The Night Visitor

This story begins on a dark, stormy night. Unlike most tales, this one begins during a storm. This storm was so bad that the wind blew rain into the house.

Cora awoke to a loud thrashing sound coming from her window. At first, she mistook the wind for tapping on the window and called out, "Who's there?" Cora lay back down, thinking she could get back to sleep. As Cora lay there, her mind started to wander. *Did I lock the front door? Did I actually hear footsteps? Was someone knocking at this late hour? *

Just then, she heard the noise again, thinking it was probably nothing. However, her mind wandered all over again. Slowly, Cora sat up in bed, tossing the covers aside, knowing the rain was pouring heavily. She thought to herself, *It must just be the wind, and my imagination is running wild.* "I should stop watching so much TV."

Cora walked slowly. Taking the candle, she hurried over to the window and set it down quickly. Cora unlatched the window, and immediately it swung open fast, back and forth, screeching. The noise sent a chill down her spine. The gust of wind blew her hair and nightgown; the rain spat at her lightly. Taking a deep breath, she looked outside to see if anyone was on the roof. And surprisingly, there was.

Just as she was about to close the window, she saw a crow—a black crow—sitting on the roof nearby. He looked straight at her, almost as if asking for shelter. Cora had a feeling. *Do I know this bird?

The bird hopped across the roof and through the windowsill, and Cora ushered him inside.

"You poor thing," she exclaimed. "What were you doing out in this rain?"

Cora went to her closet and pulled out a small towel to dry the bird. She cradled him against her chest to warm him, then hurried back to her bedside. She opened a drawer and pulled out a bag of sour cream chips and a chocolate cookie.

"I don't have much, but I hope you like chips," she said to the black crow and set him by her bedside table.

The crow slowly took a chip and started pecking at it. Cora felt bad for the crow when all the chips were gone, and nothing was left but crumbs. As a child, she had always loved crows and fed them. She loved watching them flock together with other birds. She would always beg her mom to buy birdseed and peanuts, and every time she saw birds, she was reminded of those memories she held dear. As an adult, she didn't feed the birds as often. She was too busy with work and the day's tasks, living in a smaller home in the city. There were oak trees everywhere, but the neighbors were so nosy that she missed her childhood home on the outskirts of town.

The rain had started to let up for a short minute, but the wind was howling like a wolf that speaks to the moon. After eating the chips and resting for about fifteen minutes, the bird gestured toward the window. Cora was getting sleepy again, as she had not been able to really rest the past few nights. So many things were on her mind. Just then, the crow she fed flew back to the window and looked at Cora, as if to ask her to open it again.

"You want to leave in this weather?" she asked the crow.

She heard the crow squawk and shake his head, as if to say yes.

Cora looked down, an expression of sadness washing over her.

And then the unexpected happened.

The crow spoke. "Please don't be sad!"

Cora gasped. "You can talk?"

The bird nodded, and Cora was flabbergasted.

The crow said, "You have taken care of animals since you were a young child. Kindness is never forgotten."

The bird then beckoned again for the window to be opened.

"Before you go," she begged, "can I know your name? And will I see you again?"

"My name is Maverick," he said. "As far as seeing me, I can't promise you will or you won't. Anything can happen. The day is in the Creator's hands."

Cora opened the window, and before Maverick flew away, he intently looked at her with loving eyes and then said, "Thank you for feeding me, as you have always done. Let me bestow upon you a gift."

Cora's eyes got wide. "A gift?" she repeated.

"Yes," Maverick said. "Tomorrow morning, under the oak tree where you like to sit in the shade, there will be a small brown bag."

"Goodbye, Cora," Maverick said as he was about to fly away.

"Wait!" Cora cried.

Maverick turned around to listen to what she was about to say. The rain had stopped pouring hard; now it sprinkled lightly, and the wind still blew strongly.

"Can I please ask just one favor?" Cora asked. "I have never really asked for much in my life, but your friendship is all I ask for—to know you are okay. I have no one else."

"I know, Cora. Kindness like yours doesn't go unnoticed—it echoes. I can't promise I'll return, but I can promise this: crows of all kinds are always watching, always remembering. Sometimes the hardest kindness is letting go and trusting the Creator to guide the rest." Cora had small tears stream down her face as she said, "I understand, Maverick."

Maverick then looked at Cora and said, "Do you know why I came?"

"Because you were in the rain," Cora said.

"No," Maverick said. "I came because you needed to know you're not alone. You were never alone. Just remember, we are always watching, and sometimes love is shown in different ways. Don't forget to go to the oak tree in the back of the house, on the left."

The next day, Cora went out to the oak tree, and sure enough, there was a brown bag.

Cora opened it and couldn't believe her eyes. She reached into the bag and pulled out a locket from her childhood, one with a picture of her family.

At that moment, Cora cried tears of joy. She was so happy, reminded that a little kindness goes a long way.