BIRD’S TALK Emily Chang
Words Checked: 3377 Words in Oxford 3000: 94%
INDEX Chapter one About Raymond…………….……page 6-11 Chapter two Friends…………………….….….page 12-17 Chapter three Joe the housekeeper……….…page 18-23 Chapter four The Earthquake…………....…..page 24-32 Chapter five The Wonderland……….……....page 33-39 Chapter six A Girl Named Gail……………...page 40-50 Chapter seven Love and Trust……….......…….page 51-54
Raymond, a thirteen-year-old teenager, could not feel any happiness in his life. He hated people and liked to be alone. On day after a fight with others, he wrote in his diary desperately, “I WANT TO CHANGE!” A big earthquake suddenly struck his house; the room was shaking in a very horrible way. He jumped up from the chair and ran as fast as he could……
BIRD’S TALK
BY
Emily Chang
E4A 1091300002 2006.06.21
Chapter One About Raymond
It was a summer night. The street was quiet and vacant. The motionless trees stayed calm like someone had stopped the time. Thirteen-year-old Raymond was sitting in his room. He was a thin boy,
with a pale face and black hair. His eyes were shining with anger, writing his diary. Dear diary, What’s the matter with this world? I gave Timmy a punch this afternoon, but it didn’t make me feel better. Annoying people are everywhere, EVERYWHERE! The next morning when he woke up, predictably it was a sunny day. Raymond decided not to go to school to see those same damned people. It was still early, and the birds in the trees sang together
like they did not have anything to worry about. “How can you be so happy?” Raymond murmured under his breath, “Yeah, maybe it is because you don’t have to go to school, you don’t have to make
friends, so you don’t have evil hearts. You don’t know how to hate people, do you?” He picked up an eraser on his desk. “Then let me teach you!” He threw the eraser out the window. The eraser flew into one of the trees, the birds in that tree cried sharply and all flew away. Raymond seemed satisfied with what he had done. He closed the window, slowly got dressed and walked downstairs to have his breakfast.
The house was more like a castle. It was huge and luxurious. A large amount of antiques decorated every corner of the house. To live in such a big house was definitely a dream for every child. However, the master and mistress were not living in the house. Raymond’s father,
the master of the house, was the president of a well-known candy factory in Japan. He made the children all over the world happy. It has been two years since Raymond saw them last. A piece of bread and a cup of hot milk had already been prepared for him. The long table in the dining room had no problem fitting a dozen people. It was just too big for only a young boy. Raymond frowned a little but still sat down, without saying anything.
Chapter two Friends Because he could not find anything interesting to do, Raymond finally went to school.
When
he
stepped
into
the
classroom, a cold voice unawares slid into his ears, “You hit Timmy yesterday after school, didn’t you?” Raymond raised his head. It was his class teacher, Mrs. Stevenson. “I think so,” with impassivity, he answered and kept walking toward his seat. Everyone in
the class stared at him with a strange look on their face. He did not care. “Apologize
to
him,”
said
Mrs.
Stevenson, “Now!” Timmy, who is a husky young boy, smiled with victory. “I don’t mind, it doesn’t matter, I just want to award you something,” Timmy had a glimpse of Raymond, made sure he was listening, “Never reject my demand when I ask you for help.” Mrs. Stevenson put her narrow thin
nose close to Raymond’s. “Do you hear that? To help people is always necessary.” “If he wants,” Without looking at each one of them, Raymond put his bag on the floor, and sat down. Timmy used to be his best friend. They had known each other since they were
in
first
grade.
They
shared
everything in their daily life. Timmy invited him to his home and his mother often cooked warm meals for Raymond. He also took Timmy to his house. They
used to play with model planes and video games
together.
Timmy
sometimes
borrowed a little amount of money from him, and Raymond always said he did not have to give it back. That period of time for Raymond was really a happy memory. However, when Raymond was in the fourth grade, little by little he discovered that whenever Timmy came, he took away something small from his house without his permission. He didn’t say anything to him, but he never took Timmy home again.
Once Timmy asked him for several hundred dollars again, he refused. “Why not?” said Timmy surprisingly,” You had never said no when I asked you for money before.”
