Intro

ZZZZIP! What was that thing that just ran by you, guest? It almost hit you! Oh, wait, it's slowing down now. . . I think it's a Pteri! Yes, it's coming closer and it is a Pteri! He readjusts the striped bandana around his head as he worriedly looks at you.

Are you hurt? Oh, I hope not. . . sissy's taking the day off, I don't want to ask her to come now. . .

At your questioning -disallowed_word- click the medal to go back to the top)

About

When I see a bird that walks like a duck and swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, I call that bird a duck. ~ James Whitcomb Riley

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Petname: ZimtTama

Full name: Tama Apollo Sopfhen

Alias: Tama

Gender: Male

Species: Pteri

Group: Falcon Pteri

Age: 9

Occupation: Secondary school student

Other: Always wears a striped bandana around his head, orphaned, dependent on others, joking, worries about others' health (a trait inherited from his sister, Yeniyae)

Short Story

A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.' ~ Lou Holtz

Prologue - Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Epilogue

My sister Yeniyae was three years old when I hatched into our poor, tiny family. She told me that we were orphans. I didn't understand that word for many years, all throughout preschool. Yeni is the sweetest, most hardworking girl I've ever known. Even at the age of four, she sold medicine for our money. We had regulars - those as down on their luck as we were.

With our meager earnings, Yeniyae made sure we had a good life. She bought from Zam, the dried fruit vendor who worked across from our medicine stand. She would purchase little wooden toys, such as tops. And, most of all, she enrolled us both in public school.

(Medals in the story do not link anywhere)

The teacher. Her name was Ms. Auniz. She brought me to the front of the class. Living with Yeni has never strengthened my social skills. But she brought me up anyways.

Class, this is our new friend, Tama Sopfhen, (she mispronounced my last name) can you all say hello to him?

A cacophony of "Hello", "Hi", and "Good morning" beat against my ears. Through it all, I heard one small flotsam call out.

Guten Morgen, Tama!

I looked toward the flotsam. She was small, blue, and was wearing a blouse and skirt. On her head was a pale blue crescent marking.

Ms Auniz saw me looking at the flotsam. That's Kiren. She's our foreign exchange student from a nice place called Germany. Why don't you go sit by her? She smiled and pushed me gently forward.

I meandered toward Kiren and sat down next to her. She seemed to understand English rather well, but could not speak it. During recess, I asked her if she'd like to walk home with me that day. She replied with a hearty, Ja!

Naptime came around, then lunch. Finally, it was time to leave. Kiren and I packed up our belongings and headed out.

Would you rather run? I asked tentatively.

Kiren stuck out her tongue and thought for a moment. Errrr. . . ja.

Okay then. To that stalagmite? She nodded, and off we took.

I was surprised. There she was. In front of me. She didn't seem to need to breathe, so easily she ran. She reached the stalagmite a full five seconds before me, where she stood, breathing deeply but not gasping.

When I leaned over the stalagmite to regain my breath, she smiled impishly. We walked again until she slipped, half-unnoticed, through a narrow alley and Yeni came to guide me home to Zam, who had taken us in a month before.

In my class, there were those who won, and those who wished they could, but never tried. One of the latter was Eris, a plain green Kacheek. Eris was of the kind who would cheat to win. He was always envious of me, both because of my speed and because of my friendship with Kiren.

Eris despised my soul so much that halfway through the school year, he gathered up several others - he had great persuasive skills, that's the best comment I can make about the boy - and chased me away from school as I walked there one day.

For the next few days, I sulked at home. Yeni's blankets and tea and Zam's cooking could not get me back to school.

On the last day of my self-confinement, I heard a sharp rap at Zam's front door. From my locked and silent room, I heard worried voices speaking vehemently. Shortly afterward, a tiny knocking at my own door broke me out of my trance.

Tama, open the door. Kiren wants to speak with you.

I jumped down from my bed and sulkily opened the door. Kiren and Yeni walked through my dark room and sat down on my bed.

Kiren looked at me and spoke, with Yeni trying to translate as best she could, Tama, kommen Sie zur Schule zurück! Ohne Sie dort, gut... es ist nicht richtig. Eris findet, dass er uns ringsherum gerade bestellen kann, weil er Sie auswarf. Sogar Lehrer wird geärgert, ich kann erzählen. Sie gerade... Sie kann nicht hier die Ruhe Ihres Lebens bleiben. Ich werde es nicht haben.

