The Last Macaw

Most are familiar with the American Dream. It is the ultimate goal for many to achieve. What is the American Dream really? The answer differs depending on who you ask, but the idea of it is all the same: freedom from/of something. Lorenzo had his own version of the American Dream and he yearned for it more than ever. He loved his native land of Belize, but his home was changing and it was hardly loving him back. At the age of 28, Lorenzo had experienced immense loss and it all started six months ago. Change had begun before then, but it did not directly affect Lorenzo and his family up until then. Now that months have passed since his great loss, he was ready to move on. That is what Angeli would have wanted; that is what they would have done if she was still around.

6 Months Ago

Lorenzo and Angeli are preparing for the arrival of their new hatchling. This egg was a surprise as the couple just had three 11 weeks ago! Angeli was not feeling herself soon after the arrival of the neonates, but she attributed it to the snails she ate. To both of their surprise, a few days later she laid an egg. This new egg was special and Angeli felt it. As she incubated it, Lorenzo went out to forage and feed the chicks. She was madly in love with Lorenzo and loved to watch him be a Scarlet Macaw. His wingspan reached three feet, he was fast, stealthy, and his colors were vibrant. More importantly, he was caring, supportive, and thoughtful. She was beyond satisfied he was her life mate.

Scarlet Macaws are monogamous birds that stay with one partner in their lifetime. Like any other species, they search for their soulmate, but not all are lucky to end up with them. Angeli is one of the lucky ones. She met Lorenzo while she was exploring the treetops of Belize’s Maya Rainforest. She was 13, he was 14 and they have been inseparable ever since. They have had four sets of hatchlings so far, this being number five and the last one before their big move. They were going to Cuba for a few months until their boat to Florida departed. That was their dream, The American Dream. Belize was becoming extremely dangerous for scarlet macaws and they heard rumors of the bulldozers coming. No one survived the bulldozers. It was either that or a poacher. The poachers brought you to America anyway, the difference was your freedom. They would find a nice treetop to settle and the locals would assume they were ex rescues leaving them to thrive.

“Angeli my love, I am off to gather some nectar for the kids, it’s berries for us tonight as you are finished with protein for a while. We don’t need any more surprise eggs.”

“Please be careful, Lorenzo,” Angeli says while incubating, “remember do not-,” Lorenzo finishes the sentence with her, “-do not go beyond the banana trees.” He kisses her beak.

“Yes, yes I know mi amor. I do not need to go beyond the banana trees anyway. The berry bushes are one wing stroke away from the fruit trees.” Lorenzo says as he walks to the edge of the nest, stretches his blue, yellow, and red wings, and takes off. He circles the nest, three times, as the chicks squeak, squawk, scream, and flap their wings. He picks up speed and disappears into the trees.

“I hope Papa Lorenzo returns back to us safely. My feelings haven’t been good lately and I know it’s not another egg. This is different chickies, I can feel it” Angeli says towards her hatchlings, “Gain your confidence to fly and take the boat with us to Cuba and let’s start a new life in Florida. If you want to live until you’re 50, that is the right choice.”

“Belize!” One chick squawks,

“Home!” Another one squeaks,

“Boat! Florida!” The last one honks.

Angeli knew what that meant, “I will close my eyes unt-”

She is suddenly interrupted by Lorenzo bursting through the trees. He is honking raucously and Angeli is feeling alert and nervous. She can’t hear his words, but she can hear and feel the sudden rumbling vibrations coming from all around. An earthquake? What would she do? She is not leaving her babies behind. We are safe from an earthquake up in the canopy, so what is Lorenzo beaking about? Before anyone could think another thought, bulldozers came destroying everything in their path.

Now

Lorenzo has been in a depression and hiding out in what is left of his home. He has never been so low, losing everything changes a bird, but Lorenzo would not give up. Months have passed and he has gained some enthusiasm towards reaching his American dream again. There has been no sign of Angeli or his hatchlings. He must go.

“I leave now,” Lorenzo states confidently to no one, “I will fly to Cancun, take the boat to Havana, then a boat to Miami. That was always the plan and I am waiting around here like a pitiful bird waiting to be rescued.”

Lorenzo flies off. His journey to Cancun is easy as it is something he has done before with Angeli. He made the routine stops too, as if she was with him. He lands at the tip of a coconut tree taking in the tropical view. The wind blows his feathers and Lorenzo takes a breath,

“Beautiful Corozal. We always enjoyed the papaya here. Vamos. Let’s get some.”

He passes the beach and flies directly into a market where he settles onto a perching stick right next to a fruit stand.

“Lorenzo! ¿Cómo estás? You not looking too well! Angeli? Where is she?” The man starts cutting up some papaya.

Lorenzo knew he would be asked about Angeli coming to Corozal, but he rather face it than run from it. He would not dishonor his Angeli like that. He squawks with his head down. The man stops cutting,

“No, no, Lorenzo, no. ¿Que fue? What happened?” He embraces Lorenzo and cries, “I knew Angeli from a chiquita," He stands up straight, "Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know," he bows slightly, "Lo siento y bendiciones Lorenzo. Mi corazon breaks for you, but you’re a strong macaw and Angeli still flies with you,” he wipes his tears and face with a towel and continues to cut the papaya for Lorenzo,

“Maldita bulldozers and those poachers destroying everything around here,” he slams the knife on that one, “La ciudad is not the same as it was. I hope you’re getting out of here, Lorenzo, there’s nothing good left for you here.” He places a bowl full of cut up papaya and seeds in front of Lorenzo. Lorenzo enjoys this sweet, delectable fruit. He loses himself in the taste, and momentarily forgets his troubles. He makes eye contact with the fruit man and he comes over to wipe his beak.

