The Crow Capers - part 5

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Clarence gulped and shook out his feathers.  He recognised the situation all too well.  His parents had been arguing and he was being made the scapegoat.

Okay, so he did go down the track a little too fast now and then. Yes, he did allow the other crows to practice their feather-drawing attack plans on him.  ...all in all he had to admit he was everybody's whipping boy, including for his folks.

"I may not be able to face up to chasing eagles like the others, but at least I help them get expert by practicing on me first!"  was the lame retort he had for Colin's accusation and not-so-veiled threats.  Dancing from leg to leg in his discomfort he blurted out, "and at least I don't let some woman keep calling me other names all the time!"

Colin glared at his son for a short, but very hard, moment. He was prepared to go into defence of his wife, but Cara's head popped up and her eyes beaded them both. Colin tried to find a friend in the distance. Cara was perfectly capable of defending herself.

"WHAT?!"

Clarence shuffled. His mother's wrath was quite something to behold. Then he heard the parrots having a cackle at his and Colin's expense.

"HARHARHAHRHHAHRHHARHHH - do you hear that Preity?  That Cara has been calling Colin all the names in the neighbourhood again!  HARHAHHRHHARHHHAHRHAHRHAR - does she play with more than one then?  Look out Colin, Clive might make a dive!!"

Colin stared up at the parrots then back at Cara.  "Who is Clive?"

Cara threw her head back and gave a long, dry, hard cackle.  "I don't knooooooooowwwwwwww!"

Colin pondered for a while.  In the heat of the argument, he knew that Cara would use his full names; but sometimes, he remembered now, she would get it wrong. But who was Clive? He swallowed with difficulty.  Slowly it was dawning on  him.  He looked at Cara.  Then at Clarence, who tried to look as nonchalant as possible. "Wait, isn't Clive that idiot you hang around with son?"

…tbc!  Come back Thursday for the conclusion of the Crow Capers, where-in Colin comes to terms, Cara makes amends and Clarence kow-tows!

© Yamini Ali MacLean 2013