O is for Outlandish Ostrich Orthotics
Yes, it looks like it's storytime, again. I was thinking of "O" words and many came to mind. I let them loll around in my head, Orating and Oozing and Ogling each other. I thought I was going to settle on One thing and then the Other popped up and cried, "Me, Oh, pick me."
And here I am, with another tale to tell and, look, it too has an animal.
I wonder what her story is? Let's find out.
*
Olivia the Ostrich was walking along the dirt road. The day was still early and the spring sun had yet to show its glowing orange head above the horizon. The glow from the edge of the world reached up toward the place where Senor Sun would land later in the morning, but for now it was still a deep turquoise blue fading to gold trimmed in near white.
Far off deep in the clumps of trees Olivia could hear the little birds singing to each other. Talking of their plans for the day and the things they had to do. There was a pair somewhere nearby overhead whispering about a near escape he'd experienced with a big wild cat recently and his friend seemed to listen intently, with only an intermittent peep.
There was no sign of her sister; they were supposed to meet today to talk about what to do for their brother's birthday. Which was only a couple of weeks away. Olivia increased her speed and bobbed her head from side to side, wondering if maybe her sister was playing a joke and would jump out to scare her or something. She'd done that once in the past; she might do it again.
The clumps of trees eased away and the birds' voices faded. The top of Senor Sun's head was emerging on the edge of the world and Olivia could see farther around her now. Still no sister. She stopped on the road and listened. Hearing only the roar of an engine in the recesses of the other side of the trees, she opted to leave the open road.
There were thickets of bracken and clumps of trees smattered across the landscape. She mentally mapped a path of safety to get her out of sight of the road but so she could still keep her eyes on it in case.
In case? she thought. In case, she told herself, her sister appeared. Because their brother's birthday was getting nearer by the minute. Or so it seemed.
But she didn't want to get caught by the car beings because they could be unreliable and mean.
So she hid.
And as she hid, she dozed. The rising sun faded. The lightening sky faded. The grasses and trees which now hid her were the last to go and all was dark or non-existent.
Olivia dreamed of dancing on the sun with her sister. Of catching fireflies with her brother in the moonlight next to a river. Although in truth she didn't know how she'd hold a jar into which to put the bugs; but in her dream it didn't matter.
Then she noticed it. In her dream she was wearing glitter covered red shoes. Just like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Only these shoes had wide toe boxes and the thick heels were rubberized and comforted her feet with each step. They were beautiful and solid and she felt like she could dance all night.
Olivia opened her eyes. She thought she opened her eyes but everything was still dark. And then she noticed a figure standing near her and she jolted wide away and shook her body from side to side.
"Who?" she started. "What?" and prepared herself to run.
"Hey, chill, sis, it's me," came the voice and Olivia felt her body relax. "Lil Joe just want us to play a game of catch a falling star for his birthday. That's all. And his birthday is in ...well, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ... now! You're it!"
And her sister ran away and joined a slightly smaller ostrich, Olivia smiled and chased after them. Slowly. Being the oldest, her stride was longer and she'd catch up to them in no time. But she wanted the game to last so they could be together, so she took her time.
Ostriches in the dark, playing catch a falling star. And Olivia imagined she was still wearing her own ruby red slippers.