Flight of the Eagle novel (Chap. 6-7)

CHAPTER SIX

 

Children and adults could hardly believe how quickly the afternoon sped by. Adam saw only one eagle heading away from them.

It was being chased by what looked like a raven. They both flew up, down and around like two children playing tag.

“It’s the same as I saw on the video,” Adam said, looking intently through his binoculars. Now he knew for certain eagles and ravens were true friends. He had seen it with his very own eyes.

Imagine being friends with a majestic bald eagle. The thought sent shivers of excitement down Adam’s back.

Suddenly, It was ‘stop and use the washroom time’, at a nearby garage station. This was followed by a visit to the variety store for treats.

“A few munchies for the trip home,” grandpa said.

“But, it’s still early,” Adam pouted. “How come we’re going already? We hardly saw anything,” he whined.

Grandma and grandpa didn’t seem to hear him. At least they pretended not to, and left Adam mumbling to himself.

The trip home was not something Adam looked forward to. All this way and they hardly saw any eagles. You really couldn’t count one as anything extraordinary. He was quite disappointed.

His chocolate bar seemed to lodge in his throat. And his feet began to sweat in his winter boots.

“Cheer up,” Melanie said, feeling sorry for her brother’s sadness. “We did see a whole bunch of seagulls.”

Adam figured Sis was teasing him. “We came to see eagles!” he shouted.

Being so busy feeling down he didn’t realize their return route was a little different. Melanie also missed sly smiles from her grandparent’s faces. Colin didn’t notice any changes either.

He was too busy drinking his apple juice.

They drove through Cannington village. Soon, it was on a traffic-free section of highway alongside the Annapolis River. Houses were mostly wood with various colors and newly shingled roofs.

The children sat quietly in the back seat, absorbed in their thoughts.

A few kilometers later the car slowed down at a sign that read, “KINGSPORT- by the Sea.”

Both grandparents spoke in whispers, as if sharing a secret.

Adam was curious. “What’s up, grandpa?” he inquired.

“Oh by some dumb old river,” Melanie said. “Grandma? When are we going to finally get home?” she asked.

“Yah,” Colin mumbled sleepily in the warm car.

“It’s just a different way home. Please settle down back there,” grandpa said seriously. He tried to keep a chuckle from his voice.

As the car slowed once again, each child wondered aloud, “Why are we stopping?” This slow driving and stopping had lulled them into a sleepy state.

Now they were alert, glancing out the window. The children saw what looked like a huge flock of crows, across the river.

“Are those all seagulls?” Melanie asked. “They’re circling something on the ground. Maybe some animal died.”

“Road kill!” Colin shouted.

Adam wasn’t interested. Who cared whether those were crows or seagulls, anyway? He came here to see eagles.

One time on the shores of Economy village, he observed sea gulls thick as flies. They almost scared the clams he was trying to dig out during low tide.

Besides, “flying poop” birds as Adam liked to call them, messed up the shoreline. How could anyone even have a picnic with them around?

“Grandpa…Grandma. Let’s go,” he said.

“Patience Adam. Here, take these,” grandpa said handing over the binoculars. “Go on sport, get out and take a closer look. Check across the river, high up.”

“It’s freezing out,” Adam moaned. He was finally nice and warm, but he knew he should humor grandpa. Sometimes the older man could get so stubborn. Adam did love him so much though. And ditto for Grandma.

“BRRR, you’re right. Quick, close the door!” Melanie shouted.

“Yah,” Colin added. “Hurry up,” he said, putting his coat back on.

Adam zipped his jacket all the way to his neck. After pulling his cap tightly on his head he stepped into the cold wind. Woolen gloves made it awkward to raise the “binoculars” in the direction grandpa had pointed to.

“They look like…no…not sea gulls,” he said slowly as he adjusted the lenses. ”Maybe just crows or ravens. Or…whatever. There’re too far away. Time to go,” he said dejectedly, then turned and opened the car door.

“Check again Adam,” grandpa encouraged. “One more time, okay?”

 

 

CHAPTER SEVEN

 

At that precise moment Adam sensed something behind him. A sudden movement made him duck down. The huge bird swooped closely over his head and headed towards the river.

Adam barely caught a glimpse of the eagle, as he gulped mouthfuls of air. Giving a few shakes of its eight-foot wide wingspan, the eagle disappeared straight up into the sky.

“Grandpa! Grandma! Everyone!! An eagle! A bald headed eagle flew right over my head. Look! It’s way up there!”

