Will pulls off the road to a turnoff next to what appears to be a tame creek that he can clean Veera up in.
He carries her down to the water only to realize it’s not a tame creek at all, it’s a ferocious rising river in a vicious rain storm.
He assesses the situation, “Hold on, Veera, this could get tricky.”
Veera tries to get her bearings, “Are you baptizing me?”
“No.”
He secures a boot against a rock, “Oh, yeah. This is a dangerous situation. Hang on, Veera.”
Will tries to find a solid rock for his other foot, “If you get loose, ride the flow. And, watch out for them rocks.”
Veera holds tight to Will’s hand, “Don’t let me go, I’ll fucking kill you.”
One of Will’s boots pops off and rushes down river.
“Your foot popped off! Billy, your foot popped off!”
Will checks Veera’s pupils, “Veera, did you eat Peyote?”
“Of course I did.”
“I got you.” Will secures a foothold, “We’re gonna wash you off.”
He lowers Veera into the water and she lets out a shriek that sends thousands of birds scattering from the trees around them. Her sunglasses fly off, “My eyes! This fucking river is tearing us apart!”
As Will tries to wash her face and hair, she blissfully sheds her clothes, letting them flow down river.
Will grabs at her clothes. “Don’t do that, Veera, please. Don’t do that.”
Veera laughs, “I don’t want to wear clothes anymore.”
“Okay, let me wash your hair.”
Veera situates her feet on some rocks, “Okay, let me go, I’m fine, let me go.”
Will lets her go and Veera moves a few feet to the left where she easily finds her footing, stands, and quickly and completely cleans herself off, “I like being naked in water. I want water on me all the time. I wanna be a fish and carry a cold river with me wherever I go.”
“Okay.”
“Willie, take off your clothes, be natural.”
“I’m good.”
He looks to the trees for the birds, “Would you rather be a bird or a flying fish?”
Veera scoffs, “That’s an idiotic question.”
“Sorry.”
She sees something in the bushes across the river, “Look how big that big fuckin orange is.”
“What?”
Veera points, “There’s a big fuckin orange in the trees. Right over there.”
Will peers across the river to see a man in an orange jacket looking at them through binoculars.
He takes off with intense velocity aimed directly at the man and blasts onto the beach, running at the guy, who drops to the ground covering his face.
Will backs off, “Relax. I’m not gonna hit you.”
He looms over him, catching his breath, “Why were you looking at my sister like that?”
“A gorgeous woman in a river, I’m not supposed to look?”
The man gestures to Veera who is emerging from the river totally naked, “I mean, come on.”
“She’s my sister.”
“That’s your fuckin problem, dude. Why’s your sister naked in a river on the side of a highway?”
“Okay.” Will kicks a rock with his one boot, “Simmer down.”
The guy looks Will over, “It’s your fault.”
“How is it my fault?”
The guy stands, “I don’t want to speak to you anymore.”
Veera is now standing on the beach, whistling and slowly twirling in circles while looking up through the trees at all the colorful birds returned to their homes. The cacophony of singing birds grows in intensity, like a madhouse.
Will throws a rock down river as far as he can, “Veera, quit talking to the birds, they need to be quiet, they’re driving me nuts.”
He kicks a rock with his bare foot, stumbles and nearly falls, then notices the guy’s Toyota Land Cruiser, “Nice ride.”
“Sure is.”
“You got a blanket in there for her?”
“Yeah, but, it’s wool, it’ll be scratchy on her skin.”
“Don’t talk about my sister’s skin.”
Will pops the gate, grabs a blanket and brings it to Veera, “Cover up.”
She immediately drops the blanket, “This is wool, are you insane? I can’t put that on my skin.”
The guy throws a rock into the river, “What’d I tell you.”
Veera wanders under the trees, looking up to the birds.
Will notices the guy’s boots, “Sharp boots.”
“Thanks. I’m just breaking them in.”
Will scopes the guy’s boot size, “White’s?”
“JK’s. A special edition, cost me seventeen hundred.”
“Fancy.”
“Well, I’m an adult with a job.”
Will skips a rock, “You got spares?”
“Spares of what?”
“Boots.”
“In the trunk, yeah. Got some White’s, actually.”
Will juts his chin, “Let me buy them JK’s from you. You keep the White’s.”
