It’s...It’s okay. Go. Go home,” Floyd prompted him as he extended his arm and raised it a bit. He wasn’t sure if this was the right way to get an owl to leave one’s arm but luckily, or unluckily, Harry got the message.

With one last look at Floyd, Harry took off from his arm and flew off into the night sky. Floyd stayed there for a few minutes, even though he definitely couldn’t see the barn owl anymore. Then, after taking a deep breath to keep his tears at bay, Floyd went back inside the shed and cleaned up all the evidence that an owl had been there.

The rest of the night went agonizingly slow, though Floyd did very much appreciate the chocolate cupcake his mom gave him when he finally came back inside the house. He managed to keep himself together until his parents turned off the lights in his room. It was only then, with his head on the pillow and his eyes wide open, that he let a few tears trail down his cheeks before he fell asleep.

Before he knew it, Floyd heard something tip-tapping his window. Floyd grunted and creaked open his eyes, only to discover that it was barely dawn. He closed his eyes only to open them again when he heard the noise again. He groaned and got himself out of bed, fully expecting the noise to be caused by a branch. Even though there wasn’t a tree by his window.

A bit worried now, Floyd opened his curtains and gasped.

Harry was outside his window, his head tilted and staring right at Floyd like he usually did. Floyd quickly tore open the window and Harry, who was perched on the outer part of the windowsill, hopped until he was perched on the inner part of the windowsill.

“Harry,” Floyd whispered in part disbelief and part hope, as he patted Harry’s head, which caused the barn owl to nuzzle his hand just like before. Then Harry turned around and flew back outside. But instead of flying out of Floyd’s line of sight, Harry flew to the nearest branch and perched there.

As the sky grew lighter above them, Floyd smiled as his heart became almost impossibly warm.

Even though he couldn’t have Harry as a pet, he had gained something better.

A friend.