.....and I have a very special story. I am the family "rescue". If it was not for Mamma's soft heart, I don't know where I'd be, but I sure am glad that my rescuer found Mamma. Let me tell you about myself....
My original owners found me in a pet store and thought it would be "neat" to own a pretty, big pink bird. They were 3 college students and I was only about a year old when I went home with them to the college dorm. Well, they "partied" and I didn't have the chance to say NO to drugs and alcohol. They blew marijuana smoke into my cage and only gave me beer to drink when I was thirsty. Back then I went into convulsions and had a really rough time. After a bit, I guess they didn't understand why I wasn't as friendly anymore and I screamed a lot. I might have even started biting back then.... I'm not too sure because my memory's not too good either. They sold me to one of their friends who was getting ready to get married. He loved me, she didn't. I lived in a cage in their bedroom and didn't get too much attention. So I was noisy. He was never home and she didn't like all the noise, so she used to throw things at my cage. Then when I was out, she threw things at me.... like tennis shoes. I got hurt a lot. And then the only way they could catch me was to throw a towel over me and throw me in my cage. I was scared and used to run away and bite them when they came at me with a towel or when I saw tennis shoes. One time I bit her and she grabbed me and threw me up against a wall. That really hurt me and I haven't been really the same since. It's very hard to trust anybody now.
But, I was rescued finally by a really nice lady who had a sister with other birds who took me in and worked very hard with me to get my trust back. I loved her. Very much. My new mom was expecting her very first granchild soon so she looked very hard for just the right person to take me in..... She actually sold me twice but went to get me back because she just didn't feel comfortable letting me go. Then Lisa (Mamma) came along. Mamma convinced Linda that is was okay to let me go. Mamma said she would take very good care of me and that if Linda could ever take me back that I could go back if I wanted to. Linda felt very comfortable after talking to Mamma and let me go home to the habitat with her. And Mamma and Linda have kept in touch. Linda actually took me home for a couple of days in April 1997 to see if I wanted to come back to her. Nothing personal, but I wanted to stay at the habitat and Linda soon realized it and brought me home to Mamma. Linda really knows now that Mamma is a very special woman who loves me for who I am, and doesn't mind the nightmares I still have and flashbacks, and the screaming I still do and once in awhile I still bite, but only cause I'm confused and scared. Mamma understands and loves me. It doesn't matter that I look like a poster child for Psitticine Beak and Feather Disease..... it's cause of all the drugs and alcohol in my past. I should be the poster child for drug abuse.
Unfortunately, I'll never look or act as good as Tango because the chemical imbalance in my system will never permit me to grow my feathers back, but you know what? I don't care. Mamma and Dad love me just the way I am. And that means I'm perfect to them so I don't care what I look like. I'm "Mr. Wonderful".