“No. Wait, what are you asking me?”
“I lost my boot in the fuckin river, these are shot.” Will points to the guy’s boots, “Let me buy your boots, I’ll pay extra.”
The guy stalls, “Whoa, what?”
“I’ll pay more than they’re worth.”
“They cost me seventeen hundred, they’re a special edition.”
“Quit saying that.” Will takes off his watch and hands it to the guy, “Take this for collateral. We can hit the next Travel Center, I’ll pay you two grand.”
The guy realizes he is holding a vintage Rolex Oyster Perpetual, and looks to Will, “Is this real?”
“Of course it’s real, you’re holding it in your hand.” Will pokes around in the Toyota’s cargo area, “Got dry socks?”
“Yeah, but I need them.”
“Come on, work with me here. We need dry socks.”
“Look.”
The guy points to Veera, “Your sister appeared through a pair of binoculars I was already looking through, I don’t see how that entitles you to my stuff.”
“I’m buying this stuff.”
“It’s not for sale. I packed just enough for my trip.”
“Quit arguing with me, please. I’m very tired. My head is pounding and my sister’s naked.”
The guy thinks for a long moment, “Two grand, you said?”
“If you throw in some socks.”
“Socks are brand new.”
“The best kind.”
“Fuck it, this is bumming me the fuck out, man. I was in bliss and you fucked me all up.”
He sits on the Toyota’s gate, removes his JK’s and hands them to Will, “Socks are in the blue bag.”
The guy pulls on his White’s and takes a relaxing breath.
Will grabs a new pair of socks and inspects his new boots. He ties the laces together, tucks the socks into his boots, and throws the JK’s over his shoulder, “Why were you hiding in the bushes with binoculars.”
“I wasn’t hiding in the bushes. I’m here working. This bend in the river is where the specific birds I’m studying come to mate once a year.”
Will looks at him, “Why are you studying birds, what’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing’s wrong with me. You asshole. I’m a tenured professor at Cornell University, birds are my life’s work. I’ve written nine books on the subject of bird communication.”
“What kind of books?”
The guy stares, “Award winning books.”
Veera whistles like a bird without even moving her lips and hundreds of birds whistle back in response. The sound is deafening. She keeps whistling and the sound only grows louder.
Will covers his ears, “Veera, please.”
She extends her arms and spins and the birds go wild.
“Tell them to stop.”
Veera whistles an extended piercing shrill and the birds chill out.
“Thank you.”
Will recovers and skips another rock.
The guy tries to skip a rock and fails, “What were you doing in the river?”
“Trying to get clean.”
The guy takes a joint from his pocket and sparks it up.
Will pulls his remaining boot off, tosses it into the river and watches it float away. He stands barefoot in the water, looking up to the birds resting calmly in the trees, “Never met a bird watcher.”
“We exist.”
The guy takes his orange Filson jacket off, drapes it over Veera’s shoulders, and joins her looking up through the branches at the birds.
Will joins them, “What’s the draw?”
“With birds?”
“Yeah.”
“They live a simple life of essentials. All they wanna do is sing, mate, eat and fly.”
The guy takes a pull from his joint, “Studying them, I’m able to be away from people, alone in nature and have chance encounters with rare birds of varying colors, languages and personalities.”
“Birds have personalities?”
“Birds are hysterical.”
As Will considers this, he realizes that Veera is gone.
He spots the Filson jacket laying by the waterline and panics, running towards the river, calling to her. He spots her on the opposite shoreline, happily dancing to the International. She turns to them and waves, before climbing into the cab.
The guy shakes his head, “A woman like her shouldn’t be naked in a river on the side of a road.”
He takes a piss in the bushes, “You ought to be a better big brother.”
“I’m a very good big brother. Ask her.”
The guy zips up, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but how much trouble would I be in if I gave her my phone number?”
Will sits on a log, “You treat her right, she’ll treat you right. You cross her, she’s liable to poke one of your eyes out, you’ll be bird watching through a fuckin telescope.”
The International’s engine blows to life.
Will watches as Veera navigates the cab around the rocks as she crosses the river, coming to a stop under the trees.
She exits the cab in her crisp new dungarees and white tee, lets loose a beaming smile of pure sunshine, and effortlessly strides barefoot over stones to the men, “I feel like Jack of Diamonds on a full pocket bender. Who’s with me?”
