Page 56 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 2

ISSUE TWO | SEPT/OCT

THE PRAKCHUS

Humility makes a man learn God from nature and love makes
him learn the nature of God from all things created. It’s
a beautiful sweetness. Like a beautiful bird’s tale.
BY CHIOMA PHILLIPS

wo little birds kept showing with two birds nesting in it. I said
though, you see... we didn’t want
up on the balcony where to my husband, “I think we need
to be rude.
my husband and I live. to help them.” So he modified and
TThey would come, land put up the smallest carton box we The next day, I noticed a slightly
on the grills, suss out the space, had and secured it. We sprinkled
bigger bird, a brown guy, much
have a little chat.. and leave. Day their little grasses in the nook we
more stout than the delicate
after day. I thought how lovely it had prepared for them and waited
two. He was hanging around
would be to have birds around, my to see what would happen. Sure
and strutting and shouting and
husband was of the same mind. enough, the little birds came back seemed to be exerting some form
One day, during one of their visits, and started to build, delighted to
of dominance, and I wondered “...
I said to them, “you’re welcome, have the perfect space for the two
has this big guy come to take over
don’t run away.” They - apparently of them. Funny thing is, they didn’t
the nest?” Mr. and Mrs. Prakchu
- had no plans to do anything of use the nook we had created, they
were nowhere in sight and the
the sort, because soon we started built above the box, just under the happy little noises from the nest
to find stalks of grass on the floor door jamb in a tiny little corner.
had ceased. “Hmm...” I said to
near and in a little corner above Soon enough they were settling
myself, that’s when I noticed small
our balcony door. Evidence that down and so - as was only befitting
pieces of grass scattered on the
the little birds were determined to - I gave our tiny little neighbors
balcony floor... and one tiny egg
settle in. Now, the area we live in a name, The Prakchus, after the on the corner, with a gaping hole in
is very windy, so all their diligent sound of their cute, melodious,
one end. “Oh no!!” I said, in horror,
efforts to gather and build were trilling. All was well with the world.
watching as the ever-efficient ant
an effort in futility, and one day,
clean-up crew marched in and out
we thought they had given up We started to keep the balcony
of the shell, faithfully gathering
and gone away. So we cleaned door shut more often, in order to what they needed to feed their
up and moved on with our lives. help them get used to their new
colony. It was then I realized that if
Then they showed up the next day neighbors (us) and to help them
only we had opened the door, we
to try again. The thought came to get on with the business of nesting;
could have prevented this disaster.
us, ‘why not build them some kind only popping out now and again to
I was so heartbroken.
of base that they can then build put up or take down our laundry.
upon?’ But when they disappeared, Things appeared to be going really
But the beloved Prakchus, bless
we let it go. When they returned well. Then one day, there was a
them, they stayed put and they
to continue their futile efforts, one loud noise of angry birds chirping
tried again. This time, we stood
morning I turned on the laptop and outside the door, we wondered,
by them like soldiers, constantly
found on the screen a photo of a “Are the little Prackchus having shooing away the Bigoos (Mr.
man-made wooden bird house a fight or what?” We didn’t check
Bigoo had come with his wife
56 HEALING - RESTORING - REBIRTHING - AFRICA