Loneliness
The elderly man’s loneliness had created quite a predicament for everybody. But could he be blamed?
It’s a difficult position to be in when he had no one to go home to after his wife had passed away.
So the nurse that took pity on him did open the window to let the bird in. But she had no idea what she had done.
A Dark Omen
The man would at first think that the pigeon just wanted his company and attention.
But there was something he hadn’t considered while he lay there on the hospital bed.
The pigeon would become a dark omen for the man, and soon he feared for his life. Was this just superstition and the work of hoaxes? Or was this man in imminent danger?
Dillon Richardson
Dillon Richardson had seen and done nearly everything in his long life.
At the age of eighty, the man felt that most of his life was behind him, and now he’d just enjoy life as a pensioner taking it easy.
With his wife passing away ten years prior, he lived a solitary life. He even admitted to himself that he got lonely from time to time. But he had no idea that things would change drastically.
No Family Nearby
Even though Dillon went to the pub occasionally to see old friends from his younger years, he longed for family.
He was the youngest of three children and the only sibling still alive.
As for kids and grandchildren, they had moved far away by the time Dillon had turned 50 years old. This meant he hadn’t seen any of his family for 30 years! But an unlikely companion was about to arrive in his life.
A Strange Sound
Dillon sat alone in his home, enjoying his microwave dinner and history documentary on the TV.
That’s when he heard a strange sound knocking against his window. He got up and walked to the curtain.
He drew the curtain to reveal something he didn’t expect. At first, he thought it was a good thing, but he was very wrong.
A Pigeon
Dillon stood with his mouth hanging open. Of all things, there was a pigeon sitting on his window, busy knocking.
“The poor bugger must be hungry.” He thought to himself. He decided to feed the bird a bit of bread from his kitchen.
After the bird had finished eating, it stared at him from the windowsill. He walked back to his recliner couch and continued watching his show, unaware of what he had just done.
Thought It Was Friendly
Dillon thought that the pigeon was just looking for some food and maybe a little company.
Being as lonely as he was, he welcomed having the bird in his life. Over the next few days, it became a routine.
He fed the bird every day and watched TV with him. He decided to name the pigeon Roosevelt. But Roosevelt had more in store for him than he knew.
A Sudden Pain
Dillon had enjoyed the company of the pigeon for the better part of a week before the complications began.
Without having any pets, Roosevelt was the only thing he had for company.
But that would all change one day when Dillon felt a sudden pain in his chest. It would have him wondering what was really going on.
Hitting The Floor
One evening, Dillon clutched his chest. He knew something wasn’t right as he felt the pain shooting through his chest.
He managed to get to his phone and call 911 before he fell to the floor.
The last thing that Dillon saw before he passed out was Roosevelt. He was his only companion, but the old man still was unaware of how convenient it was that the bird was there when he collapsed.
Taking The Ambulance
Thankfully, an ambulance arrived at Dillon’s house and quickly loaded him inside.
They took him to the nearest hospital where he could get the lifesaving treatment he needed.
At the time, no one knew what had caused his collapse. But Dillon would soon have his hunches after regaining consciousness. And they would only be reinforced by what the nurse told him.
Waking Up
Dillon woke up with a nasty headache. When he felt his head, it was bandaged.
He must have hit his head when he hit the floor, but that was only the start of his problems.
A nurse quickly came to his side. He asked what had happened to him, and she explained that they would have to wait for his test results to come back to know for sure. But what the nurse said next made his blood run cold.
A Visitor
He asked the nurse how long he had been out. “Just an hour or two.
Long enough for a friend to stop by and check up on you.” She said teasingly. Dillon furrowed his brow in confusion.
The nurse explained that he talked in his sleep. He had mentioned a pigeon named Roosevelt while he was unconscious. But what she said next was truly unbelievable.
Sat By The Window
She went on to say how he talked fondly of the bird, and not a few moments after he was wheeled into the hospital room, a pigeon roosted on the windowsill.
She deduced that it must have been the same pigeon that he was speaking about in his dream. Was it really possible?
Dillon didn’t know what to think, he wanted to run out of the room, but he wasn’t in any state to do so.
Other Possibilities
The nurse left Dillon alone. He was used to solitary life before Roosevelt appeared in his life.
But the bird wasn’t on the windowsill now. Where had he gone if he’d really followed him to the hospital?
Then Dillon pondered other possibilities. Maybe Roosevelt wasn’t as innocent as he appeared to be. If he was right, he knew that he’d be in big trouble.
Folklore
Being as old as Dillon was, he had heard many stories in his life. He remembered most of them, especially folklore.
He took a keen interest in different cultures and their associated omens.
But that’s when he felt like suddenly he was living in one of those stories. He drew startling comparisons between Roosevelt and a story he had read a long time ago.
Death Birds
Many different cultures around the world believe in death birds.
These are birds that are able to give the premonition that death is around the corner.
Dillon had heard crazy ones like if two doves are seen in a tree, a daughter will be born, and a son will die. He didn’t believe in any of them until he thought about one story that sounded too similar to his.
