The Blue Tit

Standing at the doorway to the gymnasium in the shadows of the big, old trees, that surrounded the schoolyard like an enormous green wall, Candice beheld a lovely little Blue Tit which was eagerly hopping across the concreted surface. Spring at last! The sun was shining brightly from the sky, the new leaves whispering in the faint, mild wind, and busy insects were flying to and fro, filling the air with buzzing and humming. Children, now most of them didn't wear a coat anymore, were playing cheerfully on the schoolyard, chatting, or chasing each another. Even the teachers seemed to be much more relaxed at this first warm day of the year.1

Candice was waiting for her friends. Impatiently she behold the second hand of her watch, and was getting more and more nervous. After lunch break they had to write an English test, the last big test for the year, and this year her grades had been far from good. She didn't know why she'd got so bad grades, actually English wasn't a big deal; this year, however, everything went wrong. It probably was a mix of slips, too less preparation and some misunderstandings that had lead too her poor result. Now she knew that she had to perform well this time, otherwise a C on her report card would have been inevitable. Alone the notion of it let her wince. She wasn't really an A-Student, but a C would have been just too depressing.2

The little Blue Tit was hopping closer to her, chirping a merry melody. Apparently he was looking for some worm, but the schoolyard with its concreted ground was an inappropriate place for it.3

Eventually Candice took her sandwich that her mom had made for lunch break, and broke off some little crumbs. She didn't feel like eating anything, in fact, her belly felt terrible. “Let's just write this stupid test,” she thought to herself while glancing at her watch again. She then threw the crumbs on the floor, wondering what would happen. 4

At once the Blue Tit rushed to the crumbs and picked them up. The chirping increased to a beautiful melody in thankfulness to the friendly gift. Candice smiled. She loved birds.5

“Hey Candy,” someone shouted. Barbara, her best friend, was approaching.6

“Ssssh,” Candice returned, still watching her little birdie. 7

“Uh, ya're feeding the birds?” She had bought a bag of chips, and now threw a little one toward the bird. But the Blue Tit didn't even look at it. He just hopped from crumb to crumb and picked it eagerly. 8

“Why didn't you come to soccer practice yesterday,” Barbara asked a little reproachfully. 9

“Barb, I had to learn.”10

“Learning for an English test?”11

“You've got it.”12

“No, I haven't. How can you learn for an English test?”13

“Barb! I'm not so good like you.”14

Barbara gasped. 15

“I'm getting a C in English if I wouldn't get an A now. I therefore...”16

“But Candy,” Barbara interrupted her. “You've never got an A in English before.”17

Candice frowned. “Thanks, Barb.”18

“No, no, what I'm trying to say is: You shouldn't be so worried. We get good grades, and we get bad ones. There are years where you get some C's, there there are years where you only get A's and B's. No problem at all. You belong to the best students of the class. So, what else do you want?”19

“All the same my parents will go mad if I get a C in English.”20

“Oh dear, they are nuts.”21

“Pardon me?”22

“Sorry. I mean, I dunno why they are so strict to you.”23

“Yeah, goodness knows.”24

“Come on. Don't worry, be happy,” she said with a grin on her face, pushing her friend slightly.25

Candice forced a smile, but she felt even worse. Her best friend didn't quite think that she seriously could have an A in the English test. “In fact, she is right,” thought Candice. “I'm just too bad.”26

Other students reached the gym, hilariously talking to each other.27

“Candy, where've you been yesterday,” a friend from soccer asked her.28

“I had to study.”29

“Uh, write a test today?”30

“Yes. Can we change the subject now?”31

But it wasn't necessary to change it. All of a sudden everyone got quiet. A wonderful melody of a bird had just started a few feet in front of them. It was the melody of the little Blue Tit.32

“Oh, how nice,” Barbara said. 33

“Yeah. How great springtime is,” someone else interjected.34

Candice broke new crumbs from her bread, and threw them to the bird, but this time he didn't run after it. Obviously he wasn't hungry anymore. The Blue Tit was going to fly away, targeted directly to Candice, took wing, and landed right on her shoulder.35