“Now I said NO,” Raymond replied chillily. “How can you be so mean?” shouted Timmy, his face suddenly turned red,” I think you are willing to help people.” “Oh, yeah, I used to like to help people,” Raymond showed him a fake smile, “If they are worthy to help.”
Chapter Three Joe the housekeeper Since Raymond realized he can not trust anyone in the world, he closed his heart. He began to make a lot of friends, and he lent them money no matter how much they wanted. Every time when they are hanging out, he afforded the expenses. Even though he knew a friendship like this was not real, unless he got someone to be with, and they made him not so lonely. When he got home, Joe was in front
of the gate, bending over. “What are you doing, Joe?” asked Raymond curiously. “I was here waiting for you, my dear, but my glasses had fallen down and I can’t find it.” He fumbled around himself. “Here they are,” Raymond picked the glasses up and gave them back to Joe. “You know, you don’t have to wait for me in front of the gate. It is dangerous.” “I enjoy waiting for you, Raymond,” Joe’s smile was always like the sun in the afternoon, warm and harmless. He put on
his glasses, with which he looked more solemn. “Poor kid, you are not alone, I will take care of you until I die.� Raymond did not say anything. He supported him with his hand and led him into the house. Joe was the old housekeeper of the house. He was almost seventy years old. White hair covered all over his head. He had a kind smile and great tenderness. To Raymond,
Joe
was
just
like
his
grandfather. They had a really great time
together
when
Raymond
was
little.
Raymond’s parents were not often at home since Raymond was three. Since that time, it was Joe who took care of him. He read him bed time stories; they went to picnicking on weekends, and he took him
to climb mountains. Everyone believed that
Joe
was
his
grandfather,
and
Raymond did not think it was necessary to correct them.
Joe was the only person
who cared about him in the world. As Raymond grew up, he got his own friends. He gradually did not talk to Joe too much, but Joe was still kind to him yet left him breathing room. “How’s school?” Joe asked him when he served cake and tea to Raymond. The hand which he raised up to take the cup
paused a little, “Not so bad.” “That’s great,” Joe smiled at him. “Your dad called this morning.” “So?” “He said they are fine in Japan, and they said they love you.” Joe decreased the volume when he pronounced the word “love”, like he did not want Raymond to catch it. “Okay,” Raymond neither raised his head nor looked at Joe, “Tell them I love them, too.”
Chapter Four The earthquake The next morning when he opened his eyes, he sensed something was different. The sun was still shining, but no birds were chirping. He did not think too much. It supposed to be a beautiful day for him and he did not want to ruin it for anything. He took a big deep breath, and went downstairs. Joe was sitting at the table with the breakfast, he also looked chipper today.
“Good morning, kid! Would you like pancakes or omelets?” “Omelets, thanks.” Raymond showed a smile which he did not often express. “I’m going to the library today.” “That’s really nice, Raymond,” Joe said, putting a plate of omelets and a bowl of salad in front of him. “Yup,” said Raymond lightly, “and I won’t come back for lunch.” The weather was really nice. But the street seemed too quiet. Some street dogs
passed by at times, but they did not make any sound. Raymond did not feel anything wrong.
Contrarily
he
felt
really
comfortable to be alone. “It is Saturday, and I don’t have to see anyone who knows me today,” He thought as he walked down the street with a very bright mood. The library was not very close to his house, but he rather walk. Walking made him feel peaceful and calm. In the library, he found himself a corner seat. He took a book from the shelf
named “Western literature” and sat down. As he was reading chapter four of the novel, he heard a boy behind him, talking to his friend. “Do you know Raymond Cody, the one who lives in that big house?” “No,” the other boy answered,” what about him?” “Do you know that his father and his mother are both dead, and left him a huge inheritance,” the boy said. “Yeah, they are just
like
dead,”
Raymond
thought
ironically but did not do anything. Everyone said that his parents were dead. It was not news. “And, I’ve heard that his grandfather is an idiot, he waits for Raymond Cody to come home everyday at the gate,” said the boy. “I saw him yesterday and he was bending and finding something just next to his feet.” As he was saying that, he imitated Joe as if he were really an idiot. His friend laughed in a low voice. Raymond suddenly stood up, walking
toward the two boys. “Can you please shut up? Whether my grandfather is really an idiot or not, it’s none of your business.” The two boys shut up and looked scared. Raymond clenched his fists. He wanted to fight them, but he did not want to disappoint Joe again. He gave them an indignant
glance
and
went
home.
