Feathers

Every bird has its fledgling phase. In this phase, they are weak and incapable of flying. It is also a period of opportunity; they start developing muscles and feathers in order to fly. Every new feather is crucial; it is a step closer to freedom. The feather is their key to open the door to a brand new world. The feather is a sign to show they belong. Feathers allow fledglings to find their flock; feathers allow fledglings to find their home. My fledgling phase happened just a little over eight years ago.

I was in grade three when I immigrated to Canada. My first impression of Canada was one of fascination. It looked like a heavenly cloud came down to earth, covering the tired trees. The white-dressed ground and buildings wearing new white coats filled my eyes with excitement. The crystal white snow dazzled my line of sight. I stepped out into a winter wonderland.

Suddenly, the cold air stung my face and froze my entire body. Everything was so quiet and so calming. I walked along the empty streets and finally stopped at this giant entrance: “Crescent Private School.” The silence stopped dead as a disturbing sound of snow crunching under the tires, crunch, crunch, crunch, announcing cars going in and out. The noisy sound of snowblowers rumbled like a jet engine into my ears. The steps of countless unfamiliar creatures left me petrified and motionless. There was no going back.

Every year fledglings are threatened for their basic needs for survival. They are prey for numerous ranges of creatures. Natural predators such as snakes and coyotes will leave fledglings hopeless. They are constantly running away from predators and sometimes starving from hunger. They are vulnerable, weak but also have potential. They could fly. They could dance with the waltzing wind. They could sleep under the tender care of the vibrant trees. They could go anywhere they desire. It is truly pleasing. Fledglings are always dreaming of this freedom, but in order to achieve it, they must persevere and survive.

Sitting in the classroom, I looked around at the different creatures in an assortment of colors. The cacophony was making it impossible for me to process where I was. This is like a nightmare for a young Chinese boy who was used to quiet, uniformity, and withheld emotions. The creatures started passing back down each row, books, papers, like a machine that knows its duty. A smiling adult was at the front of the room, joking with the creatures, laughing, and then abruptly, she stops and looks straight at me. I wiggled in my seat; I glanced down at the letters swimming on the red cover of a tattered book, fingering the rough cover that meant nothing to me. Papers in an assortment of colours littered my desk. and I quickly glanced at the creature beside me. She had stacked her papers, one on top of the other, in a neat pile and was smiling at me. I shot a look at the adult and quickly looked down. I stayed quiet, staring at the clock tick ever so slowly. Would this torture never end? I thought it couldn’t get worse, but I was wrong.

“What’s up, Asian boy? Are you lost? Maybe I can help you?” A tall white creature along with his pack raised its claws and started pushing me around. I, like the fledgling, realized my survival depended on my next move. Where am I? Why is this happening to me? How could my parents leave me alone here? Why me? Why me? I reacted. I started running, like the fledgling who uses their aspiring feathers to escape a predator. I didn’t care where, anywhere but here. I wanted the earth to swallow me up. I wanted the creatures to disappear. I wanted to go back to China. I escaped, squatting on the frozen ground with a white blanket of snow enveloping me, thinking about what just happened. Suddenly, a thought whispered in my ear; it was a dangerous thought. I fought back.

A million thoughts filled my head with anger. I walked back to the giant red building, tracing my steps back to the classroom of creatures. I spoke up to the smiling adult, describing what had happened with my minimal English. Suddenly, feathers began popping out, fanning my body; the creatures disappeared. The creatures were not coyotes. They were not snakes. They were definitely not predators. They were birds flapping their wings, welcoming my stay; I, the fledgling, had found my flock. I knew I could fly. I knew this is where I belonged, but looking at my developing wings with little feathers, I knew I still had a long way to go.

By: Johnny Lin