Five.

in grade six i half jokingly, half seriously, asked a friend to get me a bird for my birthday.

when he got to my birthday party, he handed me a box with holes in it.

not thinking, i said thanks and just roughly put it down on the table.

he and my parents told me to look at the box again.

i realized what it was, and opened it up to fin

d the most beautiful blue budgie i'd ever seen inside. he was scared and small. his wings were short because they'd been clipped. he was mine.

i named him luke skywalker. that soon was shortened to sky.

nine years and a month later, brings us to last night.

when i came home from youth, checked on him and found him laying at the bottom of the cage.

i dropped my stuff and held him and cried so hard on the floor of our kitchen, jacket still on for a long time.

it's stupid to some because he's a bird.

but i used to study with him.

and he used to fly around the house and land on me.

he made such noise when i was watching a movie or on the phone and it was annoying at the time.

it wouldn't be annoying anymore.