A RAINY DIALOGUE

A RAINY DIALOGUE
Tasneem Hameed

One day while having a walk in a big park in morning, I get caught up in heavy rain. I ran and took shelter under a big tree. The rain continued and increased in intensity and, despite being under a huge and fully grownup tree with a large covering I started to feel the splashes of water on my face. While I was thinking of my next move, suddenly a strange thing happened. I heard a shrieking voice calling "Go away, go away". I looked left, right and towards my back, but found nothing. "Go away, go away," the voice came again. This time, I looked up and to my astonishment found a parrot uttering the words Go away, go away. For a few seconds being stunned I did not say anything only watched the parrot rolling his eyes then in low voice I asked "Is it you parrot asking me to leave"?.


Can't you see and hear," the parrot retorted. I felt insulted, but still under the shock I did not show my anger and instead told him that although I knew that parrots could utter few words taught by humans, mostly their masters, not even knowing the sense of the words, but it was for the first time I am hearing a parrot talking.
"Nonsense, it is the humans who don't know what they are talking about," the parrot continued.
As I felt that the green little creature was bent upon insulting the mankind, I decided to be bit courageous.
"You know that humans are the most powerful species on the earth and we have made tremendous technological advances," I declared boastfully.
"That's all for personal convenience or for killing others of your own species," parrot's reply made me uneasy and depressing, but I decided to take a diplomatic course.
"OK leave it, do you agree that we taught you to speak," I asked.
"No because you don't know our language, you tried to teach some words of your language to make a fun of us and not for charity. It is our learning skills that we were able to learn and as you can see we were able to learn much more than what you wanted," the parrot gave a long reply and instead of gratitude, his attitude was full of contempt malice and resentment.
"It is unfair, we always thought good about you and here you are, lambasting us. Now I know why the famous Indian saying says," "Turkeys, parrots and hares don't know what gratitude is" and call unfaithful people as parrots eye. As for your habits, you sometime shriek continuously and bite the very hand which feed you," I put up a list of grievances.
"That's what you think, tell me if we take you away and keep you in jungle as a prisoner feed you and taught you some words we speak, then make a fun of you in front of other parrots and enjoy, would you feel good and say thank you. Have you heard the Mexican proverb "Parrots are green everywhere; the idiot loses wherever he is," parrot was direct and blunt. As for shrieking and biting, what could a prisoner do in frustration.
I decided to change the topic and asked him to tell why he was crying, go away, go away, although I was only standing under the tree to save myself from the heavy rain.
"This was due to my children. My wife frightens them by telling them that she will give them to you, humans when they will not listen to her, and when they saw you under the tree, they started shivering with fear," he replied.
I felt devastated by the revelation and told him to remember what we have done for them.
"We keep you as a pet, look after you and even love you and here you are, depicting ourselves as some sort of barbarian". I reminded him that the pet owners some time weep when their pets die and sometime let them go by freeing them.
"There are three categories of people who give us freedom parrot declared. The first category is those who are fed up feeding us or by our shrieks and biting, The second category is those who want to show off, they first buy us, keep us for a few days and then in the presence of people releases us to show their love for freedom. The third category is the people who after feeling that they are doing wrong by imprisoning us, decide to give us freedom. Only these are the people we appreciate, but these are very few in number". parrot concluded.
"I am one belonging to the third category, I once had a pet parrot, but let go after a few months, I told the parrot in an exhilarating voice. But, the next day he came back. What would you call it"?
" May be they epitomized the famous Urdu verse:
Itnay manoos siyaad say hogai
Ub rihae millagi to mar jain gay
(Have become so accustomed to the cage owner that will die if released)
As the rain had stopped, I told him that it was time to leave and that it was nice to have a frank and fruitful discussion which would help in understanding each other. I also asked the parrot whether it is possible that I come back some time again.
"I would check my wife" the parrot replied.
I left the place with a lot of relief and joy because at last, I had found one thing in common between a man and a parrot.