Flapping My Left Wing by Hannah Fortune

Chick gazed at herself in the bathroom mirror. Yes, she could almost see dissolutionment written all over her face. Yesterday she had been flying high, so sure her bus odyssey for peace was a Good Idea, but Boom!, in one fell swoop all her big plans came crashing to a halt, and with them, her spirits.
I feel like going back to bed and staying there, thought Chick morosely. Maybe I am bi-polar. In the wee hours of the morning, caught in the throes of yet another bout with insomnia, Chick had come to the realization that Turkey, bless his heart, had been right.
Last evening Chick’s friend Dorito had driven her to the Gainesville bus station to buy a ticket to Bradenton. Even though the sign said, Open, the door was locked tight. They were closed. A small knot of people huddled against the wall trying in vain to avoid the downpour. There were two women with small, crying children, a forlorn looking man carrying what appeared to be all his worldly goods, and a huge scary looking guy with weird hair and a lot of tatoos. Everyone looked like they had problems, big ones. With a sinking heart, Chick knew right then that she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t go waltzing up in all her feathered finery, talking about war protests and contacting your Representative to people who, in all probability, were worried about the rent, their next meal, or worse.
I’m too chicken, thought Chick, so distracted she didn’t even realize how absurd that sounded. I have to do Something More, this refrain ran through her mind for the thousandth time, forgetting that she already spent a great deal of her time engaged in political activism. One of her friends had even given her a button that proclaimed, I’m Here To Save The Planet, which she frequently wore,along with her Jail Bush button. She was just about to turn on the tv and watch Dr. Phil when she remembered reading that he made 90 million dollars last year. What had he done with all that money? Chick felt the beginnings of a migraine, though she’d never had one.
She peered into the mirror again, inspecting a suspicious spot on her beak. Why hadn’t she stayed out of the sun when she was younger? Now the “experts” were saying some sun was good for you. It was all so confusing. Though no longer prone to true depression, there were days when Chick could almost see a black cloud above her head. Today had all the earmarks of one of those days.
Her stomach growled, reminding her of the dangers of a drop in blood sugar. I’ve gotta shake off these demons, thought Chick, and, still clad in her nightie, she padded into the kitchen for her morning bowl of cholesterol-lowering oatmeal.
“Oh, fuck it. I’m having a chocolate donut”, said Chick out loud, pulling out the box of Entenman’s hidden behind the canned goods. As she opened her mouth for the first bite, of course that’s when the phone rang. She picked it up out of habit, forgetting to check caller ID. Happily, it was her old friend Pearl’s customarily booming voice blasting in her ear.
“Chick, is that you? What’s shakin’? You’d better be free this weekend ’cause I’m invitin’ you to come to Key West with me!”, yelled Pearl.
Chick’s little heart leaped. A road trip to the keys! She would go, of course she would. It had been years since she’d been there, one of her favorite places in all the world. Her peace plans would have to wait.
“Well, let me think, Pearl. I did have plans on Saturday, but I could change them. I’d love to go”, said Chick. She didn’t want Pearl to think she was a complete dud with zero social life, especially since Pearl had buckets of money, connections, a jet-set lifestyle, and in Chick’s opinion, way too many possessions. In point of fact, Pearl was the poster girl for conspicuous consumption. But Pearl was an old friend, had inherited her millions, and spent lavishly on her pals, her whims, and herself, but pumped a lot of bucks into good causes, too. She lived in a big house on the water in St. Augustine when she wasn’t off traveling the world. The rich were different, yes, but they were still people. with the same hopes, dreams, aspirations, and foibles as the rest of us. In short, they pulled their pants on one leg at a time. What this proved or disproved was an unknown quantity, but it made Chick feel better to think it.

Pearl confirmed the arrangements swiftly. “Fantastic, Chick, I can’t wait to see you! It’s been way too long. I’ll pick you up Friday at 8AM. We’ll have a fabulous dinner at the Blue Heaven and then catch the Sunset. And bring your dancin’ shoes, girl! We are goin’ out!”, shouted Pearl.
And just like that, in the wink of a blink of an eye,Chick’s world turned bright and beautiful. The sun came out, the music came on, and she danced round and round the living room to her favorite Donna The Buffalo CD. And…..life was good.

Next: Paradise