Raymond did not mention to Joe what had happened earlier. That night, as usual, he opened his diary and wrote in,
Dear diary, Who can please tell me what’s wrong with the people in the whole world? I want to change. I don’t like it here. I want to leave…… Maybe feeling too tired, he fell asleep at his desk. He saw himself in his room, writing in his diary. A big earthquake suddenly struck his house; the room was shaking in a very horrible way. He jumped up from the chair and ran as fast as he could.
Following
his
subconscious
he
ran
through a small path that he had never been to, so he walked slowly and carefully, and tried not to touch anything. He could not see anything but could hear a girl singing in an extremely beautiful voice. Where is that voice coming from? He asked himself while walking. About ten minutes later he saw the end of the path. It was a large ancient door which had some golden totems on it. “That’s the answer for the voice,” he told himself, then he
stretched out his hand to reach for the door knob.
Chapter five The Wonderland Raymond suddenly opened his eyes. It was morning. He found himself still in his room sitting on his chair. “What’s that?” he murmured, “I don’t remember there has a path like that in the house.” He was so curious, so he quickly got dressed and went to knock at Joe’s door. “Joe?” As Joe opened the door, he asked rapidly, “Joe, do you know if there’s a secret path in our house? I just dreamed
about it. Do you know where it is?” Joe
looked
surprised,
he
held
Raymond’s shoulders. “No, kid, I don’t think there’s any path in the house.” “Are you sure? But I did dream about it, and it’s really real!” Raymond said, “Or….is there any door that no one has noticed before? I mean like a small wooden board or something.” Joe scratched his head and pondered, “There’s a time when I cleaned Mr. Cody’s study room, behind the bookshelf,
there I found an unnoticeable little wooden door, but I couldn’t open it….” Not waiting for the end of the sentence, Raymond rushed into his dad’s study room. Behind the shelf, he found the little door Joe had just talked about. He thought it would be locked, but it would not. He opened the door, and walked into the path. The path was very dark and wet. It smelled like rotten cheese. Raymond frowned and held his breath. He walked
along the path until the golden door in his dream appeared. “Here it is.� Then he stretched out his hand and reached the door knob. He closed his eyes and opened the door. When he opened his eyes, he did not know how to describe such a beautiful land. The sun was just like smiling; the flowers blossomed all over the land; the trees were old but green; and the most noticeable
thing
was,
there
thousands of kinds of birds that have
were
never been seen. They were all around Raymond, twittering as if they would like to get to know this new friend. There was a colorful castle not very far away. Raymond walked lightly toward the castle. When he stepped into the castle, he found that vision was so familiar to him.
He glanced around the decoration of the house, the giant Chinese vase, and the delicate winding stairs‌‌the house was just like his! Raymond kept walking toward where his room was located, and then he saw a duplicate door of his. He did not think too
much and opened the door. Unsurprisingly, he found it was exactly like his room. He walked into the room and saw an unknown girl lying on the bed.
Chapter Six A girl named Gail
The girl was unnaturally pale, but really pretty. “Uh, I’m Raymond Cody,” he said stiffly, “Are you injured?” “It’s not a big deal,” said the girl, “it often happens.”
“Often?” “I was hit and I fell down the tree,” she said casually, seemed not willing to talk about the matter. “Oh, my name is Gail.” She smiled at Raymond. “Do you live here?” Raymond was very curious about this pale girl. She was about his age, maybe a little younger. “Yeah, I’ve been living here since I was born,” Gail looked at the window. “The garden is quite beautiful, isn’t it?” “Yes, really amazing. I’ve never seen
so many different birds and flowers before.” The girl was delighted with the respond. Her eyes were twinkling like the ocean beneath the sunshine. “Do you like birds, Raymond?”
