THE SCARLET MACAW

John and Karen met while working for the same travel magazine in New York. Both were photographers assigned to documenting exotic animals in their natural habitats. What started off as a friendship with mutual interests quickly turned to romance. They now lived together in an upscale loft in New York City. Rarely did they get to work on the same assignment together, so they jumped at the chance when an editor asked them to travel to Belize to photograph the endangered Scarlet Macaw. Karen was thrilled beyond her wildest imagination for the opportunity to visit this enchanted land.

Belize was like a fairy tale come true for Karen! The warm, humid air was like a blanket on her dewy skin. The rain forests were her very own playground by day, and her lullaby at night. John and Karen slept under the stars at night to the symphony of insects and frogs. They felt it was important to experience the macaw habitat twenty-four hours a day to better understand their plight. Even though the assignment was to photograph macaws in their natural habitat, there were so many fascinating creatures here. Karen found her attention wandering frequently. The days were a blur of activity with the completing of the assignments, and educating themselves about this endangered species of bird. Guides helped them hike the trails in the daylight, and made them campfire dinners at night, while telling stories of how the macaws came to be endangered. The macaw habitat fell victim to deforestation. The Scarlet Macaw itself was a victim of animal trafficking for greedy humans who selfishly wanted them as pets. Human cruelty knew no boundaries. John had taken on an additional assignment of visiting and working with macaws who had been injured during trapping. The compromised birds were being rehabilitated at a special sanctuary. Belize had adopted strict policies for habitat conservation and efforts to wean these fascinating creatures off the endangered list.

For Karen, this trip felt like a kind of honeymoon instead of an assignment. The ambience of the rain forest, the musical sounds, the colorful wildlife and foliage all combined to form an intoxicating adventure. Added to that was the magic of watching John work with the injured birds; it made her fall in love with him all over again. His one odd request was that Karen give him some time alone every day with a particular macaw he had a special bond with. Her name was Rainbow, named after the vibrant colors unique to this bird. Her wing had been injured during illegal trapping, and she was learning how to fly all over again. John told Karen he was teaching her some special tricks to surprise her with on the last day of their assignment in Belize. The Scarlet Macaw was known for their ability to mimic words and learn tricks. Rainbow was rewarded with nuts, fruits, and seeds for each task she completed.

One day Karen awoke to the most splendid form of weather; rain and sun simultaneously. Dew on the leaves sparkled like glitter. It fell from the sky in iridescent rainbows of color. It was on this day that the guides summoned her to a hiking trail that lead up a hill. John was mysteriously missing. When they reached the top of the hill, there stood John in the glistening rain. He held a sparkling silver sword out to her. It was engraved with their initials inside interlocking hearts. He had a duplicate sword of his own tucked into his arm. Up above a macaw called out, then said her name. It was Rainbow. The multi-colored bird slid a ring from her beak onto the sword John was holding up to the sky. It glinted in the sunlight. John then told Karen she was his pot of gold at the end of his rainbow, and he asked her to be his wife. She gasped the word yes as he slid the ring from his sword to hers, and the rain fell down softly on them like snowflakes.

John later told Karen the swords represented their fight to educate the world through their photographs about the plight of the Scarlet Macaw. They each made a vow to come back to the rain forests of Belize every year on the anniversary of their magical engagement. They would check on the progress of the endangered species, and visit a fully healed Rainbow in her natural habitat. The Scarlet Macaw belongs to the parrot family. It is one of the largest, most intelligent birds. We, as humans, have the power to beware of, and discourage, animal trafficking.