Kiren looked up at Yeni like she was ready to leave. Yeni guided her out of my room, glancing back over her shoulder as she closed the door. I turned away from my sister, my brow furrowed.

And I thought.

There was a great roar when I hesitantly entered the preschool again. I felt a whoosh and something collide into me. Moments later, I realized Kiren was hugging me, her head buried in my shoulder. She released her tight grip on my wings after a minute or so, staring me up and down.

They said they were going to. . . schlagen Sie Sie if you came back, Tama. . . you're okay, right? Eris und die anderen sind zurück... vielleicht dachten sie, dass Sie hineinkriechen würden? Kiren was constantly lapsing between German and English now - I guess she had learned a lot while I was being an idiot.

Another class member of ours, a chubby little Uni, came up and whispered to Kiren. The fragile little Flotsam nodded and smiled to him. She turned to me now, pulling up her sleeves.

Sind Sie bereit? Let's give them a taste of their own medicine!

Kiren and the Uni led the procession onto the back field of the school. I felt multiple paws push into my back and force me forward. I came between Kiren and the Uni and was greeted with a perplexed stare from a certain green Kacheek. I met his eyes with an icy glare of my own, at the same time seeing one of Eris' friends tugging urgently at his sleeve. Eris stood up, looked into my face with a gaze that is impossible to describe, and then swiftly ran away.

And then the bell rang.

The school year skipped along. Before anyone knew it, it was June. I hugged my sister when I got home the day that school ended. Yeni smiled back. She lovingly told me two things:

One, Neglec (Ms. Vuliana was our houseguest at that time) is out doing all our errands. Two, Kiren called you. . . you should call her back, I guess. . . .

I ran to the phone and dialed Kiren's number happily. After a few rings, she picked up. I expected her to be happy that school had ended, but that was hardly what I got.

Tama, she whispered, sounding like she had been crying, m-my family's das Bewegen. . . something to do with die Karriere der Mama. . . please come see me.

- - -

I dashed to Kiren's house to see boxes scattered about the ground and Kiren sitting a ways away on a boulder, crying. I nestled down next to her. Her head fell on my shoulder, and I, too, started tearing up. She pulled a tiny box from out of her cardigan pocket, which contained photos of us, her new address, and her new contact information. I handed her a Sour Patch Kid, which she took but did not eat. After several hours of sitting on that rock, she got up and moved forward, not facing me. I vaulted myself off the stone and tiptoed behind my best friend in the world. She turned around and grasped my wings in her flippers.

A tiny peck on the cheek.

Two words.

Auf Wiedersehen, Tama.

And I never saw Kiren Obstkuchen again.

Ende

Family

I was by far the youngest of the family, and at times it was like being an only child.' ~ Paul Nurse

I don't really have much of a family. I mean, that is why they call me an orphan. But I do have some people. . . mostly

Yeniyae Jilliane Sopfhen

Yeni's my sister. . . she's older than me by three years. She's not legally my guardian, though she will be someday. She's a healer, and knows a lot of medicines and diseases. She's great.

Mathi Sopfhen

Read about Mathi in his section of this page.

and

Reindog Sopfhen

Reindog is Yeni's little Doglefox. She has a horrible case of amnesia, and can't really remember anything or anyone.

Sponsors

A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.' ~ Arnold H. Glasow

What, you ask? What are sponsors? Good man (or woman. Or thing, whatever you may be), they're my friends. Not that I have many anymore, what with living next door to the Vulianas. (Etain's too shy and feminine to be my friend.)

Kiren Obstkuchen

Kiren's been my best friend since, oh, I don't know, it seems like forever! She moved away a long time ago, though. . . I can only write to her now. Apparently, she's now the star of her school's cross country team, just like I am!

Mathi

A black cat crossing your path signifies that the animal is going somewhere.' ~ Groucho Marx

Mathi is my pet Khnum. Apparently, he looks like what Kei calls an "Egyptian Mau" kind of cat. Besides me, he's also close with Koli Vuliana. He's a very sweet little guy, though he certainly is clumsy and trips a lot. Guess the only reason he's still alive is that he's a cat. . . those crazy things.

Art

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.' ~ Scott Adams

By Kei

By Others

(Hover over the picture to see the name of the creator)

Adopties

It is the eye of ignorance that assigns a fixed and unchangeable color to every object; beware of this stumbling block.' ~ Paul Gauguin

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