Raymond thought about it for a while, “I don’t know. I have never thought of that.” Disappointment flashed through her face but she smiled again soon. “Are you eager to go?” Raymond shook his head. “No,” he wanted to know more about this special girl. Gail looked at him, chuckling, “Then why don’t you sit down?” Raymond pulled out a chair and sat
next to the bed. Gail sat up and looked at him. “Do you believe in fairy tales?” “No, fairy tales only tell lies.” “Do they?” Raymond looked around the room, carelessly. “They say people love each other, but people don’t; they say people trust others, but there are only lies between people.” “But you love people,” said Gail calmly,” You love your parents, you love Joe, and you trust Timmy even though
they didn’t treat you that well.” “How do you know them?” asked Raymond terrifyingly.” Who are you?” Gail smiled like a breeze. “You said you want to change, didn’t you?” He did not respond, Gail continued, “You love people, so you want people to love you as well. That is natural. But have you ever told your parents that you love them? Have you ever noticed that Timmy was changing and he wants to be your friend again? Have you ever thought of there’s
an old man who loves you deeply but he always feels lonely without your company? You only think of your sorrow and don’t care about others,” Like telling a story, Gail’s face was still peaceful and her voice was so light and tender. “I….” Raymond could not find any word to refute her. He was too confused to think
rationally.
Who
IS
she?
He
wondered. “You love them. You just don’t know how to.”
They talked for a while, and then Gail closed her eyes and began to sing. That was the most beautiful voice he had ever heard. He kept quiet and also closed his eyes to enjoy the melody. Suddenly, the song was broken off. Raymond opened his eyes and saw Gail’s painful face. She was too weak to finish the song. She even coughed up some drops of blood. “Are you all right?” exclaimed Raymond, standing up trying to reach for some tissues on the desk.
Instead of tissue, he reached something else. It was an eraser. He took the small cube near his sight. On its paper cover he saw his name was written with his favorite purple marker. He suddenly realized something. He turned to Gail.
“I’m sorry.” Gail smiled and shook her head. “They, I mean my family let you in here because they were indignant about you.” “So, why didn’t they hurt me?” “I think you are poor.” “Excuse me?” “I think you are poor, Raymond. I have a wonderful family, and I have a lot of friends. You were right; birds don’t have to think too complicated. All we have is joy and love. I want to know you,
Raymond. I want to know why you are so sorrowful,” she said seriously, lying back on the bed. “And I want to make you happy.” “Do you hate people?” Raymond asked dully. She raised her head. “How? People are so lovely.” Then she laughed as a child.
Chapter Seven Love and Trust They spent the whole day chatting. When it was getting dark outside, Gail reminded him to go home. “Can I come back to see you someday?” he asked her without thinking. He wanted to see her. With her company, he felt calm and peace. “Don’t
we
meet
at
the
window
everyday?” said Gail in a clever smile, and Raymond smiled, too. “Will you recover?” He looked at her
anxiously. “I’m so sorry about I hurt you.” She grimaced. “Sure, I’ll be fine.”
When he came back to his house, it was time for dinner. He ran into the kitchen where Joe was preparing the supper and gave him a big hug. Joe was extremely surprised. “What’s wrong, kid?” “What’s for dinner?” asked Raymond. “Roast chicken.” “Great, that’s my favorite!” he said happily, and walked out of the kitchen.
“By the way, Joe, I love you so, so, so, much.” He seemed to hear Joe singing. After dinner, he sat at his desk again. As usual, he opened his diary. Dear diary, I’m sorry to be mad at you last night. Today I met a friend named Gail, she is a bird. Isn’t it great? We talked a lot. She was wonderful. I’m wondering when I can chat with her again. P.S. Maybe I’ll find Timmy to have lunch
together tomorrow. He was too tired to leave the chair, so he slept at his desk again. The very next day he opened his eyes, and found out there were a pair of bird’s footprints on his diary. He jumped up and rushed
toward
the
window.
“Good
morning!” He yelled energetically. As he closed the window he could almost hear a girl vividly singing between the twittering.
Raymond, a thirteen-year-old teenager, could not feel any happiness in his life. He hated people and liked to be alone. On day after a fight with others, he wrote in his diary desperately, “I WANT TO CHANGE!” A big earthquake suddenly struck his house; the room was shaking in a very horrible way. He jumped up from the chair and ran as fast as he could……