It was 11 ish in the morning; I was Stumbling Upon web pages as usual and basically procrastinating when mom came into my room. She had gone upstairs to hang the wet clothes to dry but had rushed back without doing so for some reason.
Our building is still under construction and we had people working on the top floor. They’ve been using a open barrel filled with water in which a crow had fallen. My mom had noticed the crow struggling to get out of the barrel and had placed small wooden poles and boards thinking the crow will climb out with some foothold.
This was of no avail because the crow must have fallen inside a while back for its wings were completely wet and it could barely keep itself afloat let alone climb out. This is when my mom had come down and told me what happened.
I knew I had to get it out of the barrel myself and took a bucket and started ascending the stairs. As soon as I reached the barrel I peeked inside to see it. There was no fight left in it and it was gasping for air barely able to keep it’s beak above the water. There was no movement in it’s torso and it was dying.
I suddenly realized that the bucket I’d brought was too big to fit inside the barrel and started running downstairs praying to God to keep it alive for a few more seconds. I found a smaller bucket and rushed back up and took the crow out.
All of this had happened within 15 seconds. Yet, 15 seconds too late as it turned out. The crow lay dead in front of me and I felt a sudden rush of anger, helplessness and sadness all at the same time. A flurry of questions raging inside my head:
Why the hell didn’t I kick the barrel over? Why the hell didn’t I take a smaller bucket the first time? Why the hell didn’t I use my hands to get the bird out? Why couldn’t he (or she) hang on for 10 more seconds? Why……????
There were no answers, only a terrible sense of guilt as I stood staring at the lifeless body of an unlucky bird.
Today, I killed a crow.
Wow, I am becoming a fan of yours! Of course, not for killing a crow.. but for writing about it….. and for writing it very well!
Is writing your hobby?
Haha what’s with the flattery? I’ve just started blogging. I’ve always wanted to but chickened out at the last minute.
I killed a bird too. There were three small birds in my balcony. I did nothing to save them. Two survived…the third died. I’m a criminal too.
I saved a hummingbird from my cats….but it is all just life…sometimes you can make a difference sometimes you can’t. I am surprised and glad how it affected you. I am glad how you cared….so how did I get to this page
Hmmm.. It was a very good way of narration. you were really able to bring the feelings u felt,inside ur readers too.
I encountered nearly 5 rats in my house as soon as I went to INDIA for vacation… Adhukke feel pannale..
@Ruhi – You’re definitely a criminal! =D
@Peetey – Thanks for the comment. I do care coz I am a nice guy.
@Ambika – Thanks, you’re too kind.
@SMK – You didn’t eat them, did you??
Why so much of feeling for crow alone and not for chicks
I’ve seen too many dead animals on the treacherous road to my college (and also to office) to feel it as intensely as u do…..
There is this saying in Hindi-
“Aaram badi cheez hai,
muh dhak kar soiea,
Kis kis ko yaad kijiye,
kis kis ko roiea”
Try to find out what that means.
@Viswa – What exactly do you mean by ‘chicks’???
@Shruti – I’ve seen dead animals on the road as well. But this was different. If I’d not bothered to go down and just roll the barrel or use my hands that crow would have lived.
Give me sometime and I’ll find out what it means.
//Why the hell didn’t I kick the barrel over?//
Hmm… If the barrel was kicked over , the crow would not have kicked the bucket. But then, the crow was destined to die
So I think you need don’t feel guilty for this incident..
oops a typo again
*So I think you don’t need to feel guilty for this incident..
Well, Yours is the first blog that i have started reading and this particular one is the second one (The first was the Diwali incident). To make it simple, i can say that you are making me read with your narration skills. Let me experience more to shed more beautiful words as a comment.