this is a story about xiao hei and xiao bai

right about 8 months ago, on new year's eve, 31 dec 09, i first saw xiao hei and xiao bai. it was in a hotel room and during that time they were so young, they had to be fed by hand, using a powder mixture and warm water. it was like caring for babies. we scurried to give them names knowing that we also had limited time and thus the very cliche and simple names black and white. the next morning, i found myself left behind on a very cold new year's day shinjuku morning, holding a cage with them in it, and not knowing what to do. I had to walk thru the underpasses so as not to allow them to freeze to death on the very low morning temperatures. i finally lug them thru the gantries of the metro, not even knowing if it was allowed but i figured if i covered them with a towel it should be ok. after about 1.5 hours of travelling and walking, i finally arrived home with the birds. They changed my life. Once someone who went out and stayed out til the morning drinking and stuff, they provided a lot more motivation to come home and feed them. they helped me develop a routine of waking up slightly earlier, to refill their water, food and stuff. they taught me the patience of knowing that they would poop everywhere but still wanting to let them out to fly everyday or so... most importantly they taught me about love.
having people or pets who are part and parcel of your life, u learn to live together with them. its really like having kids i guess. seeing them, poop everywhere, talking to them, letting them out while u make coffee in the morning... sometimes they even make coffee with me, sitting on my shoulders anticipating the coffee as much as i do, or like i see them in the mirror while brushing my teeth. they seem to particularly like certain spots in the room and so yea.. my shoulders are one of them. one of the pooping hot spots.
one day back, i found this mysterious rock like thing in the cage, and it turned out to be an egg! they're both supposed to be male birds but i guess whoever sold it must have made a mistake. so then started their mating season and mum started to be real agitated over small things. sometimes she would fight with xiao hei and sometimes its so intense they look like they're trying to kill each other. during those times i had to open the cage and let one of them out so that at least xiao hei could run for his life if under attack. however, each time I come back home, they'd be nicely tucked back into their cage, sitting on their eggs together even tho the cage is open! this is love isnt it.
sometimes, it would take a really long time for papa to try to convince mama to let him back into the cage. he would circle the cage, chirp at her etc, only to find her flapping her wings and threaten to kill him again... but he never gives up. each time he's wounded by her, he'd tuck away in his corner for a while, and start heading back.. flying back and forth..
my observations of them have really made my time in tokyo so much more meaningful and interesting. but as everything else, there's always a time to say good bye. i believe that their lives will be so much more enriched even if its a shorter time out there in nature. I believe that birds are not meant to be kept in cages.
Goodbye my little creatures. have a good life.