Chapter two

Ziggy

Zeke didn’t walk or speak until he was three years old. He was always different from other children. There was always something “peculiar” about him, odd and distinctively different. His expressive face portrayed an almost animal-like sensitivity toward sights, sounds, and smells. He would squint suspiciously or smirk if he came across something or someone he didn’t like. He would sit on the back porch of Tartal House and gaze at the sky and the stars for hours. His mouth would move as if he were communicating with some invisible someone or something, yet no audible words came forth. Coconut loved sitting beside him, occasionally making strange noises and looking up at the sky, too, as if waiting for instruction or guidance from some hidden source.

Ben was distraught with his child’s weird behavior. He had expected a son who would run all around the house, learn to speak quickly, and show signs of growing into a capable heir to his garage business. That child had turned out to be the exact opposite of all he had hoped for.

“There’s got to be something wrong with him, Audrey,” he would often say to his wife. “I’ve seen other kids his age. People bring them to the garage all the time. He should be active and screaming like a parrot by now.”

Audrey was a little more understanding. She loved her baby unconditionally. “All kids learn at their own pace, Ben. Our little boy is not like the others and is just taking his time.”

Zeke didn’t seem to like his father, either. He would cry and howl if the poor man tried to hold him in his arms. From the looks of it, Baby Zeke wasn’t very fond of his father’s unkempt hair and long, rough beard, nor did he like the smell of his skin. He cringed at the sight of him, raising his eyebrows and twitching his nose, making a strange face whenever he came near. Ben was left startled by the child’s blatant rejection of him. He was completely unable to decipher the reason behind this apparent disdain. He began avoiding his son altogether as a result. He was a simple, material man, after all. Contrarily, Zeke loved his mother’s company and seemed to enjoy the fragrant, flowery smell of her skin. He would smile adoringly at her, which only served to unnerve Ben even more.

One night, Ben returned home from his garage a little tipsy to find his son sitting on the porch, gazing at the stars. He became so upset watching his son just sitting there, it reminded him of the evening he and his wife had wasted at Headlands Park. “It looks like you invited an alien into your womb that evening at Headlands. I certainly wasn’t a part of that ‘immaculate conception,’” he muttered to her in contempt. Although he was clearly not in his senses, it hurt Audrey terribly.

Zeke evidently picked up on this. He was still quite young at the time, yet he didn’t cry or make a fuss. He simply turned and kept staring at his father awkwardly until Ben was forced to back up and walk away. Ben would always carry the memory of his son glaring at him with rage burning through his eyes at being called an alien.

One fall afternoon, Audrey suddenly heard him laughing and clapping his hands. She came running out of the house, thinking he had begun talking. He was pointing his finger up at a distance and laughing. Audrey tried to discover what he was pointing at, but there was nothing. All she saw was him laughing happily, clapping his hands, and pointing in the same direction, repeatedly calling, “Ziggy! Ziggy!” These were the first words Zeke ever spoke, marking the beginning of his communication with mere mortals. There would be much more that he would impart upon humanity, but it all started with “Ziggy.” He eventually began calling Audrey “Mommy” but continued to show no interest in his father.

Zeke attended his first playschool in January 2003. Ben wanted to throw him into school as soon as he began talking, hoping it would bring him up to speed with the other kids on Farley Street. He was extremely fond of his teacher, Mrs. Rosskopf, but he really didn’t make an effort to socialize with the other kids. He much preferred just observing the sky. The new year brought many ordinary and extraordinary events occurring simultaneously. Audrey was pregnant again, and in late May, twin sisters entered Zeke’s otherwise peaceful life. Whether they would add to the peace, bring some zest to his life, or create ripples was yet to be seen.

The girls were named Maya (after Audrey’s mother) and Leia, after Princess Leia Organa (Ben really liked Star Wars). They both had the same curly, brown locks and green eyes as Zeke. Audrey became busier with the two babies and had less time for him and Coconut, so Zeke took on the responsibility of giving the dog company. At age four, he began babysitting his infant sisters when his mother was occupied with other household duties. He was a responsible child and adapted to the changes his sisters brought to his home with common sense and an uncommon maturity for a soon-to-be five-year-old.