Family members raced to open windows. Then gazed anxiously in the direction of his pointing. All they could see were seagulls and what looked like ravens flying in all directions.

It was as if various flocks had gathered for a picnic. Or even their preparing to launch an attack on a school of fish in the river.

Adam swung his binoculars in a sweep across the horizon. The wind that seemed so cold before now simply brushed against his cheeks. It was no more bothersome than a pesky mosquito.

“Here comes another flock of something,” he said to himself. “Hard to see, though. They’re so many flying close together. Probably more crows or ravens.”

He spoke loud enough so his voice could enter the partially opened car windows. Adam’s words were more like announcements, keeping the family up to date on his observations.

Melanie noticed smiles begin to spread on her grandparent’s faces.

Colin’s nose pressed tightly against the window. He was fascinated by his brother’s excitement.  Adam was like a ballet dancer, spinning and turning as he searched every inch of the sky.

Grandpa turned to his wife, whispering loud enough so Melanie and Colin could hear. “I met an old friend at the recreation hall we left. He said we should come here…”

Adam wasn’t interested in paying attention to any conversation from the car. His eyes were too busy growing large as saucers. The beat of his heart quickened. He knew what was quickly flying straight towards him. 

They were like a bunch of runaway trains rushing in his direction.

“Eagles!” he shouted. “An army of them! Look Melanie. This is awesome. Colin…Look!”

“Wow,” Melanie said, lowering her window, the cold no longer a bother.

“Hotdog,” Colin said, slapping his hands together. Then he opened the car door and joined his brother.

In a few moments everyone was outside, sharing the excitement.

The eagles were so close no one needed binoculars. The family gathered around Adam, who jumped up and down like a jack-in-a box. He kept twirling his arms. And his mouth had a hard time trying to form words.

“Hey, give me those binoculars before you drop them,” grandpa said laughingly.  

“Look! LOOK!” was all Adam could say.

His enthusiasm stirred them all. And everyone joined him jumping around, shouting, “LOOK! LOOK!”

Their movements did not bother the eagles. A dozen of them now soared overhead, suddenly taking off straight up into the sky. Like shooting arrows, they disappeared into the clouds.

And, just as quickly descended like bungee jumpers towards the surface of the river.

A shuffle of wings and they were off again, sweeping away in several directions. As if they were part of an acrobatic high-flying exhibition.

Bald headed eagles flew singly and in pairs trying to out-perform each other.

They danced like kites across the sky with only a brief stretching of wings. These magnificent birds rode the wind like skateboarders. They floated like maple leaves in autumn, drifting from branch to branch. Then shot up again, as if launched by a geyser.

Somehow they knew their audience was thrilled from head to toe with their daring antics. Adults and children couldn’t stop laughing and slapping each other on backs and shoulders.

This was certainly a special family treat. Now the children were really glad they moved to Nova Scotia!

Adam was pleased as a clam at high tide. His sad thoughts about returning home, was now just a distant memory. Instead, he was wrestling with a new feeling. This one was quite different.

He was all choked up. In fact, he was so happy he felt like crying.

Emotions building up inside his chest were strange, yet good at the same time. “This is really cool,” he said over and over. “Man oh man, this is so neat. Grandma? Eh, Grandpa?”

“It sure is grandson,” they answered enjoying the glow on his face. They came and stood beside him.

Melanie was pleased for her brother. “You finally got to see a whole stack of eagles,” she said.

Colin was really happy, too.

Right then and there Adam made a promise. “l’ll never forget everything I saw today.”

He watched the eagle flock moving on, heading somewhere else. One seemed to linger, then turned towards him.

“Oh, please come back. Just one more time,” Adam said out loud.

The eagle gave a rapid flap of its wings and made a beeline for the boy. It allowed Adam a chance to memorize every exciting detail of his new hobby. He was definitely going to learn everything he could on his now favorite wildlife.

The boy’s eyes moved across each of the feathery spread of wings. He scanned its full length, from protruding tail feathers to the tip of an open beak. Its dark eyes burned into his memory, like pools of energy.

The male eagle’s shriek of freedom caused a parade of eerie chills to race up and down Adam’s spine. The huge bird seemed to understand this little boy was a friend.         

With a mighty sweep of layered feathers the eagle caught the rising wind. And the magnificent bald eagle was sent speeding back to his family. Adam followed every movement with his binoculars.

It headed in the direction of forest silhouettes on the far river shore.

Suddenly, the image was gone.