The Old Man And The Owl

It had been almost 2 years since she had passed away and he was still waiting for her to come back. He would sit in the window of their home rocking gently as her face appeared in his wandering mind. His wife's name was Savannah and she loved teaching children especially those who were not so sure about themselves. She would give them confidence because they needed it.

He always watched out their window every day at school time before tending to the horses. But he could never bring himself to go down to the barn anymore, the barn was his wife's favorite place to be when she was not teaching. Tending and looking after the horses. But he knew his wife was not coming back soon enough for him so he just sat there watching. Sometimes the neighbor kid next door would come over and feed and tend to the horses. But the old man just sat and watched and waited.

He had been sitting at the window for a while one very cold winter night, when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. It was just a brief glimpse, but just enough to get him going and find out what he just saw. He found himself staring into the darkness. Frozen in anticipation and excitement as he waited for what would happen next he stared at the barn so still you could hear a pin drop. The night was rich with shadows and light from the moon. So it wasn't long before he spotted an owl out in front of his barn, looking almost majestic against the stark white snow. But this wasn't any ordinary owl no it had eyes that were unmistakably familiar to him they looked like his wife's eyes on their wedding day. The day he looked into her soul and said forever. He looked at this beautiful creature and all he could feel was love in that moment. He felt his wife's presence suddenly, a chill went down his spine when he saw this lovely bird. What made it mysterious in that Savannah loved owls they were her favorite bird. She would always say "if I could be any bird it would be an owl" giggling more often than not. She loved their mysterious nature, the way they were dark and light, death and life and how they had such great vision that humans can never comprehend. The way they always seemed to know more than you did. The old man grabbed his over coat and headed for the barn, when he stepped outside he could feel the bitter air hit his face and he could see his breathe in the air clouding around him as he struggled with snow to get to the barn he was determined though. It was below freezing and a storm was near approaching but still he needed to see this mysterious creature and at least make sure it had a safe place for the night before the storm rolls in.

He inched closer to the owl, unsure of what she might do in the moment, so he slowly approached as she just there staring at him, he was so frozen from the cold and shock and he felt his wife's soul was somewhere looking back at him within this owls eyes. Her eyes so mesmerizing like little spheres of earth looking back at you. Before he headed back in the house, he knew he better get her settled or least made to feel welcome to stay before the storm hits, so he gave his new little friend some little bits of ham to nibble on and some oats that he had grabbed quickly before going out to the barn. He made sure she had a warm spot in the barn. His wife worked so hard to keep that barn beautiful he couldn't believe this was the first time he was back in the barn since she had died. As he headed for the barn door, he stared at the beautiful creations she had made and left behind and stared in astonishment he hadn't noticed how beautiful her imagination was until now, he headed back into the house and with a smile on his face. He thought maybe his wish of seeing his wife may have come true. They would meet again, just not in the traditional sense. All night, he could think of nothing but that beautiful owl "is she ok, is she warm enough" his mind rattled over and over, finally taking it off of his wife not ever coming back again.

So he sat at the window and watched night turn into morning and morning turn into day, until eventually it became night fall and he knew the owl might still be in the barn. So again the old man grabs his overcoat and some delicious dinner scraps he saved just for his new little friend. He wanted to get closer to the owl, but he was to scared he might scare her away and she would never come back but he had to try, he finally approached her and she just sits there looking at him with a puzzled face staring with her earth like blue and green piercing eyes. She didn't seem mad or bothered that he approached, so he gets closer saying "Savannah" before realizing how crazy it sounded. And the the old man knew at that moment somehow it was her, it was Savannah her soul he thought flying around earth as the bird she always wanted to be. He could could believe that and he did. The old man sat next to the owl and just sat there and he noticed the owl inches in closer and closer so he stroked her feathers. He had been feeling hopeless and alone for awhile now, but that suddenly changed when he saw this poor, cold, and lost bird looking at him with such hope. So with his hand still resting in between them, gently stroking the feathers of the blue and white owls head, he said "it's okay"and with a gentle stroke of her feathers he said goodbye for the night, he left her food and fluffed her warm spot and headed back in for the night and he sat at that window waiting for night to turn to morning and morning turn to day and then eventually until it was night fall again, he anticipated seeing her again hoping she was still there.

The owl's eyes were always so kind to him, he couldn't exactly explain it but he felt Savannah's presence every time he went into that barn, another storm was coming in and the owl wasn't in her usual spot on top of the barn stretching her wings, so he checked inside where she usually sat and slept, she wasn't there either though, so he walked outside with an unknown and uncertain heart "where could she have gone " he thought to himself. He walked closer to the barn door and peered through one of the tiny holes that would allow just enough light in during the night for both of them to see each other, the sight of this beautiful bird still shocked him everytime he saw her, especially when her wings sprawled out across an entire wall when she got excited to see him, either that or she just knew it was time to eat and get some attention, she must like it she seems to stay and appear every night he would come to visit.

The old man loved to visit the owl every night he would sit at his window and watch out for the barn, waiting for the owl to open her wings and fly down for the tree branch she had nestled every night, and he would smile and nestle into his rocking chair gently rocking back and forth , he sits there at his window looking out at the barn. It was a beautiful morning now, and he could see some of the clouds that have been on his mind for weeks now finally disappear into the heavens. He felt like maybe just maybe they heard him up there and gave him hope for the next chapter in his life.

Some days it felt like all he needed was to have someone say "I love you" the voices of the birds chirping outside made him feel so loved as if they were telling secrets to one another. They seemed so content flying around together always seeming happy to swoop down onto any little thing moving through the fields below them. His wife would have loved hearing the beautiful sounds of the birds chirping " she would have said "oh how so lucky to be a bird to fly and sing!" and in that moment he again just like when he met his wife for the first time, he felt lucky and loved, and able to move forward.

THANK YOU FOR READING UNTIL THE END ❤️

Jenell Renee