Splash of Orange in January

This story was originally published on Medium.

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On an otherwise calm and typical January day, a bright splash of color on the scene awakens the senses of many in the area.

The flashy individual, cloaked in bright orange, has a non-arrogant confidence to him. Many eyes watch as he approaches the strangers.

“I’m Rufus.” He says simply.

“Anna.” She replies back.

Their families don’t quite like what is transpiring here, but Rufus and the others will be gone soon enough. So, perhaps best to not interject, they think.

Rufus and Anna are inseparable for days. He asks her all about the area, all the great spots to eat. She shows them all to him, for she remembers every single spot she’s ever eaten at. Anna loves Rufus in orange and tells him often.

Rufus smiles when she says this, but often deflects. He isn’t arrogant, after all.

“I like you in green.” He might say.

Or, “You’re the true beauty.”

And it isn’t some corny line. Rufus means it.

The cold January days continue on… they turn to cold February days. But, as Rufus says, “cold” in Southern California means one thing. Cold is different in other parts of the country. Anna always finds it fascinating to hear about all the places Rufus has been to. She’s only ever lived in Southern California.

Rufus tells her about the beaches in Mexico… the Rockies in Colorado… and one of the most beautiful places he has seen, the Pacific Northwest and it’s lush green landscape.

“The green reminds me of you… in green.” Rufus smiles.

“But you have to go back, don’t you?” Anna asks sadly. “All the way up to Canada?”

“I do.” Rufus admits.

“I know why you and your friends are going back up there.” Anna says quietly. “That is where you breed.”

“But I won’t.” Rufus says honestly. “For I don’t wish to breed with any of the others up there… I wish to breed with you. I’ll be back. It won’t be for about a year… but I will be back. And if you will still have me… I will be back for you.”

Anna believes him and she holds onto this hope as he and the other Rufous Hummingbirds leave later on in the month to head up the Pacific coast. Her parents try to convince her otherwise, but she won’t have it.

“It’s like one of those May-December relationships.” Anna’s dad says. “But instead… it’s a January-February relationship.”

“What’s a May-December relationship?” Anna asks.

“I don’t know.” Her dad admits. “I just heard the humans say it. But it appears to be something that is often scoffed at.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter anyway, Dad. In May, Rufus and the others will be in the Pacific Northwest, by December he is in Mexico, so we couldn’t be in a relationship during those months. But he’ll be back again in January…”

“And what kind of name is Rufus?” Anna’s mom asks. “He is a Rufous Hummingbird. So, his parent’s just named him Rufus? That’s lazy.”

“Mom!” Anna is in disbelief. “We are Anna’s Hummingbirds and you named me Anna. What are you even talking about?”

“Correction, the humans call us Anna’s Hummingbirds. We didn’t come up with that name. Anyway, Anna, it just isn’t meant to be. You are two different breeds of Hummingbird. He has his own life, migrating over 4,000 miles over the course of a year, and you have your own life, here in Southern California. He will find a mate in Canada or Washington. You will find a mate here.”

“He said he is coming back for me.” Anna grumbles.

“Anna.” Her dad tries to console her. “He won’t. And you can’t wait. 4,000 miles. That’s a lot of traveling.”

“He said he’d travel 5,000 miles for me.” Anna narrows her eyes.

“Come, let’s get to the feeder that was just put out on the corner tree before any of the other hungry grubbers get to it. I need my sugar fix.” And with that, Anna’s dad flies to the freshly filled feeder. Her mom follows. And as Anna’s wings beat dozens of times per second and her heart rattles on in her chest, both from heartache, heart-confusion, and the fact that she is a hummingbird, she realizes she is starving. She hasn’t eaten in minutes. So, Anna flies to the feeder as well for some freshly brewed sugar water.

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It’s a long 10 months of Anna’s parents trying to introduce her to every Anna’s Hummingbird under the Californian sun. And they’re all perfectly nice, but none of them are Rufus. They try to dazzle Anna with their soaring speeds of 40 miles per hour or more. They flash their green and red feathers at her. Like little Christmas ornaments. And it’s nice to get all the attention. But Anna misses flashes of orange.

She turns each and every suitor down. Her parents don’t know what to do.

Life continues on, the summer is hot. The fall is… well, hot… it’s Southern California. But then, the winter, it gets cold… or as Rufus would say, “Cold for Cali.”

Anna smiles at the thought of his little jokes. January rolls around. The skies remain the same. The feathers flashing across the clouds remain the same. The same larger birds remain in the area. And every time a hummingbird buzzes by at great speed, Anna turns to see… just a flash of green… or red. She keeps hoping she will see Rufus. She waits many cold, January days but she never sees him. Cold days. Cold, for her. Because it is California. And because she is waiting for someone who never returns to her.

February is approaching, or so they assume. They have no calendar and go off of what they hear the humans saying as they pass by. Apparently, there is a “Big Game” approaching that many of them are talking about as well. Anna listens to the humans passing by, wondering what their lives are like. Are their lives this complicated? Does anything ever get in the way of their true love? And how lucky are they? They shed their feathers each and every day and put on new ones. They can wear blue feathers one day, green the next, yellow the next, blue again, splurge for purple the next day…

… and even orange. She sees the flash out of the corner of her eye, but as she can smell fresh sugar water in the air, she assumes it must be one of the humans having just changed a feeder out. At least she will be able to eat again. The orange color stays in her peripheral vision, it grows larger and larger. It’s coming towards her.

Just as she is about to fly away for safety, unsure what the intentions of this orange human are, she whips her head around. She simultaneously hears and sees…

“Cold… for Cali.”

And it’s Rufus.

He drops down onto a branch next to Anna and sets down three things.

“Pumpkin seed from Washington, periwinkle petal from Colorado, piece of yucca from Mexico.” He points each one out. “I brought them for you.”

Anna swoons. “How was the trip?”

“Long.” Rufus says. “I spent much time collecting these gifts for you. I wanted to make sure I got them this time around.”

“Why’s that?” Anna asks.

“Because that was my last time going on that trip. In February, the rest of my friends will leave. I will stay here in Southern California. If you don’t mind, that is.”

“Nothing would make me happier.”

In February, the Rufous leave, and Rufus stays. Anna is happy. And Southern California gets to keep a year-round flash of bright orange.

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