Flicker on the Roof

 In a time that was much like the time we are in now but not quite, there lived a little boy and girl. They were brother and sister and while they got along most of the time, they didn't see eye to eye every minute of the day. Their names were Delilah and Kieran.

They lived in a big blue house on the corner of their street. They had a husky dog, a tabby cat and 4 guppy fish they helped their Mom and Dad take care of. On this particular morning Delilah and Kieran were having breakfast at the table. The whole family was up early because they had a visitor on their roof again. For the last 3 mornings, a sound was waking them up as soon as the sun came up. The sound was kind of like someone drumming really fast on a metal drum or using a bell as punching bag. Finally, their parents had decided to do something about it.

Kieran and Delilah's Dad was sitting across from them with his hair all messed up, squinting at his laptop and only a couple of sips into his first coffee. Their dog, Sequoia, was at his feet. She was ready to go inspect the situation on the roof as well. 

"A Northern Flicker!" He shouted out. "There is a Flicker on our roof."

"What are you talking about, Dad?" Kieran asked his Dad quizzically. . 

"The Northern Flicker is a bird! It is part of the Woodpecker family and it will find the metal on your roof and bang around on it to find a mate and mark it's territory." He explained. "Well, this MY territory. We will have to tell that bird to take a hike!"

After breakfast they watched their Dad get out all of his required equipment to venture onto the roof. Kieran and Delilah were not planning to let him have all the fun so they were silently concocting their own plan. While they knew they would not be able to go on the roof, they wanted to catch some of the action from the tree in their back yard. Kieran ran up to his room and grabbed his binoculars and a magnifying glass and put them in a bag. Delilah was loading up a couple snacks into her backpack and a juice box because she had a feeling this would all be a bit boring and she could at least munch on some snacks in the tree. They put on warm sweaters because it wasn't cold enough for a jacket but too cold for a t-shirt.

Kieran and Delilah watched from the base of the ladder as their Dad ascended the roof. Their Mom opened the window and poked her head out. 

"Please don't hurt the poor bird, Honey. They are such beautiful animals and he is only doing what nature is telling him to." She said.

"I just want to chase him off and then put some of these spikes around the metal chimney cap. I don't want anyone nesting in the roof." He replied, holding up some spiked tacks he had in his tool belt. 

The kids watched their Dad carefully walk up the roof, look around for the bird, without success, and then started heading over to the chimney cap. They figured this was a good time to climb up the apple tree in the back yard and watch. Kieran and Delilah perched on the biggest branch, where they could see the chimney perfectly. Kieran took out his binoculars and Delilah unpacked her juice box. Just as she was about to poke the straw through the hole at the top, she heard a sharp noise "Kier" "Kier". This was what some people called her brother as a nickname. Delilah looked around but didn't see anyone.

"Kieran, did you hear that noise?" She asked.

"Yeah! It sounded like my name." Kieran replied.

This time, when they heard the call again, they saw the bird. It sounded like the Flicker was saying Kieran's name. "Kier, Kier". It was perched on the lowest part of the roof and looking right at them. Their Dad was still busy beside the chimney, putting up some spikes and didn't notice or hear the bird. Kieran grabbed his binoculars to get a better look but as he did, the Flicker took a dive and flew to the apple tree. Now that he was sitting a few branches below them, they could get a really good look at him. He had spotted feathers on his belly and back, with orange wings and a red patch on his head. He was almost as big as a small crow.  He was a really handsome looking bird. They could see something on his back. Like a little strap. Kieran got out his magnifying glass and tried to get a bit closer.

There was a very small saddle and strap on his back. Could that even be? Did this bird have a very small rider? The Flicker was looking right at them, not looking away. 

"Hi Mr Flicker." Delilah said, holding out her hand with some crackers.

The bird took one hop up a branch, closer to them. Kieran grabbed a few crackers and held them out for the Flicker too. The bird took another hop up and was just a branch away now. He rested his belly down on the branch and as he did, a rather big stink bug climbed down his back from the saddle. 

"Oh my, what a journey." The stink bug squeaked. "You have no idea how long we have been trying to reach you.”

"Us?" Kieran whispered. He didn't know how to speak to bugs so a whisper seemed like a good choice. The Flicker took a few crackers out of his hand.

"Yes! My name is Mortimer, but you can call me Morty and I am a Halymorpha Halys, better known as a stink bug. This is my friend, Fen." He explained, gesturing to the Flicker. "He was the one calling you and banging around on your roof these last few days. I need your help! It’s very important." 

Kieran and Delilah couldn’t speak. They couldn’t move. They both sat in total amazement on the tree branch. Delilah looked down to see that she had clenched the juice box so tightly, it was squeezed out and juice was all over her. 

“My wife is trapped in your house! She is stuck between your screen and window. Second floor, three doors to the right.”  Morty shrieked. “I’m afraid she won’t make it much longer!”

The kids snapped out of their shock. This was an emergency. They raced down the tree and as they ran towards the house, they saw Fen fly to a window sill on the second floor. That was their Dads office window. Kieran and Delilah ran up the stairs and over to the office window and sure enough, there was a bug trapped inside. Kieran removed the screen gently. The poor stink bug was moving slowly but still moving. Morty and Fen watched from the window sill, looking worried.

“I don’t want to pick up a stink bug” Delilah said. “They stink!”

“Oh, don’t be silly. This is a rescue mission.” Kieran replied as he scooped the bug carefully into his hand.

The kids returned to the base of the apple tree as Morty and Fen flew over, landing on the lowest branch beside them. Kieran placed the rescued bug on the branch and Morty climbed down from the bird’s back once more. 

“My wife! Is she ok?” Morty called out. 

“I’m ok Morty.” Said a quiet voice. “Thank you for saving me.” She looked at the kids.

“This is my wife, Seraphina.” Morty cried . “You got her just in time. Thank you.”

Morty explained that one night when it was quite cold out, they ventured inside seeking shelter. They loved it in the big blue house because it was warm and they could hear sounds of joy and laughter. Sometimes the family would leave out strawberry stems and crumbs which they could nibble on. It was heaven on earth. But then as they were attempting to leave and go back outside when the weather improved, Seraphina got stuck. Morty knew his friend Fen would help him out so he dug up the old saddle from when they were younger and wilder guys. Then the two friends set about trying to alarm the family inside for help. 

Delilah and Kieran were so happy they could reunite the bugs and even happier to be acquainted with them. Seraphina and Morty climbed onto the saddle on Fens back, waved goodbye and thanked them again. They all took off down the street and out of view. 

The next morning everyone slept in. Their Mom and Dad were not cranky and everyone was well rested.

"Not to toot my own horn but if you need a bird off your roof, I am your guy!" Their Dad exclaimed, pouring his morning coffee. "Who needs pest control when you've got me?"

Delilah and Kieran giggled into their cereal.