As I was walking up the stairs, I ran into Old Srino, a neighbour who lives on the same floor as me. He was still with his parrot. He is always with him. He’s had him for years and they`re always together. The bird has had a skin disease – mange, I think it`s called – which makes him lose almost all his feathers and leaves him covered in reddish patches and brown scabs. Because they`ve lived together for so long in one little room, old Srino has ended up looking like his bird. He also has reddish scabs on his face and yellowish, thinning hair.
Like any animal the bird has taken on some of his owners characteristics: hunched up, with his neck sticking out and the muscles tensed. They look like they`re related and yet they hate each other. Twice a day, at eleven O `clock and six o`clock, the old man carries the cage out with the bird inside down to the pavement for a change of air; for eight years, they haven’t changed their routine. You can see Srino walking down to the cafe', the bird call out the old man slams the cage and curses him. He tugs the cage home, sweating and cursing. This happens two or three times on their excursions.
As soon as the bird has forgotten and sees the open cage he hops out and performs his ablutions. This pulls his master’s rag again and he curses and rattles the bars. Then the two of them stand still on the pavement and look at each other, the bird with terror, and the old man with hatred. It`s the same every day. And now the bird is lost the Old man is the one who is terrified.
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