Heart Of An Eagle

Ten-year-old Noah, dragged his feet, in no hurry to get there. The further he walked from school and the closer to home, the more worried and anxious he became. Home was supposed to be a sanctuary, wasn’t it? From the many books he’d read, he knew most children felt safe at home. Sadly, for Noah this wasn’t his truth. Home was a place to be away from, escape from.

His thoughts went to the story he loved most as he took the path into the small forest which skirted the city. Pine needles prickled under his bare feet and Noah closed his eyes as he inhaled their fragrance. He imagined himself as Huckleberry Finn, the school bag over his shoulder became a fishing pole and he was off on an adventure.

A feather drifted down and landed in front of him. Bending, he picked it up before raising his head to the sky where he saw a bald eagle soaring, drifting on the thermals. He was making circles above the earth, searching for prey. Noah held up the feather to the light and marveled at its beauty. He knew everything there was to know about eagles from books and knew they symbolised freedom, strength and courage. He wondered if the eagle was sending him a message.

Suddenly he felt empowered, he stuck the feather in his school cap, stood up straighter and walked to the place where he felt unloved, unseen and unsafe.

The red brick apartment building stood amongst other identical buildings. His eyes scanned the rows of balconies, drying laundry hung limply in the humidity. On the fifth floor, he could see his stepfather, leaning against the metal railing, smoking, looking out for Noah. But he didn’t yet know Noah now had the heart of an eagle.