Chapter Two

When we arrived, I knew it would not be easy to find my family. There are thousands of parrots in the jungle. The atmosphere was humid and hazy, something I was not used to. The desert was of course hot like the rainforest, but it was a dry heat, not heavy and wet.
"What does she look like?" asked Cassim.
"She's red until you get to her wing tips and tail, where she is all the other colors of the rainbow. She's beautiful. Hopefully, she should really stand out."
I turned my head to the right, and a parrot that looked just like her caught my eye. I immediately flew over to her.
She was facing away from me when I landed on the tree branch next to her.
"Mom?" I asked.
She jumped and looked at me, afraid.
"Who are you? What do you want?" she frantically questioned.
When I heard her voice, I knew it was her. I remembered how she used to whisper soft, sweet melodies as I went to sleep at night. It was Mom.
"Mom, it's me. Don't you remember? I'm your lost son."
She looked into my eyes. She smiled and exclaimed, "It is you! Oh, Iago! I thought you were gone forever!"
"No, I'm alive. I haven't always been happy and healthy, though."
"What? Well, where have you been all these years?"
"I've been living in the desert with humans. The man who took me was a nightmare. Oh, Mother! He tried to kill me! But when I talked, he was amazed parrots could talk. Well, it became worse after that. I became indulged in gold and power. I was a nightmare. I was evil..."
"You? Evil?"
"Yes, but I have changed. I've been good, or considered good, for the past three years. I don't believe it, though. I'm ashamed of myself. I still have too many bad qualities."
"I don't see what you mean. You are my son, and I love you. Didn't you have anyone?"
"I guess. I had friends, but I think they grew sick of my short temper and stealing and greed. I didn't belong with them."
"But you proved by coming to me that you do care. If you changed from evil to good, then you have strong willpower, Iago. You are good."
"Do you mean that?"
"Of course I do."
"Thank you. Well, I've found you now. I wish to find my brother and sisters. Have you seen them?"
"Yes," she stammered, "but they all have their own lives now. I see them from time to time."
"Do they have families?"
"No, but your sister Serie has been in love with a young parrot around her age. And Terie, your other sister, has lived with her. Your brother, Tico, looks just like you. He lives very close to me."
"Please show them to me!"
"Okay. Are you ready to go?"
"Hold on. Before I forget, I want to introduce you to a friend of mine. He is a human."
"A human?! How can you be friends with a human? They are scary."
"No, not all of them. I have lived with humans for almost my whole life. Many of my friends are people," I explained.
"Well, okay."
We flew to the clearing, where Cassim had been waiting. He had fallen asleep and was leaning against a tree.
I landed on his knee and said, "Cassim! Wake up!"
"What? Huh?" he asked in a daze.
"I want you to meet my mother."
"Oh, sorry! I fell asleep. It sure took you long enough."
"Mom, this is Cassim, the father of Aladdin, my friend."
"Um, hi," whispered Mom. "I never spoke to a person before."
"It's nice to meet you," he replied. "Iago was right. You are beautiful."
"Thanks," she quietly said and blushed.
"Well," I began, "we should be finding my siblings now! I'm anxious!"