After Sylvia

After Sylvia — page 5 — tangled mess of antenna wire Owen pulled it clear in handfuls then lifted out the crystal radio set itself It was a thing of beauty It had a varnished wooden base with a large metal coil on the side and even more brass knobs than Owen knew what to do with Normally Andy operated it Owen wasn’t sure how to attach the antenna wire which was a fairly new addition He had seen Andy hook an end of wire around one of the brass knobs and then run the rest over the curtain rod and across to the light switch near the door But which knob should Owen attach it to And would he be able to untangle the wire enough to reach the switch Owen wanted to ask Andy for advice but the older boy was pretending to sleep now snoring and snorting even louder than usual So Owen chose one knob at random on the set attached an end of wire and pulled the rest of the tangle as far as he could over the curtain rod He climbed on a chair and looped part of it around the overhead light then ran the rest to the sailing ship lamp that was mounted on the wall a few feet above the boys bed It won’t work like that Andy muttered between fake snores How do you know Owen said

After Sylvia — page 6 — It just won’t Owen ignored him and returned to the radio set There was dead silence from the tiny speaker Outside the wind was racing thin gray clouds across the dark sky For a moment Owen thought he heard low rattles and indistinct stutters but it was Leonard tossing in bed and creaking the old frame Try adjusting the clip Andy whispered You can move it along the coil Owen peered at the complicated instrument until finally in the shadows he could just make out the clip that Andy had mentioned It was a wire from the speaker that was attached to one of the coils and Owen saw that it could be undipped and moved to a different coil As soon as Owen moved the clip it sounded like birds had flown into the room What’s that Leonard moaned I’m trying to get to sleep It’s birds Owen said Birds on the radio Many different birds it seemed Some of them warbled and others trilled There were high looping calls and soft burbly murmurs like stream water rushing over stones In a few seconds Andy was beside him ears trained on

After Sylvia — page 7 — the soft noises and then Leonard too poked his head close to the little speaker The sound was low but distinct Andy told Owen that if he hooked up the battery they could boost the speaker power and hear better But the battery didn’t seem to be in the box Why would birds be on the radio Owen asked Maybe they took over the station Leonard said Don’t be ridiculous Andy said Birds can’t take over a station Why not Leonard asked They take over trees They take over telephone poles We have no idea what they’re talking about Owen looked outside to see if masses of birds were whirling through the sky preparing to occupy the house But the sky was clear Those birds sound familiar Leonard said Familiar Andy said twisting the word to make it seem ridiculous Friends of yours Birds that you’ve met I don’t know Leonard said cautiously It’s just that The birds stopped singing on the radio then and Owen heard voices very low One of them was an announcer saying That was a taste of nature from one of the best

After Sylvia — page 8 — bird-whistlers in the county And the other That’s Uncle Lorne Owen blurted and the brothers looked at one another in amazement Then the house shook with the sound of heavy feet on the stairs and all three boys dove for the bed together They were still writhing when their father pushed open the door and a sudden shaft of light from the hall split the room What are you three up to Horace asked darkly Owen clung to his brothers in tense unbreathing stillness Is there a bird in here Horace asked then The crystal radio had started throbbing again Owen sat up and announced It’s Uncle Lorne But Andy instantly pulled him back down What are you talking about Horace asked stepping farther into the room Owen saw him in a blurry way through half-clenched eyes Horace was not normally an angry father but lately he could blow into a sudden storm over little things a broken window spilled ketchup a story on the news Just then the bird noises surged in volume and Owen wondered if Andy had suddenly found and hooked up the battery after all It is birds Horace said He walked over to the window

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