One of Husband’s Parkinson’s disease symptoms is hallucinations. Mostly these are not disturbing and they often feature animals, due to his farming background. So he might see a bull on top of the chest of drawers, or dogs in the corner of the bedroom. It happens outside too; he’ll see livestock grazing in the flower bed; and wild cats on top of the washhouse roof (well, we did used to throw food to them up there!)
It’s as if his memory wants to fill his present (now devoid of so much) with his past (a successful, thriving dairy farmer), and his imagination wants to fill empty spaces with activity, life, movement, animals.
I have become so used to saying “No” when Husband asks questions like, “is that a calf at the end of the bed?” that he and I frequently get the giggles.
I was a bit worried that the birds might trigger even more hallucinations, but, because there are now so many birds, of so many varieties, they seem to have somehow crowded out all of the imagined creatures. Sure, the medication helps, but I give most of the credit to the birds.
Anyway, I didn’t tell Husband or Son about Emery the emu chick. I just brought him home one afternoon and put him in the greenhouse with the Bubbles and the other little ones and in the morning I let them all out to free-range. It wasn’t until the next afternoon, after I’d put Emery and the Bubbles etc. back into the greenhouse for the night that Son spotted him through the glass partition.
“What the hell is that?” he said, his face thunderous, “that better not be an emu!”
“Of course not! One of the Bubbles has just had this amazing growth spurt.” I attempted a smile but it didn’t work.
Son shook his head and turned to go back to the house.
“Don’t tell Dad,” I said, “I want it to be a surprise.”
It was three days before Husband noticed Emery, who had become part of what I called ‘the gang’ – all the baby chicks. Anyway, it was late afternoon and we were sitting outside having a drink when Husband said, “Jules, I think I’m seeing things again. Is that an emu over there?”
Oh what a fantastic thing it was to be able to say, “Yes!”
Note: Even though this is Australia, it is not all that common to have emus as pets.
jmgoyder 
You DO have a wonderful way with words, Julie. I haven’t read your book, but I’m keen to get a copy.
Tell me – just what are you going to do with the emu when it grows up?
Well, Emery is going to end up being about my height so I will be able to kiss him on the back of his neck without having to crouch down to do so. Other than that, he can just run around like he does now – plenty of room!
Julie, this is simply beautiful, and birds are the closest to pure spirit.
I never really thought of it like that but, yes, this must be why I have become so ‘birdish’! It’s the wings I think, although Emery, of course, doesn’t have any, except metaphorically.
How lovely to have a pet emu! Hope it’s nothing like the one Rod Hull had 🙂
Let’s hope not!
I had no idea that was a Parkinson’s symptom. Wow, you could totally use that to your advantage – as you seem to have figured out!
Yes, it’s a surreal situation sometimes!
Loved this. ~ L
Thanks!