Kawaii
One day when I came home from staying at my dads', my mum announced that she wanted to get a parakeet to keep us company. Dad(of course, being dad) tried to talk her out of it, but mum was adamant. So we looked at videos of the parakeets. These were lineolated parakeets, so called because they have line-like patterns on their wings and tails. They are about the size of a budgie, but very cute. We looked at the picture and decided whether we wanted the olive or one of the greens. We decided on the olive.
Then on fireworks night, we were off to get our new bird. We went up to Essex where a woman called Anne greeted us. She had a house full of birds. As well as her linnies, that were flying round the house, she had parrotlets and cockatiels, and some in an aviary outside. Anyway, she explained to us about linnies, feeding them, training them, and telling us she was beaking and using her beak to explore. She was very testy about our knowledge. Before we left with our new linnie, Anne said her son wanted one for christmas and mum said, "I'm sure we'll be back for more!" and we left. On the drive home, we discussed what to call our new bundle of feathers. We settled on "Kawaii", the Japanese word for cute. When we got home we put her cardboard box she was in in her new cage we got from Jolleyes, a good decent sized cage. We opened her box and her little head poked out, and she was making lovely little chirping noises, soft, not loud. "Rit tit tit". While we left her to explore her new cage, we went to my nans, and my auntie and cousin were there. They gave us goodie bags left over from halloween. Then we came home.
Jamie and my dad came. My brother liked Kawaii and even my dad found her cute - before he'd compared linnies to budgies and he doesn't like budgies because their faces look smashed). Kawaii sat on my finger and let me stroke her, calmly, softly. Then me mum dad and Ellie my sister, went to see the fireworks while my brother Jamie stayed home. We had a great fireworks night, and we ate candyfloss and then we came home. We let Kawaii out again. Mum told me to cover the cups in case she fell in them. Also we had to cover the fish tank. Unfortunately, at the time, my dad was in the kitchen cooking dinner and Kawaii flew into the kitchen and landed on the boiling hot pan that was on the stove. Thankfully she was alright. That night she wouldn't come off the lampshade, but eventually we managed to get her in her cage.
Kawaii would soon grow to become the most affectionate bird we ever had. She loved to be stroked, and would always turn her head round or bow her head down to be stroked. She was never really a nippy bird, and only went through a phase when her pin feathers were coming through. But after that she never bit.
She loved to ride round on our shoulders and our heads, and would follow you out of the room if you went out. She had the liberty to fly round the house. She liked to go in the kitchen on the fridge, the bathroom on the cabinet, and my bedroom on my dolls house that I got for christmas! It was a great christmas with Kawaii. Even she got 4 toys from someone on the linnie forum for christmas. (I think it was Anne). On christmas eve she even had a sip of dad's sherry(or cider)! She didn't like it at first, but soon came back for more! She also had a liking for tea. Her favourite place in the living room was her homemade perch with beads dangling off it, that was hanging on the ceiling. She also loved the lampshade. They say linnies love to spend time on the ground and don't like flying as much, but Kawaii was an exception. She loved to take laps around the living room and was a very good flyer!
She was scared of some of Ellies toys (Crane from Kung Fu Panda happy meal toy and a blu &gold macaw toy she got for christmas). I think he thought they were real birds and would sometimes attack them while making an angry noise. Sometimes Ellie would annoy Kawaii with these toys.
She didn't really talk, although she nearly said "Kawaii". But I have this plastic toy budgie that used to make a noise, and Kawaii used to copy the noise exactly.
She used to like this video of a blue lineolated parakeet. It had chinese music and at the end there was a linnie noise, and she would know the bit at the end was coming, and when it did she would respond to the chirping. That video always reminds me of Kawaii. She was very loyal, and mum could let the dogs out with Kawaii on her shoulder, and she wouldn't fly away.
She also used to like sharing our meals with us. She had everything you would want in a bird - she never bit, she was non-destructive, she was very tame, she wasn't too demanding, she was quiet, she was cuddly, and she wasn't a one-person bird - she loved everyone, and everyone loved her. But that all changed.
My sister Ellie started treating her real rough. She wouldn't let anybody else interact with the bird, especially me. She had no care whatsoever and I tried to explain to her that Kawaii was a very fragile little bird and they have hollow bones so they can be killed easily, but she wouldn't listen. She treated Kawaii like a toy aeroplane, holding her tightly and whirlingher round. She held her and put her head in her mouth. Once she threw him and he landed in the dog bowl with water in and Ellie only laughed. Still, Kawaii, as gentle as she was, never even bit Ellie for treating her like that.
One day was the last straw. I was upstairs on Sketchfu, and mum called me downstairs to put the bird away as Ellie was hitting it with a stick. She was mad at it already for pooing everywhere and threatened to give her away, although I knew she'd never do that. Her exact words were "I hate that bird". I came down to a scene from my worst nightmares. Kawaii, was flying round the room and Ellie was chasing her with a perch. Kawaii landed on her cage and Ellie kept hitting but narrowly missing Kawaii every time. I tried to prise the perch off Ellie, but she was waving it around so wildly that she would have hit me. She landed another glancing blow at Kawaii, and this time she didn't miss. She had hit little Kawaii in the head. She arched her little wings up, confused. There was blood seeping out of one of her nares. I took her upstairs to try to calm her down. It was unlikely, but if she lived, her brain would be severely damaged. I just held her and petted her, caressed her, and even in her last moments, she managed to turn her head round to be petted. "Oh, Kawaii", I sobbed. "Please don't die! I love you so much. I've always loved you, and always will. Even if you don't remember who I am, I'll still love you. I'll never forget you". Or something along those lines.
Then I took her downstairs where she tried to fly, but ended up fluttering pathetically to the ground. I could see how she was suffering and in pain. We wrapped her up in kitchen towel and placed her in her snuggle hut so she wouldn't attempt to fly again and injure herself further. I went upstairs and prayed for her. Later, mum arrived with the news that kawaii was dead. I was devastated, I just couldn't believe it. It was like losing a family member - Kawaii was part of olur family. We took her outside to be buried. Her grave would be her favourite perch that she used to fly to for peace, and a rock and grate to keep animals out. Ellie, being only 4, showed not the slightest bit of remorse. Mum said, "I'll never forget the way she looked up at me just before she died." She didn't really hate that bird, because she cried when she died. I think she really regrets saying that now, but everyone says things they don't mean sometimes. At least, as I sat up there with her and comforted her, she went out with love and care. We didn't even have Kawaii for a year.
I would cry every night for her. I'll admit that I still cry now. I've never really got over Kawaii's death, and most likely never will. But it does get better. I started to remember her for the fun times we had together and the happy memories we shared. Good memories, funny memories, fun memories, even sad memories. Memories that made me smile and memories that made me think. She still exists in my mind and is alive in my heart. Sometimes, I remember a moment I never thought about, something so small and insignificant that I'd never thought about it when she was alive. Like the time mum almost bought another linnie but thought better of it, or on the second day we got her and she got her foot stuck in the bars of her cage, or when we removed the ring from her leg, or even when I used to take her upstairs so she could get away from Ellie and we would watch linnie videos together. She will be forever treasured in my heart. Because my memories of her and love for her will Never Die.