HONIE LOIE (THE CHILD OF A BIRD)

FEEDING THE BIRDS

CHAPTER TWO FEEDING THE BIRDS

It is amazing to see and hear that Pa. Musa Lebbie the father of six children was so much in loves with the birds that fly in the air. He was call friends of the bird. It was amazing to so many people a human having so much cordiality with birds that are pest to the farms around the surrounding especially when the rice has spring up from the pregnant stage to rising of the seed to scatter itself. At this stage Pa Musa would instruct surprisingly his son to make boundary and leave the side for the birds to feed on their rice. He would instruct the bird in their own language not to cross over to his own portion of rice everyone in the village was aware of Pa Musa interactions with the birds.

Many said they had never seen this in Mokelleh chiefdom and beyond or throughout their life time. Pa Musa only has the instructions from the birds and they would listen and hear, only they language that he knows.

However, this uniqueness was well known throughout the village and the surrounding. When sometimes he is working the birds would come and sit on his head, he plays with them eat with them. His house was filled with them and surround by huge stick that he needs the bird around his compound. When many people asked him, he said it’s a language on its own that he needs to teach a person and tell the person how to relate with the birds because even if you know their language it does not mean the can relate with you. He started to teach his children and his wife. He said it is a gift from God not from any occult power or witch performance. Some years ago, he was having a lot of passion towards birds and he was wishing that he would hear their language because many were wondering if he is not using his twin black magic, In the village every creativity is given second thought as witchcraft performance not considering that God can give gift naturally to people from their mother’s womb or even when they are born on this planet earth, some are born with the gift some are gifted when they were born.

Musa the younger child started to learn the operation of the birds and he started directing and instructing the birds when his father travelled and he started teaching his sister also how to communicate and direct the birds to do what you want them to do. It is said that his father always make room for the birds but not all specific bird. Birds have one language according to him when you know the language you can communicate with them all he reveals that birds talk to human beings but our ability to hear them is slim that why they are far away from us and the greatest secret about them is not reveal. Pa Musa…if only the human race can be closer to this wonderful creature and not try to drive them away a lot of hidden secret would be expose to man. He said if we want to hear the birds talking surely, we can hear them and instruct them. Birds have given a lot of respect to Pa Musa instruction and authority over them, Pa Musa. I Musa …I am master of birds.

However, people discovered that even him can eat some birds especially the bigger birds hmm friends of birds can eat birds. Yes! he said but not those that are close to me and some are medicine to me. He cannot call them but he has what he used to catch them in large number. According to his son Musa “he said my daddy would not eat some of the birds because it is a taboo to him. His family become marketer of birds in the Mokelleh chiefdom Pa Musa said when birds are making che-che-che- is crying for his mother asking where is my mother I have not seen him from this morning. He said the bird that is crying was used to his mother when he was small in the bird net. Its mother has to carry food to him but it is no longer like that. It has become independent on its own and don’t know what to do to get some food. These are the kinds of bird’s Pa Musa like to give attention to and give them some food. He will gather them in large numbers by calling in his own language and feed them. They love him so much it is like a parent to them; they were not afraid of him.

People have been saying our grandfathers sometimes interprets the signs and symptoms that the birds give out but to see someone who has sacrifice half part of his farm for birds was not easy. They once said if only we can understand the mystery of birds, then there would nothing that would be hidden under the sun from us.

Many years ago, there was a neighbor around their family that love birds but could not understand and hear the sound of the birds. Before pa Musa was giving birth according to his mother. He said this man was so much kind to her and always assists her in doing work when she was at the pregnant stage of Musa.

Soon as Pa. Musa and his twin brother were giving birth, he presents baby Musa with a nice bird in a cage in the village by then he was the only one that does that. He was not always with his fellow men because they think such people are very idle, a real man does not play with birds either.

When Pa Musa was growing up, he normally walks with the birds around the town and to the farm. He started to gives the bird freedom and instructs them. It was so amazing in a way that his parent admires the sudden controls he has over the birds. Early in the morning Musa would not eat until the bird has eaten something. He would make sure doing night hour it is at the safer side before going to sleep. Gradually he understands the way of birds through a single one. He spent much time with this bird in a way that his father said he does not concentrate on the farm work, he wants to be playing with a bird. He would kill it soon and throw it away, Musa was afraid that it would happen in order to avoid that he plans himself time for birds and time for work. He trains his ear to the bird when he wants to eat and when it needs water. One day they were in the bush cutting trees, Musa bird was around the place. His father asks Musa where is your bird, he said it is where I put down the sharpen stone. His father asks him so that he might be conscious of his bird but he thought that nothing would happen his father continues to cut the big tree. But he normally hanged the bird on a branch of a tree when it is in the cage and he was thinking that it was too early to release it. But the stick was too heavy it hit another stick and the next one does the same up to seven before it finally reaches the bird of Pa Musa. It was not easily to run and take that bird Musa does not even move because it was like a surprise to him how it happens. He shouted oh my bird! Oh, my bird! His father said Muzay! What is the matter? Having the thought that the bird would have escaped, Pa musa respond he said father you have killed my bird. His father was weakening straight away although he takes it seriously but he said you can have another one doesn’t worry muzay ok! Upon hearing that tears were running down his eyes as he imagined how would he fly and have another one even when he has it which one could understand him as deeply as this bird that he was having already. That day was not good for him at all; his father and mother saw it on his face. For a complete two-month Musa was going under a tree where birds are. He begins to listen to them; he wants to see if he can catch anyone among them but it was not easy for him. He tries to use a method for them since they were in the town. When they were sleeping, he would climb the tree to catch one. The first time he tries it he fell from the tree. There was an old man that was in this village who does not normally sleep why people are sleeping he would be in his hammock swinging. As soon as, he got the sound of Musa he said who is that? Musa..runaway slowly and went back to sleep .he was discourage for the old man not to tell his father but the old man does not even notice him either he was aware that night it was him. Pa Musa as a little boy by then stopped going their but always has his bird in his mind and at heart even though it is no more. Sometimes when any birds are passing by, he would stand up and watch the bird until it passed by imagining that he could have a wing to catch the birds. He has so much compassion about birds and always likes to listen to bird’s story. Suddenly he thought of introducing the method that any birds he saw it would be taken as his bird he would talk to him the same way he was talking to his own. The same way he uses to get the attraction of his own that is the same way he would draw the attraction of any birds that he saw. The first bird that he tries to introduce that system on was owl but the eyes of owl are too fearful that in the village nobody want to draw closer to him. They said it is the messenger of the witches and the wizard. He is the one that is send on a mission to spy and view the environment for them. Anytime someone set his eyes on it, he would throw a stone at it but Musa refuses to do that he saw the birds, he immediately talks to him as he was applying it on the bird, owl was afraid of him and it took off from the tree and went far distance. He later on succeeded and was so excited.