Three weeks ago, my dad presented me with the most beautiful gift, two Lovebirds whom I named Cutie and Sweetie. Initially, they were shy around each other but soon, became friendly. And before I knew it, they were canoodling. It was such an adorable sight, watching them daily as they fed and preened each other.

But then, yesterday, the unthinkable happened. I was seated in the hall watching my dad feeding the birds. And then, on a whim, he caught hold of Sweetie and took him out of the cage to pet him. “Dad, what are you…” but before I could finish my sentence, Sweetie broke free of my dad’s grip and frantically flew up to the ceiling, towards the balcony window, and into the open air. Just like that, he was gone! My father and I were stunned for a moment. And then we tore out of our seats and dashed towards the balcony window. Sweetie was nowhere to be seen. At once, a flood of negative emotions hit me: ‘How silly of my father to have taken Sweetie out of the cage when the windows were all open! What was he thinking? We lived on the eighth floor of a high-rise building. The bird had been with us for only a few weeks; there was no way it would be able to find its bearings. What if it got caught by predatory birds?’ I was angry, confused and panic-stricken.

Then I remembered the importance of staying positive. So with great effort, I brushed aside the unsavoury thoughts and feelings. I retreated to a corner, calmed the chaos in my mind, and appealed to the Higher Powers to bring back my lovely bird. I closed my eyes and visualised Sweetie returning home and rejoining Cutie back in the cage. ‘Sweetie is definitely coming back! Sweetie is definitely coming back!’ I kept repeating these words like a mantra. However, as the hours wore on and nightfall arrived with no sign of Sweetie, I felt my faith wavering. I looked at Cutie, so forlorn in her cage, and experienced a rush of sadness. I began to cry. Oh, how I missed Sweetie. And then, it dawned on me! Ever since the birds had arrived, I had, unknowingly, been partial to Cutie, always commenting on how adorable she looked and how lucky I was to have her, sidelining Sweetie in the process. Of course, it hadn’t been my intention to ignore Sweetie but that was what had happened. Perhaps, this brief separation was necessary to make me value Sweetie even more. “Yes, I would definitely shower Sweetie with equal affection when he came back,” I promised. With that, I retired to bed.

This morning, we had all the windows opened wide, waiting expectantly for our bird to return. Cutie, too, called out eagerly to her friend, but her chirps appeared to be falling on deaf ears. I, however, refused to give up hope; I stuck to my belief that somehow, Sweetie would return.

A few hours went by and then my dad said he thought he had seen Sweetie hanging on a low tree branch below. He was going to take the cage downstairs. Perhaps, the bird might attempt to enter the cage once it saw Cutie. As he left, I hoped and prayed for a miracle.

A good twenty minutes passed and then I heard the sound of my front door opening. My father was back. I looked down at the cage and nearly fainted with surprise! Sweetie was in there with Cutie!!!! I couldn’t believe my eyes. My father was beaming as well. He told me that he had been approached by someone below. This someone lived on an apartment one floor above us. He had seen my father looking up at the tree and asked if he was searching for a small green bird. My father was obviously surprised and replied in the affirmative. The man then said that the bird was with him! It had flown into his apartment last evening. He had managed to catch it and kept it safely in a cage. Dad couldn’t believe his luck! Some power had sent the man to the exact spot where my father had been sitting. The man then took my dad up to his house and returned the bird. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you so very much!

We were so thrilled and grateful to have Sweetie back! He had come back to me just the way I had visualised. I was ecstatic and kept telling Sweetie just how much I loved him. Cutie too, was thrilled to have her partner back and cuddled up to him. It made for such a lovely sight to see the Lovebirds back together! I wasted no time in thanking God for fulfilling my wish. I also sent thanks to the kind man who had kept my bird safe. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

As I pen these final words, to the accompaniment of the melodic voices of my feathery friends, I bring to mind the saying: “Miracles happen to those who believe”. Believe, without a shadow of a doubt, and your every request, your every wish will become a thing of reality. I hope my story has fuelled your motivation to stay true to your dreams! Best wishes and love to all!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!