My Tribe (BoyxBoy)

©Jenny Bertel

It began in the summer of 2010 when I was only twenty four. I traveled to the Amazon for my research in the rainforest. I was climbing my way over tree roots and thick ground cover. The sounds of the jungle thrumming around me like I was a baby in the womb, listening to the heartbeat of my mother. Suddenly a screeching sound pierced the air and there was a flurry of movement above me in the canopy. I didn't even have time to look up or move when something came crashing down through the trees and landed a couple feet from where I stood. For a split second I thought I had discovered some unknown species of massive bird but the huge wings that first drew my attention did not belong to a bird.

A boy looked up at me with wide frightened eyes. Eyes the color of rubies fringed with thick black lashes. His wings were a deep vivid indigo blue with black flight feathers and the span was enormous. I say a boy but he was a young man. His face was soft and slightly feminine and his body was lithe but very well muscled with light tan skin and a graceful build. His hair was a deep dark blue that could easily be mistaken for black at a glance. It looked very long and thick but it was in a tight braid down his back, just a bit free to frame his pretty face. All he wore was a piece of leather that covered his genitals and butt so it was obvious he had been rather scraped and bruised on his decent. One of his wings was splayed out at an odd angle, possibly broken.

I stepped towards this beautiful creature and he crawled quickly backward trying to escape in panic. I stopped and crouched down to look at him from his level, hoping he would calm and I could get near him. I was both fascinated beyond belief and concerned for him.

"Shh it's ok. I won't hurt you." I said softly, showing him that my hands were free of weapons. He was breathing fast and his red eyes were full of fear. He crawled back a few more feet before finding himself against a tree. "Hey it's ok. You're injured, calm down. I won't hurt you." I soothed him, hoping he even understood.

For a long moment we stared at each other neither of us sure what to do. Finally he let me get a little closer and I sat down on the ground near him. He drew his knees up to his chest and his uninjured wing curled around him in a scared, defensive gesture. Instead of pushing I dug into my backpack and pulled out a pack of beef jerky. He watched every move I made nervously with big crimson eyes. After a few minutes I offered him a piece and he backed against the tree a little so I tossed it to him. He caught the piece midair and sniffed it then he looked at me and wrinkled his nose, making me laugh.

"That bad huh?" I said to his slightly disgusted face. He tossed it back.

"It doesn't even smell like real meat." He replied in a soft voice.

"So you can talk?" I laughed.

"Yeah so can you. Is that special?" He asked.

"Relax, I just want to see if you're ok." I replied. He looked up at the wing arched over his shoulder and frowned.

"I think I broke it." He said.

"Can I look at it?" I edged closer and he didn't look thrilled with it but he let me.

My father used to raise parrots. Once I got a look at it I knew the wing wasn't broken, it was dislocated. "I can fix it but it's going to hurt a little." I told him. He scooted away from the tree and let me pull on his wing and it popped loudly. He cried out in pain and then he moved the wing.

"It hurts." He complained.

"Yeah you're not going to fly for a little while." I replied.

"I have to fly, I can't not fly." He said sounding panicky.

"Hey calm down...do you have a name?" I asked. He frowned at me for being so calm. He was an amazing but very nervous creature.

"You can't say my name." He replied. He made a short pretty bird call. I smiled at that.