Tex and Rosa
It was a lovely day at T-Bone’s Place, and Thistlewyn flew down to the creek for a morning dip. She wasn’t feeling up to a social event on this nice day. After her dip, she flew up to a high branch to let the morning sun and the breeze dry her hair and clothing.
After a few minutes, Arthur and Tex showed up at the creek for their daily constitutional, and Thistlewyn remained silent and just observed their body language.
Tex is a nice-looking bird who lives in a cedar tree and speaks several bird languages. He annoys the residents of T-Bone’s Place due to his around-the-clock honing of his language skills. He has also been spending a good deal of time with King Arthur.
King Arthur is respected by all, and in a way, Tex is a bit envious and wants to be revered by his friends and allies as Arthur is.
While Arthur and Tex were spending time at Bear Creek, trying to bathe and drink water, a stranger floated down through the sun’s rays to the creek bank.
There was something about her that Tex couldn’t put his feather on. He hadn’t had this feeling before.
The stranger kept a close eye on Arthur and Tex—or so Arthur thought. In reality, the stranger was really eyeing Tex.
The stranger began to work her way nearer to the two. Arthur asked the new face how her day was going. She looked at him and began to cry.
Arthur was taken aback by this reaction.
At that moment, Thistlewyn landed beside Rosa and startled her. Thistlewyn recognized her distress and began trying to comfort her. She asked the new arrival her name.
She identified herself as Rosa, from Central America.
Arthur asked if she was lost, seeing as he had never encountered her species before. Turns out Rosa was a Tropical Mockingbird.
“Why are you crying?” asked Arthur.
Rosa had left home due to wildfires, which had decimated the woods where she lived and destroyed her entire family. She was looking for a new home, when she was picked up by Hurricane Ike at Cancún, Mexico.
Rosa may have been telling Arthur and Thistlewyn her woes, but the entire time, her eyes kept wandering back to Tex.
She was… different
There was something about her that Tex had never seen before.
Tex paid her no mind.
Arthur thought this was quite unusual of Tex, since he was well known for inserting his opinion whether or not it was needed.
Arthur, being the big brother type, asked Thistlewyn if Rosa could spend the night at her place. If she decided to remain at T-Bone’s Place, they would take Rosa to see Cranford, at the Bear Creek Nesting Authority.
The next morning, Tex tagged along.
Due to Rosa’s thick accent, Cranford asked the resident linguist, Tex, if he would help translate for her.
He agreed.
Cranford, for the longest time, had been at his wits’ end trying to occupy the west end of the cedar tree near T-Bone’s Place. After all, no other creatures in Bear Creek could reside near Tex.
Tex was edgy about her sharing a tree with him. He was ranting about not having enough space. But all present agreed that the cedar tree was the most logical place for Rosa to reside.
The next morning, Arthur and Tex were back at the creek doing their daily regimen, and Tex was so quiet.
Arthur watched his friend closely.
Finally, Tex exclaimed, “What?!”
The King just shook his head.
They went back to drinking.
“Can’t a bird just enjoy drinking and bathing?!”
“You are so out of character,” said Arthur. “You and I have known each other for a minute, and you have never acted this way. What has you distracted?
“You have been crying for ages about how there have been no female mockingbirds in this region, so you stay up all night singing your lungs out, trying to call a mate with no positive results. Finally, one day, a very nice lady drops into your life, and you can’t even welcome her.
“What gives, Tex?”
Tex looked at the ground and mumbled, “She is different.”
“How so?” asked Arthur.
“Her feathers are a different color,” proclaimed Tex. “And I have heard my family talk about her kind…”