Will grabs a fresh pair of socks from the blue bag and tries to hand them to Veera, who walks straight over to the guy with her hand extended, “Veera.”
The guy takes her hand. “Daniel.”
Veera holds onto his hand, “Wanna ride with me a while, Daniel?”
“Yes.”
“At your own risk. I don’t promise safety.”
“I don’t give a damn for safety, I’ll go anywhere with you.”
Will turns to Veera, “Give him two grand, next opportunity.”
“For what?”
Will shows Veera his new boots, “I bought these boots off him. They’re a special edition.”
“Boys are so dumb.”
She juts her thumb to the Land Cruiser, “Wait in the vehicle, Daniel. Rider’s seat.”
Will sticks out his hand, “Give me your wallet.”
“Oh, come the fuck on, man, I’m not giving you my wallet.”
“No, seriously. Give me your wallet.”
He hands over his wallet. Will studies his license, slides it back into the wallet and hands it back, “Thanks.”
Daniel laughs, “You have a photographic memory?”
“Fuck you.” He sticks out his hand, “Gimme my watch.”
Daniel hands over the Rolex.
Will pats Daniel’s shoulder, “Good luck.”
“Thanks.” Daniel walks to his Toyota.
Veera puts her hand on Will’s cheek, “Don’t ever let anyone wear that watch again. Not even for a new pair of boots.”
Will puts his watch back on his wrist, “Wasn’t ever out of my sight.”
“Regardless.”
He brushes a curl from Veera’s face, “You gonna be okay?”
“Long as I keep being me.”
“How long you gonna keep being you?”
“Forever.” She smiles, “How about you?”
Will smiles, “Alright.”
Veera gives him a hug, “Down the Road, Billy.”
“Down the Road, Veera.”
One final hug and Veera is in the Land Cruiser and on the wind.
Will boards the International and settles into the driver’s seat, listening to the birds in the trees above him and the rain on the roof.
He closes his eyes and tries to decipher each individual language that each bird is communicating with.
There are so many unique birds with so many specific personalities, speaking so many different languages that Will spirals down into a super deep sleep.
He is lost in a multi-dimensional jungle dream, watching two colorful birds swinging on a branch high above him, telling each other jokes and laughing their asses off.
His mind floods with hopes of becoming close with the birds, so much so that they invite him into their family, teach him their language, and instill in him the secrets of their wisdom.
He wonders if the birds will have the time to teach him how to fly or if he’ll need to learn how to fly on his own.
He contemplates if the ability to fly is something that birds are born with, or do birds have to learn to be birds.
It worries him if he’ll even be able to fly at all, since he was born human, and the worry turns into a bubble that floats him up into the air, lighting on the branch right next to the two birds.
They give him cold and judgmental nods with their wild marble eyeballs.
Will experiences a tingly and ticklish sensation all over his body as feathers begin sprouting, and his feathers are far more vibrant than their feathers, which brings on the fear that the two birds will be jealous of him and banish him from their branch for his flagrant feathers, and possibly ban and blackball him from every tree in the jungle.
He somehow manages to ride the fear, flaunting his bright green, blue, red and gold wings, the yellow and orange polkadots on his back, and the long speckled purple feathers springing from his head. Although the visual enthusiasm was making the birds uncomfortable, he was enjoying his colors.
If they lacked the intellectual insight to appreciate the uniqueness of his personality, fuck them.
Who needs them.
He asked the birds a long stream of questions, and his questions were so minutely detailed that the birds finally lied and told him they did not understand his language, and bounced him off the branch to tumble to the ground with a sickening thud.
Will bursts awake gasping in the cab, grabs a two-handed hold on the steering wheel and tries to catch his breath.
He rolls down his window, grabs his Levi’s jacket from the passenger seat, takes the photo of the black haired girl from his pocket and mounts it on the dash. Will stares into the photograph and allows himself to be calmed by the rhythm of the rain on the roof.
Riding the waves of fresh snow-scented air, he perks the engine, throws the International into gear, fishtails through the gravel, and grinds onto the road, chasing after a hot shower, an even hotter cup of coffee, and a Kung fu film at the next Travel Center, three quick hours and forty-two minutes down the road.
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