“Life’s troubles do not define us, but what we do with them does. Angeli is always with you, don’t let her down.”

Lorenzo needed to hear that and bows his head slightly to the kind man. This was goodbye. Next stop is La Reserva de la Biósfera Sian Ka’an. This is where Lorenzo would rest until sunrise then straight on to Cancun. His flight to Cancun was another easy one, but the troubles of his boat ride to Havana would make up for that. Lorenzo was so focused on making it there that he forgot to forage for food along the way for his boat journey, he never thought how long the boat ride even was. He didn’t account for the people on the boat either and their greed in seeing a Scarlet Macaw on their cargo ship. What luck! Not only did Lorenzo not have food or water, but he was now being hunted.

The two day trip felt like a week. Lorenzo had to strategically jump from pallet to pallet out of sight from his poachers, never sleeping. When he felt the boat dock, he immediately flew out and did not look behind him until he found himself deep in the trees. His adrenaline kept him going, but once he reached safety he instantly collapsed on a branch and passed out. It was night time when he suddenly woke up from the sounds of the night creatures. Sounds he was very unfamiliar with as he was in territory he has never set foot in before. Lorenzo knew he had to stay exactly where he was at until the sun rose. He did walk across the branch until he hit the trunk of the tree and began gnawing away at the bark. He dug until water seeped out. The water revitalized him and so did the worms he found. He fell back asleep.

Lorenzo awoke to the heat of the sun beating on his face and the hissing of a snake. He knew that sound. He immediately flew off, he was not about to wait around for that danger. He landed a couple trees away because he needed to see his surroundings. All he saw was trees but he could hear flowing water. He followed that sound until he found the coast and people. He landed on the sand and started walking, he knew macaws on beaches like this would not be minded by the people. He did need to find out where he was and where the docks to Florida were.

“Look at that beautiful bird!” Someone shouted,

“Oh let’s take a picture!” A small crowd was following Lorenzo and he actually stops to pose. He is appreciating the attention when a Cuban macaw approaches,

“You must be lost. Us macaws don’t walk the beaches, we leave that up to the lizards.”

“Awww look at that they are talking. I bet their cousins,” says one beachgoer.

“Follow me amigo” directs the macaw,

“Where am I?”

“Oh you really are lost,”

“I won’t follow you unless you tell me.”

“Really? Ok. Playa Baracoa. Ready?”

They fly off. Not too far either. They perch on a stone wall that divides the water from the trees. There are some run down houses that look like a town once flourished here.

“What happened here?” asks Lorenzo.

“This is La Villa de Victoria. People camp here during the hurricane off season. The hurricanes bring a surplus of fish, shark, crab, and lobster serving the people plenty. Where are you coming from my friend?”

Lorenzo hesitated on sharing his story with this stranger, but he couldn’t deny Angeli’s truth.

“Belize. I’m going to start a new life in Florida since the one I had was bulldozed to nothingness. Probably a resort by now.” Lorenzo became angry at the thought of concrete being poured where his family’s bodies laid. “What is your name?”

“Chico. That’s a sad story. I can show you where the docks are. We would need to leave right now in for you to make the next departure.”

“How far is it?”

“A couple miles from here. No biggie, but we need to leave now, unless you want to stay here for five days. That’s when the next shipment leaves.”

“Let’s go.”

Lorenzo makes it to the boats and to Miami with no troubles except for those he was already carrying. Lorenzo felt heavier the further he traveled away from Belize. He was starting to question if this was the right choice. Maybe he should turn back. When the boat docked, Lorenzo stayed on until night fell. He even stayed a few hours past the next sunrise. It was a rock in the boat that got him alert,

“Set up for refueling! We leave at nightfall!” For some reason, this triggered Lorenzo to want to stay. There was no going back. He flew off into the sun. Chico had given him directions to a bird rescue called The Tropics of Birds as a place to replenish. He would not be forced to stay, the caregivers were kind and there was food. When Lorenzo arrived he was welcomed with open arms. They were in awe of his beauty and he needed the hospitality.

The rescue was a beautiful place that mimicked a rainforest habitat both inside and outside. He could see why one would want to stay, but this could never be permanent for Lorenzo.

“Do you have a name big fella?”

“Lorenzo!” Lorenzo always knew how to say his name to humans among other sayings, but used his speech cautiously.

“What a beautiful name, Lorenzo, you hungry?”

He nods and he is brought a colorful array of fruits and a bowl of water. After he eats, Lorenzo is shown around. He meets a whole variety of Macaws, Parrots, Toucans, Kingfishers, Cockatoos, and many more. There were eggs, babies, young adults, and older birds. Lorenzo’s eye caught the baby birds and thought of his family. How he longed for them at this very moment. The caretaker noticed,

“You must have had a family. Most stray birds come because of destroyed habitat. Some of these babies were rescued. This baby Scarlet Macaw over here came a couple months ago from Belize,” Lorenzo’s feathers stood when she said that, “she was just an egg when her habitat was destroyed. She almost didn’t make it, her egg was cracked when she was found, but she was well taken care of as you can see. She was then brought here to hopefully fly free one day.”

Could it actually be? No it couldn't be. Loreno must be hopelessly imagining things, but the story fit so perfectly. Was this Lorenzo’s special hatchling? It had to be! This is what made her, as the caregiver disclosed, so special.

“Her name is Angelica,” and at that Lorenzo cried. It was her. This was his special daughter. Lorenzo was going to stay after all.