No Place Like Home

Trouble always seems to find me.  I was resting comfortably in Head Nun's garden under the shade when Mei, the white dove who lives in the eaves of the temple roof, flew down and sat next to me.

"What's up, Mei?" I asked, noticing the sad and forlorn expression on her face.

Mei sighed.  "Da, I'm so glad you're here to listen to me.  I've been feeling rather depressed lately ...."

"Why?"  I asked.

She sighed again.  "You know, I've been living in the temple for so long I've lost count of the years.  And all this while, I've never been anywhere or achieved anything.  I feel so useless just sitting around."

"Aha, the "seven year bird itch," I said.  "Don't fret, you'll get over it.  Look at me, I've been here many years too and I'm not depressed!"

"You're different, you've been having so many adventures life is never dull for you."

"Well, sometimes I wish it were not so exciting!"  I replied, smiling.

"I've been talking to some of the other doves," continued Mei.  "They've been to so many places but every time I ask them to take me along, they just laugh and refuse, saying I'm too young and inexperienced to travel.  I get really very angry when they say that. "I'm not "young and experienced", just, well, just ....."

Her voice trailed away.

"Don't upset yourself over what they say, Mei," I said, trying to comfort her.  "Life's not that bad for you.  You have a comfortable nest high up in the eaves where nobody can disturb you and a wonderful bird's eye view of the scenery below.  You're never cold or hungry - in fact, you're much luckier than most birds I know."

Mei said nothing and after a while, flew away, a determined glint in her eyes. 

I totally forgot our conversation until a few days later when I suddenly realized that she was missing.  I would usually hear her coo every morning when I got up and sometimes see her flitting here and there, but there was no sign of her for the last few days.  I began to worry and hoped she had not done anything foolish.  I asked the other doves whether they had seen her but no one had. There was nothing I could do except to wait for her to return.

"I've been feeling rather depressed lately," sighed Mei.

It was late one evening when I was out in the garden that I heard a weak coo.  I turned round and was horrified to see Mei limping towards me, her white body covered with dirt and blood stains.

"Mei, where on earth have you been?  I've been so worried!"  I exclaimed.

She collapsed at my feet, gasping for breath. I quickly went to fetch some water and gave it to her.  After she had recovered, she sat up, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Well, after ... after I spoke to you the other day, I felt I had to do something. (Sob)  I had heard of the other doves talking about a beautiful place east of the Moon and I was determined to find it all by myself, even if it killed me.  I flew and flew and when the sun began to set, I landed at a place covered with thick jungle.  I found a branch to sleep on for the night.  When I woke up the next morning, I was horrified to find dozens of fierce tigers waiting at the bottom of the tree where I sat.  They were growling at me and one or two started to climb up the tree.  Terrified, I flew away, just in time as one of the tigers was about to pounce on me...!"

"Oh my God ... then what happened?"  I gasped.

"I flew blindly on until I reached another place.  This time it was more like earth and feeling relieved, I rested under a thick shrub.  I was so tired, I fell asleep.  I woke up to the sound of voices and to my surprise, I found myself surrounded by dozens of beautiful peacocks.  I thought to myself this must be the place the other doves talked about.  Unfortunately, it was not.  The peacocks were most unfriendly.  They jeered at me and said I was the ugliest creature they had ever seen. Then they started pecking me and chased me away.  I had no choice but to fly away to save myself."

Here, Mei started to sob again.

"You shouldn't have done what you did, run away without telling anyone.  Goodness knows what could have happened to you!"  I said, trying not to sound too harsh.

"I just wanted to show the other doves I am capable of doing things on my own without their help," sobbed Mei.

"How did you manage to find your way back here?"  I asked.

"Well, after I left the land of the peacocks, I flew on not knowing where I was going.  I noticed that the wind had become colder and bits of snow were falling around me.  I started to shiver with cold.  It was then I noticed a snow covered tree.  I flew down and collapsed under its branches.  I don't know how long I was unconscious but when I came to, I found myself lying beside a lake.  Strangely there was no snow here and all around were lovely flowers and trees.  Then I heard a soft voice calling me and I looked up and saw a beautiful white swan.  It swam towards me and whispered, "You poor thing.  Here, rest under my wings, I shall take you back to where you belong."  I did as I was told and the rest I don't remember.  I just found myself back in the temple garden, tired out."

"Looks like you had quite an adventure!  Look, you had better go back to your nest and rest.  Promise me, you'll never do anything like this again, you could have been killed!"  I said.

"I should have listened to you, Da.  I promise - no more adventures for me!  You were right, there's really no place like home."  She turned to go, then paused and looked at me.

"Do you think that beautiful place where I saw the swan was the place East of the Moon?"  she asked.

"I'm sure it was, Mei," I said, though I of course had no idea what she was talking about.

She smiled triumphantly and said, "There!  I did it after all!  I knew I could!  Wait till I tell the other doves ...."  With that she flew off, looking for her friends.

I shook my head.  Poor Mei.  I hoped the other doves would be kind to her and listen to her story.