by Cecilia Diaz

Created on: June 19, 2008

Councilman Redding paused in the lobby of city hall before stepping out of the building. Through the thick glass doors, he could see the small mob of reporters and cameras waiting for him. The mob reminded him of a band of vultures ready to pounce on him, to finish him off. The rest of the council members had already taken their bites. He had not agreed with them when they tried to take money for a new project to protect the wildlife at the edge of the city and use it instead for another project to build a new state of the art, automated parking garage. They all but called him an idiot living in the past who refused to move forward into the world of technology. He tried to appeal to their humanitarian compassion by reminding them of the people, mostly senior citizens who operated the booths. The workers not only arrived to work every day willingly and cheerfully, but they also worked for minimum wages. He could not make the other council members understand that not only would the people suffer, but also the wildlife that inhabited the last bit of land at the edge of a city thriving and proud of its technological achievements. Without his vote, the council was not able to pass the building of the new state of the art parking garage.

As the doors to the elevators opened, Councilman Redding heard cries coming from inside the elevator. The cries dominoed through the lobby. He threw himself to the floor along with the small group of people around him. What could be causing all of this commotion? Was it a gunman? What was happening? Then he heard the sound. It was the sound of the flapping of wings. A bird flew frantically past his head toward the glass doors. With a loud thud, the bird hit the doors then fell panting to the ground. It was not hurt, only stunned. the councilman reached for the door and held it open for the bird. The bird regained its senses and flew through the open door to freedom.

Councilman Redding suddenly knew what he was going to say to the press. Such a lesson taught by something as small as a bird who had found its way into a building with no way out until someone lifted a hand to help was very clear in the council member's mind. He straightened up, adjusted his tie and walked out into the crowd of reporters and cameras. They no longer looked like a band of vultures to him but as the means to communicate his intentions to the public who trusted him to make decisions on their behalf.

Learn more about this author, Cecilia Diaz.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.