Esmeralda had a certain exuberance for life that was unmatched by any other bird. When you walked into the rescue and Esie either saw you or heard your voice, she excitedly would call “com’eeeere, com’eeere!” Of course, unable to deny her, you would go over to her cage and take her out. She immediately would climb to your shoulder, and to show you her joy at being with you would begin to sing at the top of her lungs “la la la”, over and over, right next to your ear. You smiled, because, after all, she was just showing her affection for you. After a while, she would begin to chew holes in your favorite sweatshirt. You would smile again, knowing that Esie probably thought you might be warm, and was just trying to make sure that you were comfortable. But then, Esie got sick, and the singing stopped. She would still climb to your shoulder and let you know, even though she was unable to show you the way that she wanted to, that she was happy you came to see her. But there was no more singing… And now, the Rescue is a quieter place, your hearing not quite as sharp as it used to be, and your sweatshirts definitely more ratty-looking, but you smile through your tears, knowing that you were lucky enough to be loved by this amazing little bird named Esie, if only for a little while…..
