Illness Among the Chickens :: Creative Writing Essays

Illness Among the Chickens The outbreak began in early June, following the first major rush of tourism for the summer. The streets were crowded with tourists--many American, but some Japanese, Koreans, and Europeans as well. As the townspeople focused on selling their wares to the tourists, none noticed the lethargy of their poultry. As I moved passed my neighbor's poultry shed, headed toward the street to sell my copied music cds (for I am rather well off, having moved to this neighborhood to care for my ailing parents), I noticed that the chickens were lethargic, and had not seemed to have eaten. My neighbor cursed them to me when I saw him, claiming that what few eggs they laid were soft and broke when he picked them up. I moved when he kicked one, and set up my shop for the day. The next day, as I passed the chicken shack, I noticed one chicken lying next to the shack--its face was swollen, and the combs of the cocks had taken on a blueish coloration. The chicken also seemed to be sneezing, but I can never tell. I did not see my neighbor that morning, and I moved on. When I returned home, however, I saw him standing in his yard, staring down. He was flushed, and sweating, but in the heat, I took it for granted. One thing however, stopped me cold--all around him, his chickens were dead. It seemed to have come suddenly--some were dead in the water trough, as if they had been struck down while drinking. After putting on my gardening mask (I have terrible hayfever), I helped pile the corpses into a wheelbarrow and carry them off out of the town to bury them. My neighbor spit and cleared his throat a lot, and complained of a headache and said his arthritis was acting up. I gave him some aspirin, and went home for the night. Several days passed as normal, and I did not think too much of the chickens. After all, this was the busy season, and I had to make sure that I made enough to last my sister a year, when I left her [to watch] my parents [after] I returned home. However, when my neighbor's daughter crawled to my door and passed out, I knew that [the illnesses of my neighbor and his chickens] were somehow related. Illness Among the Chickens :: Creative Writing Essays Illness Among the Chickens The outbreak began in early June, following the first major rush of tourism for the summer. The streets were crowded with tourists--many American, but some Japanese, Koreans, and Europeans as well. As the townspeople focused on selling their wares to the tourists, none noticed the lethargy of their poultry. As I moved passed my neighbor's poultry shed, headed toward the street to sell my copied music cds (for I am rather well off, having moved to this neighborhood to care for my ailing parents), I noticed that the chickens were lethargic, and had not seemed to have eaten. My neighbor cursed them to me when I saw him, claiming that what few eggs they laid were soft and broke when he picked them up. I moved when he kicked one, and set up my shop for the day. The next day, as I passed the chicken shack, I noticed one chicken lying next to the shack--its face was swollen, and the combs of the cocks had taken on a blueish coloration. The chicken also seemed to be sneezing, but I can never tell. I did not see my neighbor that morning, and I moved on. When I returned home, however, I saw him standing in his yard, staring down. He was flushed, and sweating, but in the heat, I took it for granted. One thing however, stopped me cold--all around him, his chickens were dead. It seemed to have come suddenly--some were dead in the water trough, as if they had been struck down while drinking. After putting on my gardening mask (I have terrible hayfever), I helped pile the corpses into a wheelbarrow and carry them off out of the town to bury them. My neighbor spit and cleared his throat a lot, and complained of a headache and said his arthritis was acting up. I gave him some aspirin, and went home for the night. Several days passed as normal, and I did not think too much of the chickens. After all, this was the busy season, and I had to make sure that I made enough to last my sister a year, when I left her [to watch] my parents [after] I returned home. However, when my neighbor's daughter crawled to my door and passed out, I knew that [the illnesses of my neighbor and his chickens] were somehow related.