Snakes to Birds: Love where there once was pain…
About 6 months ago, there was a tailor bird nest in my grapevine dangling down with the parents visiting it regularly. Over time, I used to hear the chirps of the baby birds as the parents fed and watched over them. I was thrilled because it heralded new life.
One morning, I did not hear the chirps anymore and it looked like something had opened the mouth of the nest. I was perturbed and wondered if the resident gerandiya (Rat snake) had found its way to the nest. With a bit of dread, I looked for the little birds but did not see them anywhere.
A few days later, as I was leaving the house, I saw the 5 foot long gerandiya climb from my parapet wall onto the grapevine and slither up along the vine near where the nest was. I was startled because I felt my hunch was right – the bloody snake had attacked the nest. I was glad my balcony doors were shut so that he could not climb into my room.
About a week later I saw two of the tailor birds along with one whose tail looked like it had been attacked. I wondered if this was one baby that was saved from the purge of the bloody gerandiya. I wasn’t sure but it gave me some hope. I eventually pulled the half destroyed nest from the vine and left it on the ground in a flower bed.
This incident reminded me of something that happened to someone this year where an act of gross injustice was meted out by the people in charge, who claim to be ethical and full of Sinhala Buddhist shraddhawa. I was caught in the middle and subjected to intimidation by these specimens simply because I am known for being forthright. Their behaviour was also my cue to action something I should have done a while back but had been procrastinating on. And so I started on a journey that has been scary, challenging but nevertheless very rewarding. It’s literally life changing but I know it must be done.
About two weeks ago, I noticed that the resident Kondey Kurulla (Red-Vented Bulbul) couple were sleeping side by side in my grape vine, close to where the tailor bird nest used to be. It was a beautiful sight and it gave me fresh hope that there is now love where there once was pain and destruction. I noticed these two snuggled up together again this week and it further cemented my belief that from pain and destruction, one can find healing and that good things are on the way.
