One Last Chance

Familiar reed beds swept by, the lethargic current of the waterway carrying Tien ever closer to his past. He helped himself along with lazy kicks of his great taloned feet and held his long neck high. The meandering streams forked and twisted across the whole area, yet his memory of the place was sufficient to find the path. No matter how much he wished it wasn’t. It would be so much easier to get lost and turn back, but as it was, they would arrive on time. Habitually he shook his thick white feathers, shedding droplets of water everywhere, including across his wife’s back.

“I know you’re nervous. But please stop doing that.” She cautioned with a tilt of her stunning orange bill.

“Sorry.” He mumbled, his neck bending as his eyes dropped toward the surface.

“Come on, Tien. I’ve never seen you like this…head up my love, you need to show them what you’ve become. Not who you used to be…”

He uncurled his neck and met her eyes, this time leaning only enough to press his forehead against hers. Their joining formed the white outline of a heart, and he felt stronger.

“That’s better,” She smiled, “Can’t have our little ones seeing their father brought low by a few wretched ducks now, can we?”

“No, Ella, you’re right. There are just so many memories here...but don’t worry…that’s all they are.” He smiled back.

Tien sighed and turned his gaze to their tails, where he found three beautiful grey balls of fluff in complete disarray. Dark bills darted this way and that, taking the longest path possible to keep up with their parents. They splashed, fought and cheeped at one another, the chaos completely nullifying the dullness of their colours. They were more filled with life than the brightest of birds could ever be.

“I am nervous though. This could go very badly.” He said, turning his head forward and examining the distant water.

“Perhaps, but isn’t that better than never knowing? Our children deserve to meet your family. Your mother deserves at least this one chance.”

“Does she?” He voiced, before they both fell silent in tense thought.

Tien’s breath hitched when he recognised the final turn. The willow draped, babbling passage would take his new family into the pool that housed his old one. While he stared at the slowly approaching bend in the stream, he felt a warmth grace his neck. Ella wrapped her own slowly around his, her bill ending up pressed against his cheek. It helped to ease the sudden knot that cinched tight in his chest.

“Be brave,” she whispered in his ear, “you never know, this might be a turning point, for all of us. It’s not healthy to live with this shadow over you forever.”

“I hope you’re right,” He said, “come on, if we have to do this, lets get it over with.”

He honked sharply at the children, who reluctantly fell in line behind their mother. With heads purposefully poised erect, Tien and his treasured family of regal birds, forged on, entering the foxes den that was his childhood home.

Tien’s bill dropped open in shock and he splayed his toes to come to an abrupt stop at the entrance. If he thought his own little ones were wild, he had been considerably mistaken. The slow-flowing water formed a wide, static pond in this little corner of the wetlands. Willow branches curtained the entire place, reaching down to tickle the water with their leaves. Grassy banks sloped gently up to areas of protective scrub and the water itself was shallow and clear. The colourful stones that decorated the bed beneath were usually visible. But at that moment, the water was so churned by activity that it was turning a silty brown. Innumerable, yellow and brown ducklings clambered over one another, kicking in every direction, cheeping in a din of sound and splashing as they all jostled for position on the water. All of them identical and engaged in constant battle with one another. He gawped around, trying to make sense of the scene, until his eyes fell upon the adult drakes and ducks, floating calmly together to one side, indifferent to the behaviour of their children. In the centre of his six brothers and sisters, sat his ageing mother, who felt his eyes on her and met them immediately.

She sounded a single, deafening quack and the whole raft silenced at once, before turning and staring in Tien’s direction. He sat on the water, frozen, as if winter had suddenly cast ice to the water around him. He felt Ella nudge up against his side and was glad that his own kids were busy hiding behind his feathers. Mother duck carved a path through the waiting horde and gently swam up to him.

“You came…” she whispered, wet in her dark eyes that was not from the pool.

“Hello, mother.” He forced out of his long, tight throat.

They stared at each other for a silent moment that stretched, until an almost imperceptible nudge from Ella woke Tien up.

“OH! This is my wife, Ella” He said, presenting her with one wing open. Ella bowed her head to the small, dull brown duck before her, and they both smiled politely, “and these…are my children…”

The three cygnets slowly crept out from behind his large body, peeking out to meet the soft gaze of their unknown grandmother. The smile on her face and the tears in her eyes were disarming, she kept looking back and forth between Tien and his family, until finally, she gathered herself and spoke.

“Please, won’t you all come in.”

Reluctantly, Tien led his loved ones into the den of the beast. Normal activity resumed behind them, as they swam up to the group of his brothers and sisters who were all pretending to still be deep in conversation. No doubt they would feign surprise that he had approached, but it was ridiculous, he was four times their size and could not have been missed. Right on cue, they turned at the word of Mother duck.

“Ugly!? Is that you!” His brother quacked, the green of his neck shining as he turned his head to take in his younger sibling, “Wow! You got even bigger!”

“It’s Tien now, Oliver. I left that other name behind long ago.”

“Well, la di da! Mr fancy pants!” Oliver mocked, “Got a bit pale too, huh? You didn’t get near that industrial area down south, did you? Get bleached or something?”

Tien sighed and his head dropped toward the water. His sisters all cackled with laughter.

“I think he looks handsome,” Ella suddenly piped up, “in fact, I’d say he's the most stunning bird on this waterway. Even the humans gasp in awe when he takes their bread.”

Tien’s neck unfurled and rose higher once more, he looked to his wife with gratitude. Oliver mumbled something and looked away.

“It’s lovely to meet you all,” she continued, “and all your children, there are so many! You must be so proud! Where are their fathers, I’d love to greet everyone?”

