Dear Grandad,

I saw the blackbird again this morning. He was sitting on his branch singing and looking down at me. I moved to the back of the house to get something and he followed me round, perching on the edge of the back wall. Then when I went to the front again he followed me there too. If I look at him, he looks right back at me. If I nod at him, he nods at me. If I raise my arm to wave, he lifts his wing a little. It’s not obvious. If someone was watching they wouldn’t notice anything, but I see it. I know. He’s looking out for me to make sure I am okay. He’s my friend.

I was thinking about the first time I saw him. I was sad then because I was missing you, but now that I know I have my blackbird as a friend, and that he will pop by to see me and sing to me, I don’t feel so sad anymore. When I see him and when he winks at me or sings to me I think about how much I used to love it when you came to visit and play with me, read to me and make things for me. Now I feel like I lost you but I gained my blackbird. Obviously, it’s not the same as having you here but in a funny way I feel that when the blackbird is around you are here with me and if I am unsure about something or need cheering up then when I see him I seem to know what to do and I always feel happier straightaway. It’s the shiny black feathers and the bright orange beak. That beak makes me smile every time I see it!

I used to cry every time I thought about you not being with us anymore. When I saw Old Shuffler with his broken body it reminded me that your body had broken too, and it scared me to think about how when someone’s body gets really broken there is no way to mend it and they slip away to nothing and are gone forever. But that was before I met my blackbird. He has filled up the hole, like the man who filled the hole in the window to stop the pigeons getting in. My blackbird has filled my hole and no pigeons are getting in!

I think this might be my last letter to you. I don’t think I need to write them anymore and I don’t think you need them anyway because I know that you know how to find me. If I’m feeling sad or alone or upset or if I have made a great discovery or found out some amazing facts or done something cool at school or drawn a nice picture, I’ll just head out into the garden or sit at the window and wait for my blackbird to come by. It can be our secret. I’ll love you forever and ever and will never forget you.

Kate x

---

Next: At The Window
Previous: Letter 14 – Trees on the Plain
Return to Dear Grandad (Home)