One summer day, Audrey and her neighbor, Lydia Copeland, planned a play date for their kids. Mrs. Copeland had a daughter named Nora and two sons named Gael and Kai. Nora was the oldest of the lot at nine years and was almost as quiet as Zeke. She had sparkly blue eyes, long auburn hair that she often tied in braids, and a few cute freckles on her cheeks. Zeke grew quite fond of her over the years. Gael, on the other hand, was a husky, quarrelsome boy, always picking fights with other kids. Both Zeke and Kai understandably avoided him. Kai preferred spending time with Zeke over his own brother, even though Zeke was three years younger than him and the same age as Gael. The day of the outing, the women agreed to make sure their kids would be on their best behavior and would try to get along. The group was also joined by Eleanor Braganza, an older Portuguese woman hired by the Tartals as a nanny for the twins and a guardian for Zeke. Now that Ben’s car dealership had taken off, there were extra funds to afford help. She was charming, told great stories and had a funny accent. Zeke enjoyed being around her as she made him laugh and would play silly games with him.

The next morning, the group set out for historic Mill Creek State Park, which had beautiful forests, wildflowers, scenic views, and a treetop discovery tower from where they could look out over the entire park. While the children played, the mothers and Mrs. Braganza sat there, laughing and gossiping. Zeke’s first full-fledged introduction to the captivating beauty of Mother Earth was both awe-inspiring and overwhelming for him. Water gushing through streams and morning birds chirping in the conifer forests sounded like music to his tiny ears. Multi-colored butterflies flying over lush green fields, wildflowers blooming in the meadows, and the soft, golden sun kissing his face all wove an extremely mystical experience for a reticent little boy his age.

A few minutes later, lost in this beauty, he fell a little behind the others when a sudden shrill caught his attention. It was a hemlock warbler hunting for insects among the green branches of a tree nearby. He stopped, saw the treetop tower in front of him, and felt an instant pull towards it. Its hypnotic charm had cast a spell on him, forcing him to climb the stairs. Little Zeke wasn’t scared at all. Up he went climbing, and whoa, an all-engulfing magical view awaited him at the top. All around him were birds, as far as his little eyes could see – birds of every imaginable color chirping around the feeders, alongside the creeks, and poking through the leaves littered on the forest floor. He could even hear the woodpeckers’ rapid staccato cutting sharply through the trees. The Mill Pond was stunningly beautiful, with ducks floating regally on the mirrored water, delicate butterflies hovering above the wildflowers, and a bald eagle flying right above his head. It was a magical moment indeed.

Right then, he heard a familiar sound from a nearby tree. “Ziggy Zig zig, Ziggy Zig zig, Ziggy Zig zig!” Little Zeke instantly recognized the sound and turned around to look at the tree. A tiny and bright multi-colored hummingbird came chirping towards him. She sat on his shoulder and sang again, “Ziggy Zig zig, Ziggy Zig zig, Ziggy Zig zig!” Not only did the little bird hum, but now she happily sang a couplet, too: “Ziggy Bird, who is always on the seek, has finally found her friend Tartal Zeke!”

Zeke was so excited to hear her sing, he ran straight down the treetop stairs back to his mother to share it with her. “Look, Mommy! It’s Ziggy. Ziggy Bird is back!” he screamed in joy, pointing at his newfound friend who accompanied him and parked herself on a nearby perch. “Ziggy Bird is singing a song, Mommy, and she knows my name! Sing, Ziggy, sing!”

He was so excited to introduce his new friend to his mother, but the bird showed no interest in sharing her secret singing skills with her or her friends. Instead, she flew away to a shady Eastern redbud a little further away. Zeke wanted to show everyone he had made friends with a magical, singing hummingbird, and the little bird’s arrogance in choosing not to oblige ticked him off. Ziggy didn’t fly that far away from him, though. Instead, she maintained a safe distance while following and chasing him wherever he went. When they drove home that evening, she stayed with them, following their car till they reached Tartal House. She sat on a tree branch near his house for three long days. Ziggy would go silent the moment she saw another soul around, but whenever she found him alone, she sang the same song, “Ziggy Bird found her friend Tartal Zeke! Ziggy Zig zig, Ziggy Zig zig, Ziggy Zig zig!”

She eventually flew away but kept coming back whenever she wished to see him. Little Zeke could not convince his family and friends that his new friend could speak. Mrs. Tartal ignored his behavior, thinking he was calling some random bird “Ziggy.” She was convinced he had seen a similar bird when he was three.