One of the first things I saw, while visiting the Second Home lodge, was this
scrawny little chicken roaming the place. Very confidently. It seemed at home
there. Not afraid of the children, not afraid of the staff. Just very, very
comfortable. Our manager Marie had this little chicks eye, wherever she went.
After laughing over this chicken catching flies (like
a dog chasing its tail) and ants (nearly breaking its beak on the pavement) and
sleeping on a self appointed bed (the handle bars of a wheelchair) for a couple
of days, I asked Marie about this special chicken.
She happily shared the story. While picking up the
brothers Ibrahim and Bakary at their home for the first time, their father gave
Marie a chicken, as a thank you for the help Marie was offering him. Now this in
itself is a very unusual thing and a reason for celebration. He was the first
one of the parents to give us anything. Ever. He still gives Marie things for
the home or the other children. Every single time the boys are picked up.
He told Marie the chicken was full of eggs. And surely
enough. The chicken laid a large clutch of eggs at Second Home. They all
hatched!
The little chicks and their mother where transported
to a neighbours’ henhouse, to keep them safe. The children collect the eggs
there each morning. Most of the chickens found the henhouse delightful and are
very happy there.
Except one little chicken.
The morning after Marie brought the new chicks to the neighbors’
place, there it was. Outside of the
door. Waiting for Marie. So, she fed the chicken some left over rice and took
it back to the neighbours’ henhouse. The next day the chicken was waiting for
her at the door again. She smiled and took the chicken back again.
This went on for four days. At which point, Marie gave
in.
The little chicken is now very happily living at the
lodge. Every morning Marie and the chicken have a conversation as the chicken
has breakfast. The chicken is watching over Marie and Marie is watching over
the chicken. It is part of the family now.
wat een mooi verhaal over een kip Doet mij denken aan onze kip Alice, die we ziek als zij was, in een doos op het balkon verzorgden. Nu, negen jaar later: Alice is niet meer.
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