Sparky the Parakeet

   On Thursday, May 4, 2023, at about 9 am edt, I'm contemplating my work-in-progress novel: "A Matter of Time".  This tome contains my evolving philosophy of and over time.
   Sparky, the green parakeet is a minor character on immortal Beon's Cosmo Cruiser. We don't know how he hitched a ride, and Bud the white cat isn't saying.  We only know that Sparky just flew out of nowhere, landed on  Bud's breakfast, walked in the lemon-dill sauce on Bud's grilled salmon, ate a caper, then flew to Beon's almost bald scalp and said "I love you", while pecking at Beon's sparse hairs.
   Bud, who keeps the Cosmos in tune with the motor of his purr, loses interest in the Cosmos or his breakfast and leaps to Beon's abdomen, blue eyes fixed in the bird.
   Beon, who wanted salmon, too, has to settle for carrot soup, because Alfred, his valet robot, has informed him the Materializer is malfunctioning.
  So Sparky is generating vitality for Bud while smearing lemon-dill sauce on Beon's scalp, and Bud is digging his claws into Beon's abdomen while watching Sparky hopping around on Beon's head saying "I love you".
   "I love you, too, Sparky" says Beon.  "I taught you to say that."
   " I love you, too", says Sparky.
   But Beon has a dilemma, because he has to set his hot tea down on the coffee table, over there, and get Sparky off his head and Bud off his abdomen without injury to himself, the animals, or anything in between.
   That's when The Rev, a 20-pound white rooster, decides to preach his religion of Solipsism from behind Beon's head.
   "Cock-a-doodle doo!" he screams.
   Problem solved.  Beon jumps and spills his tea, Sparky flies to the top of the potted orange tree beside the hot tub, and Bud leaps to the coffee table and starts eating his breakfast.
   The Rev waddles to the edge of the hot tub and starts clucking happily at his reflection.
   "I love you," says Sparky, from his lofty perch.
   "I love you, too, Sparky," says Beon, while cleaning lemon-dill sauce from the top of his head and swabbing tea from his clothes and couch.
   Beon sips his carrot soup and watches Bud eating his salmon and The Rev enjoying his prayers over his image.
   The Rev, satisfied with the effects of his activity, stalks out of the room, head high, leaving a white feather and a wad of poop on the floor as a final benediction.
   "I love you," says Sparky, as The Rev departs.

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