Hummingbird

A (very) short story of Otto, a young boy with Autism.

     The quiet hum of the forest was soothing to the boy. He stayed here often, almost always, just listening to the humming. The frogs, crickets, woodpeckers, with their everyday movements and routines, were the cause for much of the noise; however, that is not what Otto was hearing that intrigued him most.

 

     As was said, he came here frequently, but today, instead of sitting and listening to the noise, he decided to follow it. There was a path branching off to the left from where he was standing, the small hollow in the woods now seemed far behind him as he began following this unknown noise. As he walked, no sound came from his feet, only the continued hum heard from every corner of the wood.

     He soon passed the tree he and his mother had their afternoon picnics underneath, before she became sick. She thought the air and life of the forest was good for her and Otto, and they came in the hot summers, spending eternities together under the cool leaves. Their hours were spent in near silence due to Otto's condition. He was non-verbal, but nothing needed to be said, for he said it all he needed to through his drawings. He drew dozens of pictures while in the woods with his mother, usually of the things around them, the birds, the trees, and such. His mother always admired the hummingbirds on their picnics. She commented on the beauty and elegance of each one, and had even set up hummingbird feeders at their home to draw them in, and watch them them when they were not on their little adventures in the woods. Otto saw the look of wonderment on her face when the birds came near. This, naturally, gave Otto an admiration for the creatures that brought his mother such joy.

      When she became more sick, they moved the feeders directly outside of her window so she could watch them while bedridden. Otto did not understand what was happening to his mother, only that there were constantly nurses, and doctors, making visits, and the occasional family member or neighbor. Then, one day, everyone was there, to see his mother. He had never seen so many people in their home. They came with hugs, food, all while bearing the same barren expression. 

     Otto still walked, the humming growing, knowing not where the path led, but following none the less. Soon the trail spread into another small hollow, and there she was. She was sitting on the blanket they brought for their afternoon picnics. Birds buzzed around her, and Otto thought she looked more beautiful than he ever remembered. He sat at her side, and watched the hummingbirds, and he was content. He wondered where she had been, but did not bother to inquire, he was only happy she was there.

      The boy stared blankly at the picture he was drawing. It was a blue and green hummingbird. The window AC unit hummed loudly in his ear as he sat in the white hospital room with it's walls covered in sketches of hummingbirds. Hundreds of them. 

      The air conditioner continued to hum.

       A nurse walked in, followed by a doctor. The nurse had a clipboard, which she scribbled something down before turning to the doctor to say, "There's been no improvement in communication. He only sits by the air conditioner, and draws these pictures everyday.”

     The doctor replied with a sincere question, “I wonder why the hummingbirds?”

   The air conditioner continued to hum.

Reviews

[Woody]

Watching or reading about children suffering from autism, or any other ailment for that matter, is heart wrenching. this is a nice little story. I like the way you ended it. good job.