I found a somewhat sheltered spot underneath and behind the largest tree, now bare of its leaves, and spread out my cloak as a blanket. From here, I could see only glimpses of the ocean; mostly I saw the shaded road I had taken and a more secluded pathway leading further on. For the first quarter-hour or so, I simply delighted in the day, the sweetness of the jam, the crispness of Susannah’s bread, the quiet call of a bird not far away. I assumed that it would be a scavenger, looking for crumbs, one of the raucous gulls so familiar to coastal dwellers. I turned and looked, and my face lit up in wonder.
Not fifty feet away, settled on an isolated outcropping, my eyes took in the majesty and grace of an albatross. Twice while growing up, I had heard tales of these birds of good fortune, these long-journeying travelers who spend their lives riding the wind. But only sailors had ever caught a glimpse. Albatross almost never come in to land, except on distant, craggy islands where they mate for life and raise their young. Why was this one here? I watched in wonder, trying to see if it was injured. Fortunately, it gave the impression of peaceful resting, without pain or trouble. Then it turned its head and looked right at me, fixing me with a direct and clear stare.
And suddenly I saw things from his perspective, the memory of a long sea-journey, broken only by feeding and the brief riding of waves when the wind was too still to carry him further. The memories held a mesmerizing quality: sea and wind and sky, sea and wind and sky, sea and wind and sky . . . And then, unexpectedly, a boat, a small dinghy with five figures, bedraggled, careworn, thin, and shivering. They look up as he passes, and one of the men finds the strength to smile: “An albatross means good luck, you know.” And once again, sea and wind and sky, sea and wind and sky.
The albatross blinks, and I am back on the promontory. I am struck by his self-contained beauty, by a grace of solitude and peace with himself. I expect him to be troubled by my presence, yet somehow his gaze feels like benediction, an extending of his own peace to encircle and embrace me. “Consider the birds of the air . . .” I think, and then discard it. This is so clearly a bird of the sea, with a deeper, more resonant way about him than his tree-dwelling cousins. He is not hurried or troubled. Time means little; his ways are tidal, decided by air currents and temperatures. And journeying is his lifework. I want to reach out, to stroke the feathers of this wise and gentle creature. I realize that my hand has already extended, slowly, carefully.
The albatross cocks his head, puzzled for a moment, though not threatened. I have nothing to offer, only my fascination. As though on cue, his wings suddenly extend, broad and bold and beautiful. Ah! I expect him to launch on the wind and head seaward once more, but instead he takes a short, rather awkward flight and comes to rest just inches in front of me. Grace: grace of movement, grace of presence, the grace of a creature so fully in tune with himself, with his surroundings. He fixes two brilliant eyes on me once more and settles his wings back in, tucking them with a flourish. I almost expect him to speak.
I smile, a radiant smile of a kind I have not known since my sister’s death. It is as though he calls it forth from me, this joy, this sense of being fully here, now, in this place, in the right place. We are born of different worlds, and yet somehow there is communion, a meeting in this sun-blessed moment of autumn light. I notice that he has a distinctive marking just past the crown of his head: several dark feathers among the shining white, shaped somewhat like a shell.
Without thinking, I begin to sing, an old hymn my mother taught me one day long ago that speaks of the sea and long journeys, of the God who never forsakes even in storm. I do not know if I am singing to the bird or to God or to myself, but the words themselves lift me in spirit like wings on my heart, words of praise, of truth, of the certainty of sea and of storm and yet of faith within and through it all. I sense that the bird rests in the sound of the song, watching, receiving, loving. How can it be loving? And yet there is a deep, abiding sense of being connected to this giant-winged beauty for this moment, this space, ours alone.
I sing all the verses I know, wishing there were more. I repeat the first verse, coming full circle, a tidal turn, a coming home. And then silence: a long, rich silence that is both a listening and a speaking. I do not know his language and he does not speak mine, but we find kinship in this place apart.
I extend my other arm, as though I too were a bird, reaching for the sky. I realize as he extends his wings that his reach outdistances mine by several feet. What majesty! Then he nods his head in my direction and releases a plaintive, heart-rending sound: a hymn to sea and storm, to wind and journeys home.
And then he is running, running away down the promontory, leaping to catch the wind as it rises to receive him, bearing him onward and away. I stand to watch, to gaze in wonder at this grace-filled flight, this mystery of wind and feather and the artistry of God. After the first flapping movements, he settles in, riding, gliding, soaring; it seems so easy and yet it is the work of great strength, of muscles and sinews shaped just so to receive the wind-swells and vagaries of thermals.
I walk closer to the cliff’s edge, mindful of my own risk and yet needing to see him for as long as I may. It takes my breath away, this windborne dance, this wistful ride, this lonely wanderer who is not alone. Can’t I come with you?
I watch until the albatross is a faint speck in the distance, a whisper of wings over wave. I blink to clear the tears and realize I can no longer see him.
I sit back down under the tree, lost in wonder and a surprising grief. The encounter replays itself on my mind’s eye, and I smile. I have been blessed by beauty, by something far beyond my careworn, circumscribed world. I feel the fatigue of days and stretch out for a nap. In my brief dreams I also skim the sea on strong, silent wings, ever journeying.
I awake with a start and realize that I need to make my way homeward. Susannah will be worried. I pack up my things and then look toward the spot where I first saw the albatross. Among the rocky outcroppings, something shines. Carefully, picking my way over sharp stones, I make my way to the spot. And there, alongside bits of shell and seaweed, is a pearl. I pick it up and balance it in my palm; it reminds me of the bright eye of the albatross, gazing at me with intensity and interest. It seems he has left me a gift, something by which to remember this meeting. I place the pearl in my pocket and find my way back home.
Allan came for a visit in mid-autumn, wanting to check on our provisions and preparations for winter. He was pleased at how my presence and work had allowed Susannah to be ready sooner, and he showed his gratitude with an offer. “Would you like to come with me to town, Brie? Perhaps there are some things you would like to see or do or buy.” I remembered my own village, the stares and distrust, the whispers and doubt. But then I realized that no one would know me in this new place. Surely a short visit need not have any incident. I agreed, and at the end of Allan’s visit, I left with him for Lanford.
We talked little on the day’s journey on horseback, lost each in our own thoughts, I suppose. I wondered whether Allan were recalling rides with Anna; his gaze held a bittersweet look that was full of reminiscence. By sunset we were on the edge of town, hearing the shouts of children playing, the rumble of cart wheels in rutted roads.
I was to stay with a pair of unwed sisters not far from Allan’s parsonage. Their sweet hospitality encircled me, and I slept easily that night. No dreams, not even the rush of wings. In the morning light I smiled to myself. Perhaps the struggles of my early life need not characterize the days to come.
Rachel and Bronwyn invited me to walk with them to market after our modest morning meal. The wind was chilly and dark clouds scudded above, but the mood of the townspeople was lively; market day afforded a break in the routine, abundant color and energy, and sometimes, welcome treasures. I felt impressed by the scope of the market: bigger and brighter and more varied than anything I had known at home. No one really noticed me, intent on their own search for provisions and for deals as the dark sky boded winter’s approach.
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