Frances Carleton #6 - In response to ‘Girl with bird in hand’ by Margaret Milne

It's late in the day and a woman sits in a chair under radiating light of a lamp.  On the table next to her is a vase that her Mother gave as a gift on her fortieth birthday many years before.  In her left hand she holds an apple that she purchased yesterday from the local supermarket.   The woman has been deciding if she wants to eat the apple for a while, but she can't make up her mind about anything in recent days.  As she sits her right arm rests easily on the over-stuffed chair and sitting on her wrist, his tiny feet wrapped around the watch band, sit her faithful bird.  For now the bird is happy to sit with the woman and decide how it will get a taste of the red and green fruit.  The bird looks at her face to the tempting morsel and back again.  Her eyes are glassy and staring off into the distance.  He notices a single tear rolling down the woman's cheek and moves up her arm to take it away from her.  His sudden movement doesn't change the demeanor of the woman.  She's been doing this a lot lately.  fingers holding the apple become looser and the temptation shifts as if to tumble but remains resting, nestled.   The bird, having tasted the salty tear wants the apple even more, and resumes his position watching the clock.  Food is in the offering.  The silence between them has been easy until the bird decides the woman has sat still for long enough and squawks, rousing her from mournful reverie.  The apple falls, lands with a thud and rolls across the floor. The bird takes flight.