Del tells me this true story.
The story takes place when Del was the owner and manager of an RV campground.
Pull up a camp chair, settle in with us, and enjoy . . . .
Scene from Midland Long Term Visitor Area, Blythe, California
~ ~ ~
Del begins . . . .
“I come out of the campground office one day and I see this couple outside by their RV, looking up at the trees. There are a lot of sparrows around at the time and these two are standing there, looking up and whistling. I go over to find out what’s going on.”
The woman chokes back tears as she explains.
“I opened the door and Jack flew out! He’s up there somewhere with the other birds and he won’t come back!”
The couple tell Del that they have two sparrows that they’ve raised as pets. The woman found them when the little things didn’t even have feathers. Using an eye dropper, she fed them and kept them alive. The two sparrows survived and thrived. They named them Jack and Jill. Often the sparrows would sit on their shoulders.
Well, all the whistling and calling is in vain. Jack doesn’t come back. The couple give up and go sadly on their way.
“Several days later,” Del continues . . .
“I’m outside working on something at the campground when a friend of mine — he operates heavy equipment — stops by. . . just to B.S. . . . .
“We’re standing there talking when all of a sudden his jaw drops and his eyes bug out. At the same time I feel something on my head. I reach up and cup my hand around it. I bring it down and look at it. Sure enough, it’s Jack.”
Del immediately gets busy.
He creates a cage for Jack. He picks up the phone and calls the couple. The woman answers.
“I’ve got Jack!” he exclaims.
Well, she’s ecstatic, of course, and shouts the happy news to her husband.
“Where are you?” Del asks.
“Quartzsite.”
(Del is in Snowville, Utah, which is about 740 miles from Quartzsite, Arizona.)
“I make them an offer,” Del continues. “I tell them I’ll meet them halfway at the Hot Springs Motel in Caliente, Nevada.”
It’s over 450 miles from Snowville to Caliente.
Del takes off for Nevada with Jack riding quietly in his homemade cage on the passenger seat. Most of the drive is in the dark.
About eight hours later, Del and Jack the sparrow reach Caliente.
“This part is unbelievable,” Del remarks.
“I still find it hard to believe,” he adds.
Of course, I’m on the edge of my camp chair waiting for what comes next.
“As I drive into the motel parking lot — the couple has already arrived — Jack goes crazy! He’s flying and flipping over in his cage, chirping and singing. It’s like he’s gonna’ have convulsions, he’s so happy and excited . . . .
“I take Jack into the room. Jill’s in her cage and she goes nuts. They let her out and I let Jack out. Jack and Jill fly toward each other. They’re flying together around the room, doing loop-de-loops, singing and carrying on. They’re absolutely delighted to be together again.”
“I sleep for a few hours and get back on the road for home.”
Del pauses.
He’s remembering the Jack and Jill reunion. Meanwhile, Roger and Reggie chase Skeeter in front of us.
“How did Jack know Jill was at that motel?” Del wonders. “I don’t know. Birds must have a way of communicating that we don’t know about. You never saw a happier pair of sparrows than those two. And Jack KNEW Jill was in there waiting for him!”
“Isn’t that sumpthin’,” I add, smiling at the happy ending to his story. “I imagine the couple were pretty thrilled, too.”
“Oh, yeah. They never thought they’d see Jack again.”
Postscript.
(Don’t you love it when a story has a postscript? You think it’s all over and then there’s more!)
“One day I get a letter, ” Del resumes. “A nice, long letter. It’s from Jack the sparrow. It even has little bird scratches on it.”
Del glances at me and grins.
“I saved the letter. It’s at my house. In the letter Jack thanks me for bringing him back to Jill.
“Jack says: I’m very happy. Mom and Dad let me out every morning. Jill and I fly out the door and play outside with the other birds. At the end of the day we come back inside. Mom feeds us and takes good care of us . . . .”
rvsue
NOTE: Thank you for your interesting, helpful comments in response to the previous post regarding whether to purchase jumper cables or a power pack. I’ll return to that subject in the next post. — Sue
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