Our daughter and the Escaped Mental Patient from Bellevue

Robin caught inside shed attempts to beat itself crazily against the window. Trying to get out.

 

 First, let’s get things straight.  (Not necessarily in a straight-jacket.)    

This story may or may not be true.  Especially the part about the Escaped Mental Patient from Bellevue Hospital.  All the rest is definitively and deliciously true.    

I am repeating it to the best of my brain’s convoluted ability to get the story accurate.  However, since this is the story of a story (with another story happening simultaneously within the photos) it might require a little discernment as to actual happenings.    

Robin spreads its wings wide open desperately wanting to fly.

 

Our daughter calls from Manhattan Tuesday afternoon.  She was sitting on a bench writing in a notebook.   

She says:  “You’ll never believe what just happened!”   

Kind stranger attempts to help robin

 

Since Mama lives in the middle of the woods where the most exciting thing that ever happens is a robin captures himself within a shed and proceeds to bang against the glass until A) someone rescues him or B) he dies…I certainly had no idea what could have happened to her on a Manhattan afternoon.  You can only hope it wasn’t Awful.   

Here is what happened according to our second-born child:   

She leaned down over her notebook on the Manhattan bench, pen in hand, very engrossed, faithfully writing.    

So engrossed that she barely heard a nearby voice, “Lady, is this south?”    

She didn’t look up.    

The voice grew louder:  “LADY, is this way south?”    

She was already giving directions as she glanced up in the vicinity of the passer-by.     

“No, that way is north.  South is this way–” and she pointed in the appropriate direction.    

At that moment she took in the appearance of the questioner.  He was a man wearing an open hospital robe.  He wore gray socks.  No shoes.  And he took off running across the road, now headed south.    

It took a moment to register.  This looked like a hospital patient.  It looked suspiciously like a hospital patient–running away.    

Within forty seconds four burly security guards dressed in black raced down the road following the hospital patient.    

Back in straight-jacket?

 

Other witnesses in the area gathered to talk about this strange happening.    

One of the people casually said, “Oh, he’s probably from Bellevue.  Probably a mental patient.  It’s right around the corner on First Avenue.”    

What do you think, dear reader, of that exciting story?    

In the meantime, you will be pleased to hear that our captured robin flew free.  We rescued him.  Barry nabbed the captive, wrapped him in an old towel, and set him squawking to the sky as he released his hands.     

The forest exploded with bird song as the robin flew skyward.    

P.S.  Just googled Manhattan news.  No reports of an escaped mental patient.  If any Manhattan readers know more about this story…please comment!  We are interested to know “the rest of the story…” 

P.S.S.  If it was an escaped mental patient from the hospital, surely hope that whatever happens will help him to heal and find peace.  Blessings, dear escapee…