His sisters all shuffled nervously, looking anywhere but up at Ella. Oliver spoke for them.

“Not here at present, unfortunately.”

“Oh, that’s a real shame.” She said, appearing genuine even to Tien.

“And you, Oliver? Did your wife come along to this reunion, are any of those chicks your brood?” Tien asked, understanding the game.

“Well, I, uh, I’m still keeping my options open, you know? Can’t disappoint all those ladies out there by only picking one!” He chuckled without heart.

“Well, now that we are all re-introduced,” Mother duck interrupted, smiling widely as if it had been joyous, “Let us eat together, and welcome our family who have finally returned to us. As always, there is plenty for everyone.”

Tien nibbled at the surface of the water, taking in a little algae here and bits of weed there. The taste of it reminded him of his childhood, which elicited mixed emotions. He wasn’t exactly hungry. Even if he was, the absolute din of the ducklings and the way they disturbed the water would have made it impossible to gather anything substantial. Tien side-eyed Ella, who gave him a knowing look back. He turned to look at his brothers and sisters, all of whom were quietly eating from the top of the water, apparently fine with the behaviour of their young ones. Tien would have lost his voice by now yelling at his own children, had they been acting even a fraction so disruptive. As it was, they stuck close to him, sensing the tension that was thick in the air. He was glad at least, for that.

“So,” Oliver suddenly said, raising his dripping bill and breaking the uncomfortable silence, “where are you nesting these days, brother.”

Tien notice the intentional avoidance of using his name, but sighed and chose to take the higher path, ignoring the slight.

“Down on the lake, in the human park beyond the streams.” Tien answered, hesitant to give any specifics.

“In the park!?” the drake spluttered, “Near all those people, wow…that’s a bold choice. Wouldn’t have taken you for an urban bird.” His sisters all laughed along, obviously listening in.

“It suits us well enough. The convenience of it, and we like to be social.” Tien said, swallowing the actual words he wanted to spew.

“Well, I couldn’t do it. But you do you, I guess. I much prefer it out here, in the natural world. Did you hear I got my own place? Prime position, right in the reed bed, I’ve got a huge patch, teeming with food. It’s incredible! You wouldn’t believe it, ugly, you wouldn’t!”

“I guess when you’re alone, its easier to have more space…” Tien sneered.

“That it is!” Oliver laughed, not understanding the subtle jab, “Must be harder for you, with…you know…”

“No. I don’t know…what?” Tien said, his expression growing dark. He intentionally ignored the worry and warning in Ella’s look.

“Oh, well, you know,” Oliver stammered, “You must see it, your kids, they’re…like you were. It must be a struggle.”

Tien’s neck did not droop this time. His wide eyes stayed locked on his brother. His neck was stiff and his huge, clawed feet rigid. Everyone had stopped eating and watched avidly how he would respond. He swept forward slowly until he was directly in front of Oliver, then lowered his head, not in shame, but so that his bill was only inches from the drakes. He could ignore their constant insults toward him. He was used to that. But to go after his family? That, he would never allow.

“You are a sad, small little duck, Oliver. You always have been. I think you know, deep down, how pathetic you are. That’s why you tear down everyone around you. We have been here all of five minutes and you have already insulted me more times than I can count. Is it the only way you can pretend that you wouldn’t be of more use stuffing a pillow? You made my life hell; did you know that? You and these air-headed girls, you made my childhood so unbearable, that my only option was to leave my own home. Now, you can continue to do the same thing if you choose. I can bear it if I must, since I have learned my worth outside of you and you cannot change that. But if you dare attempt to speak about my children in this way, then we are going to have a problem. Do you understand me?”

The entire pool fell still and silent. Tien almost wavered, but forced himself to hold the eyes of his tiny, mallard kin. The moment felt an eternity, and he could sense his sisters shocked gasps and whispers brewing. The tension broke, when his brother laughed.

“You misunderstand me, ugly! I meant no harm! It was only concern! But if you say all is well, then I’m sure it is. Bit of an over reaction, hey? It’s all good, brother.”

Tien did not move. His anger was at boiling point now. Where he had control before, enough to feel trepidation about his actions, now he was all in.

“I could snap your neck with one twist of my bill…” He hissed, “call me ‘ugly’ one more time and I swear you’ll never utter another word…”

“Boys! Boys!” Mother duck yelled, swimming with a splash up to them, “Come on now, this is a happy occasion! Don’t spoil it with all this nonsense. Please, let's just go back to dinner?”

Having had children himself, he could understand the desire for peace. But Tien refused to indulge his mother this time. His blood was too hot, his words finally free, and he had to protect his family from the poison that he had endured for so very long.

“Mother,’ he said, turning to her and biting down his tone, “I love you; I do. I know all you sacrificed to raise me, when by rights you didn’t have to. But are you still so blind, to what he does? To what they all do? Will you still, after all this time, pretend this problem doesn’t exist?”

“Well, Tien, you always were so sensitive…perhaps if you could let it run off your back once in a while? If you could just ignore your brother, and get along? Wouldn’t that be easier?”

“Yes mother, it would be easier. But sometimes, the easy path is not the answer.” He sighed and shook his head. He truly was disappointed. Tien had genuinely hoped things would be different. Turning to his wife, who was looking at him with rioting concern, he said, “Come on, Ella, we are leaving.”

“No, please don’t…can’t we just start again?” His mother begged,

“What? Really!? You can’t be serious!?" His brother chuckled,

“Oh! My goodness!” His sisters tittered and fussed,

The impressive swan that Tien had become, gracefully led his family toward the entrance, looking back only once to say,

“I have changed. Until you do, I will not be coming back.”