The girls around her stopped breathing, and covered their mouth with their hands in excitement. “Candice,” Barbara whispered in huge astonishment, pointing at her, but trying not to stir. The cute birdie looked merrily from girl to girl, then chirping those wonderful tune again. It was as if this little bird comprised all aspects of springtime and nature; and isn't it funny how such a little thing could stop the big cluster of wild and loud students from chatting, making even those of them smile and startle who normally appeared to be cool and unemotional? 36

Everyone couldn't do anything but goggle. They've never seen a bird being so tame. Sarah, a girl from the 8th, had taken along her cell phone. Slowly she put it out of her pocket, opened the camera menu, focused and took an amazing photo. Candice with a birdie on her left shoulder – that really was the best picture she'd ever taken. 37

The bell rang again, which was the sign to go back to classes. Once the ringing had started, the little Blue Tit flew away. Everyone seemed to be a little sorrowful, and watched how he was flying across the schoolyard, still singing its unique melody.38

“You're something special,” Barbara said to Candice with a snicker.39

“Well,” Candice sighed. “Hope Mrs. Yellow shares your view.”40

Candice was more nervous than ever before. The task was to wirte an essay. But what would be the topic? Would it be a good one? What would she write? What would she get? She felt awful. 41

She looked anxiously to Barbara who was sitting next to her. Barbara smiled and kept her fingers cross for her. “You'll handle it,” she whispered to her. 42

Suddenly Mrs. Yellow entered the room. “Good afternoon.” Candice winced. 43

“Well, 's everything ready for the test?” If this really was a question, it must have been a rhetorical one. She shut the door, and everyone got silent, even the boys that had unhurriedly played poker till she'd come in. 44

“Okay, let's come to the test,” she said harshly. “You've time till 2 o'clock. The task is to write an essay about a special adventure or experience in your life. At least 300 words. Good English, good style, no slang.” She glanced at some boys in the rear that were grinning. “No slang!” 45

She scribbled the name of the topic on the blackboard again. “Okay, time starts now.”46

It was pretty quiet in the room, except the noise of pens that occasionally fell on the floor, or the noise of coughs and boys clearing their throat. This made Candice even more nervous. She simply didn't know what to write. “Give me a good idea,” she whispered to whomever. She pondered and looked at her watch. Two minutes had passed, three minutes, four. She looked to the right. Barbara was writing like a fiend.47

“What on earth is she going to write? A novel?”48

Candice pondered again. What would be a nice story? Anyway her life was dull and not filled with exciting stories at all. Should she write how she threw her little brother from the monkey bars once? Or how she'd though she could jump over the little brook behind their house, which had ended with a jump directly into the dirty water? No, she couldn't write anything about her messy life.49

Five minutes had passed, six, seven. Candice felt desperate. “My parents go mad! I'm grounded till Thanks Giving. Best case. Worst case unimaginable.”50

Suddenly there was a little clicking on the window sill, followed by a wonderful tune. The Blue Tit had come once again, and all at once Candice knew what she would write. She would write the story about the Blue Tit. How she'd fed him, how he'd sang this wonderful melody, how he was sitting on her shoulder, how the girls around her had startled so much. How didn't she think of it in the first place? 51

She took her pen and began to write, whereas the little bird was merrily running across the window sill, chirping again and again, and finally flying away. Even when he was out of sight his wonderful melody still could be heard.52

“Well, I'm a little disappointed,” Mrs. Yellow said. She stood in front of the class, her look stern, her voice solemn. “Your tests have been much worse than the last one. As it was our last test for this year I actually thought you would take this chance. Well, I can't help it.”53

“Worse than the last one,” Candice thought anxiously. “Then I'm getting a F or worse.”54

Mrs. Yellow leaved through the bundle of tests. “I'm really sorry, but also the students that are accustomed to get good grades will be disappointed today. Because only one student got an A,” she said. “And, to be honest, this was pretty unexpected.” She glanced at Candice who almost fell out of her chair. “Well done, Candice.”