A Comparison
Dillon thought of an old wives’ tale that he had heard all through the mid-twentieth century.
It is said that if a bird lands on your windowsill and you fall into bad health, it could be that you’ll soon die.
He remembered a stipulation. The bird had to land on the bedpost of the sick individual to seal their fate. Dillon took solace in the fact that the bird was trapped outside. That was until one of the nurses did the unbelievable.
Trying To Get Comfortable
Dillon thought that he might as well make himself comfortable while he was stuck in the hospital bed.
He thanked the heavens that his pension included a medical plan which meant that his bills would be covered at least.
He even enjoyed talking to the nurses. It had been so long since he’d had a proper conversation with anyone since he was so isolated in his house. This is where Roosevelt came up.
The Pigeon
The nurse who had initially told him that Roosevelt visited him asked about him again.
Dillon didn’t want the nurse to think he was crazy, so he didn’t tell her about his superstitions.
He instead just explained how he had met the pigeon and named him after feeding him for around a week. But if he had known what she was about to do next, he would have laid everything bare.
Blissfully Unaware
Dillon took a midday nap, as he normally did at home.
But while he was sleeping soundly, the nurse came back into his room and noticed Roosevelt watching him through the window. She noticed that he had something in his mouth and thought it was important.
This is where things took a drastic turn. Dillon was blissfully unaware of the nurse opening the window next to him. Dillon would get the shock of his life after waking up.
Letting Him In
The nurse thought that she would be doing Dillon a favor. He had named the pigeon after all, so surely he liked his company?
But what convinced the nurse more than anything was that he had something in his mouth.
It was a pigeon, not a magpie, but she still had a gut feeling that what she was doing was the right thing, even if Dillon would have pleaded with her not to if he was conscious.
Waking Up
The nurse had left the room after opening the window. A little while later, Dillon woke up from his pleasant dreams to a face he didn’t expect to see.
Roosevelt was sitting on his hospital bedpost, staring at him.
It was just like in the story he remembered. His blood ran cold as he stared back at the bird. He had no idea who did the wicked deed.
Facing His Fears
Dillon sat up in his bed and stared at Roosevelt. If only he had known that he’d be in this predicament a week ago.
He could have ignored the knocking on his window and avoided all of this.
Even though it was difficult, Dillon was facing his fears head-on. He accepted whatever fate the bird had given him. Then the nurse came into the room with a report in her hand.
His Test Results
The nurse came into the room with Dillon’s test results.
She smiled at the pigeon and was about to give him the news before he cut her off. “How did he get in here? The omen was true!”
“What omen?” The nurse said before giving him the news. “I let him in here because it was obvious that he really wanted to see you. Anyway, I have your report here.” Dillon’s eyes went wide. He was ready for the terrible diagnosis.
A Good Diagnosis
“Your diagnosis is good! You just passed out due to low blood sugar. You should be more aware of that in the future!”
The nurse happily told Dillon. But he didn’t understand. He was sure that he remembered the old story correctly.
Then the nurse explained more details that she thought Dillon was aware of. But it would only create more confusion in the old man’s head.
Taking A Photo
The nurse told Dillon that she had taken a photo of the bird sitting on the windowsill watching him.
She showed the photo to the staff around the hospital, and it was an instant hit.
Nurses, patients, and doctors all resonated with the idea of the bird caring enough to visit the old man while he was sick. But it didn’t end there. The nurse had taken things a step further.
Social Media
The nurse decided to post the photo on social media for thousands of people to see.
In a matter of hours, hundreds of people all commented on the heartwarming photo. The nurse decided to read some of the charming comments to Dillon.
Dillon was still shocked at his prognosis and sat up in his bed, listening to what the nurse had to say. But there was something else that no one had told Dillon.
Comments
One commenter said, “I’m an old widower, estranged from my children and a pigeon lover and breeder for the majority of my life, so this story really touched my heart.
Thank you for your sharing.”
Another said, “That was very heartwarming. I’m retired, and a pensioner and have spent my time every day feeding the birds and local Foxes for the past several years. It gives me great satisfaction as it allows me to connect with nature.” But there was still something that Dillon had to know about.
Didn’t Arrive Empty Handed
After reading the post’s comments, the nurse also told Dillon about one of the deciding factors of letting the bird into his hospital room.
It wasn’t policy to let wild animals into hospitals, but she made an exception for one special reason.
Roosevelt had flown a far way to see his friend and even managed to figure out what room he was in. But even more stunning than that was that he didn’t come empty-handed – or rather empty-beaked.
Brought An Item
“I noticed that he had something in his beak when he landed on the windowsill. It was shiny, and I could tell that it must have been something important, so I let him inside.” The nurse explained.
Dillon looked over at the end table next to his bed and picked up the shiny metal object. He recognized it immediately. It was his wife’s, and he thought he’d lost it after she died. “How on earth did Roosevelt find this?” Dillon said to himself, tears rolling down his cheeks.
In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.
