PET SEAGULL BIDDY

"When I was just eight years old, I stumbled upon a young seagull while exploring the beach near my house. Despite being newly hatched, this little bird had some impressive running skills. It took me a good thirty minutes to catch it, as there were no adult birds in sight. As I petted the gull, hoping to find its mother, I realized I couldn't just leave it there. But when I brought it home, my mother was not pleased. A heated argument ensued, with my mother adamant that the gull could not stay in our house. After some pleading and heartfelt stories, she finally relented and allowed me to keep it in a cardboard box for the night, with the condition that I release it back into the wild the next day. But as soon as I held that soft, fluffy creature in my hands, I knew I couldn't let it go. I was constantly petting and feeding it, and the gull quickly became attached to me. The next day, my mother once again protested against keeping the gull as a pet. But she agreed to let me keep it in the barn, where I could take it outside and it would follow me everywhere. I was overjoyed and decided to give the gull a name - Biddy. My father warned me that seagulls grow rapidly and would need live fish to survive in the wild. My brother and I came up with a plan to catch some perch from the nearby wharf. We carefully removed the hooks from the fish's mouths and filled a pail with water before running back home. We poured the fish into a large tin washtub, but Biddy struggled to swim in the deep water. So we took turns holding a fish in our hands for her to eat. She devoured every single one. As Biddy grew older, my brother and I decided it was time for her to learn how to fly. We tried all sorts of methods, but nothing seemed to work. Finally, my brother had the idea to use a ladder and hold her up while she took off from the top of the barn. It was a bumpy start, but eventually, Biddy was able to fly short distances and return to the washtub for her fishy meals. One morning, Biddy decided she was ready to spread her wings and leave for good. Despite my constant calls, she didn't come back. I was devastated, imagining all the dangers she could encounter out in the wild. It wasn't until my father came home for lunch that I learned about Biddy's whereabouts. One of the pilots my father used to work with had found her on their veranda, leaving quite a mess behind. My father ordered me to go clean it up, which I did, spending the entire day scrubbing and washing until the veranda was spotless. As Biddy continued to grow and mature, she started flying out with the adult seagulls. And just like that, she was gone for good. Whenever I saw a grey seagull, I would call out for Biddy, hoping she would come back to me. But she never did. I missed her terribly and would often check every seagull that crossed my path, hoping it was her. It took a long time for the feathers to turn white, a reminder of my dear Biddy who gave me so many happy memories as my very own pet."