8 Feathers

Chapter 8 Feathers The noisy hum of voices made Max feel as though he were back under the elephant ear plant, listening to cicadas. But he was in Juliana's restaurant, where

happy tourists were chattering and laughing. At every table, people shared stories and photos of the scarlet macaws. "I've never seen anything so beautiful," a woman was telling her husband. "We'll have to let our friends know about this." A man at another table held up his phone. "I'm going to post a few photos online," he said. "What's the name of this place again?" "Juliana's," Paulo piped up. As he swiveled back to face Max and Sofia, he whispered, "Business will really pick up now!" His mother squeezed his shoulder. As she set down a plate of steaming pastéis, she smiled. "Maybe we should rename the restaurant," she said. "How about 'The Scarlet Macaw'?" "Yes!" said Max. "You could paint the walls red, and the window frames yellow and blue." "And hang photos of the macaws," added Sofia. "That would be a great way to celebrate them," said Paulo. "But..." He frowned. "What is it?" asked Sofia. "I only wish there were a way to stop more fires from destroying their nesting spots," he said. "If we

had more money, maybe we could protect this part of the forest from fire damage." "Then we'll just have to raise more money," said Sofia. "Like a scarlet macaw fund or something." She felt someone tap her arm. "Did you mention a scarlet macaw fund?" asked the woman behind her. "I'd like to donate to that, if I could." Sofia blinked. "Of course!" she said. "Um..." She scanned the restaurant, searching for a jar, bag, or box —anything she could pass to collect money. If the tourists want to help save the macaws, we should let them! she thought. Paulo quickly emptied the napkins, knives, and forks out of a jar on the table. "Here!" he said, offering it to the woman. "You can be the first to donate money to protect the scarlet macaws." He caught Sofia's eye and winked. As the jar circled around the restaurant, it began to fill with bills and coins. "Maybe tourists will donate after every tour!" Max whispered to Paulo. Caw, caw! A birdcall came from outside, as if saying, Yes! Good idea! But as it sounded again, the hair stood up on the back of Max's neck. "That wasn't a macaw," he said to

Sofia. "That was a seagull." Her eyebrows shot up. She crossed the room to the window, where she could see Wind Rider slowly gliding up alongside the dock. The navy hull and white sail looked so fresh and new against the weathered boards of the pier. Sofia felt a sudden pang of homesickness. "Is it time to go?" Max asked as she sat back down. She nodded. "I think so." "Go where?" asked Paulo. "Home," said Max. "Our boat just arrived." He started to get up, then hesitated. It was so hard to say goodbye to new friends! Paulo's face fell, but as the jar made its way back to him, he brightened back up. "Thank you for helping me save the scarlet macaws," he said, lifting the jar filled with money. "The baby chicks are in their nest, the forest will regrow, and one day, maybe all the macaws will return to our forest." Sofia and Max said their goodbyes and slowly walked down the dock toward Wind Rider. Paulo and Juliana followed them out. A moment later, Antonio came, too. "Wait!" he called. "I have something for you. I found these on the deck of my boat."

He pulled three long feathers from his apron pocket. Sofia marveled at the brilliant red base and the bright blue tip. She could almost imagine the macaw that had shed it while flying high above the clay lick. "Thank you," said Max as he gently reached for a feather. "No, thank you," said Juliana, with a warm smile. "Thank you both for all you have done for the macaws, and for our restaurant." Antonio handed the last feather to Paulo. As Sofia and Max climbed up onto Wind Rider, Paulo waved

his feather in the air. "Goodbye!" he called as the boat pulled away from the dock. Max waved, too, until the boat rounded the bend. The sails flapped overhead as the breeze began to pick up. "Let's get these feathers somewhere safe before they blow away!" Sofia called to him. Belowdecks, they placed their feathers on the shelf beside the carved sea chest. There was a perfect spot for them, right next to the turtle eggshell they'd been given in Hawaii. They admired their growing collection for a few moments before Wind Rider began rocking in a most familiar way.