40 Time To Die

[Stephen Whiteside]

40 Time To Die

© Stephen Whiteside 23.11.2011

The days sped by happily. They were travelling by day now, and making little effort to conceal themselves. In the company of Dulcie, they seemed to be charmed. They felt untouchable, as though some invisible force field encircled and protected them.

The landscape was changing. The river was becoming deeper and wider. No longer did they appear to be surrounded by friends. Most animals are territorial by nature, and they had by now travelled a long way downstream from the home of Dulcie and all who knew her.

Dulcie was unflinching in her support, however. She had pledged to take them downriver, and that is what she was doing. Nor did she show any fear, or display any misgivings. Indeed, she remained her cheerful, non-judgemental, unflappable self. Almost too good to be true, really. Horatio and Magnifico felt blessed. Even Magnifico, who secretly harboured great misgivings about the nature of the quest he had committed himself to, was happy and contented, and enjoying himself enormously.

The weather grew colder. It didn’t seem to be so much a question of the change of the seasons, more of a cold front moving through. The nights in particular were chilly. Horatio and Magnifico usually retreated some distance from the river at night time, in order to find a more sheltered place to sleep - at least out of the wind and the precipitation. Dulcie always amazed them in this way. She simply propped on a leaf or a stem of grass by the water’s edge and closed her eyes. She slept standing up, and was happy to sway back and forth with the breezes in her sleep, and always woke covered in dew. Indeed, Horatio and Magnifico had come to think it was one of the most beautiful sights in the world to see Dulcie’s long slender wings bejewelled with dew in the first rays of the morning light.

One morning, however, arriving back down at the river side in the early morning, prepared to embark on the next stage of their journey, they sensed that something was not right. Dulcie remained very still. It was fun to observe her morning stretching exercises, the wings opening and closing, the dew drops being sprayed in every direction as she then flicked her wings back and forth. Dulcie was always at her most animated first thing in the morning.

But this particular morning, something had changed. Dulcie did not seem well.

What’s wrong, Dulcie? You don’t look your usual self.



No, I’m afraid I’m not. I told you I didn’t have long to live, and a spell of cold weather would just about finish me off.

Dulcie spoke slowly and softly. Even the effort of speech seemed almost beyond her.

Horatio and Magnifico could not believe what they were hearing.

Yes, fellas, I’m afraid the time has come. Time to die.

No! cried Horatio. You can’t die! We need you! You’ve been so wonderful to us. You’ve turned our lives around. You can’t abandon us now.

I’m sorry. I don’t have any choice in the matter. It’s just the way of the world.

Horatio and Magnifico looked at each other. They both felt very frightened. How would they manage without Dulcie? Life had been such a struggle before they had met her, and such a joy ever since. Back to the old days, battling alone? Surely not! They weren’t sure they had the strength to go through all that again.

Please Dulcie. Please don’t die. We need you.

Dulcie said nothing.

Magnifico was a little shocked at the wheedling note of Horatio’s voice. He only seemed concerned for himself. Indeed, neither of them had given a thought to how Dulcie might be feeling about the situation. No doubt she would much preferred to have died at home, surrounded by her family, rather than where they were now, where her death would be completely unmarked by all other than Horatio and Magnifico. Her commitment to them had been complete and unreserved.

Magnifico now. Oh, Dulcie, I’m so sorry. It’s so sad for you to be dying away from your people like this.

I always knew it would be like this. I went into this with my eyes wide open. You boys know that. Don’t feel sorry for me.

But it’s hard not to. Don’t worry about us. We managed before, and we’ll manage again.

You won’t be quite alone, you know. You might think you are, but you will carry my spirit with me. The spirit of the river. The spirit of the wild. It is part of you now. And you are creatures of the wild too, now, at least in part. You cannot go back. You might think of yourselves as two very civilised rodents, but if your own families were to meet you both today, they would find you very changed. Even in the time I have known you you have changed a lot. You are wiser. More resilient. Less wasteful. And you’re a couple of survivors. Deep in my heart, I know that.

Oh, but Dulcie. We don’t want to lose you. You’re our friend. Our best friend. We’re mates, us three. We’re made for each other. We should never be parted.

Life is change. This much you know. I was born to die. You were both born to die, too, but hopefully for you two your deaths remain a long way in the future.

There appeared to be no more to say. Horatio and Magnifico watched. They could sense that death was near.

Thank you, Dulcie.

Did she hear them? She was unable to speak now. They waited and waited. Their departure was being considerably delayed this morning, but that mattered not.

How would they know when Dulcie was finally dead? She was so still. And yet, when it happened, they knew.

She’s gone.

I know.

How did they know? Neither of them knew how they knew, but they knew.

Horatio and Magnifico slumped by the river bank in silent reflection. Unseen on a large branch above them projecting out over the water, a kookaburra swooped down and gobble up Dulcie’s lifeless form.