Wings to Change the World

-“Last year, when I was in Canada I met an otter at the bank of a river. He told me a story about an oil spill. His grandfather had been affected by the accident. It took place in Alaska when a huge oil transporter ship, the Exxon Valdez, sank and destroyed everything around.”

Otti had never seen something like that. Many of his friends were covered in oil. In vain they were trying to shake off the black grease stuck all over them. Moreover, each and every new attempt seemed to be useless. A slow, obscure rain splashed around them with each movement. At last, and far away, he could distinguish the shape of his brother Tombo who was joyfully splashing oil into the air with his friends. Of course, they were young and couldn´t realize they were in danger. Otti tried to run as fast as he could along the shore. The heavy load he was carrying did not allow him to make quick movements. Actually, otters are not fast out of the water. Otti knew it and could admit it. This was a real nightmare! As he approached, he could see fragile little birds slowly trying to raise their legs, one by one, out of the dense liquid in order to get closer to the bank. Meanwhile, four fat swans, not far away, were struggling to spread their wings. One or two of them could do it. From their wings, black grease was liking, carrying a disgusting oddor. And their beautiful white feathers were no longer bright and terse.

“This is something we cannot allow to happen,” said Wind while he stared at Ray.

-“Sure, we must do something right away. But it is not going to be easy,” complained Ray.

Ray and Wind were together sunbathing by the shallow pond where they had started their conversation. Now that Wind had heard all what Ray told him about nature being destroyed by man, he could clearly understand what was going on in the American continent. And there was more, because he knew Freedom, the seagull, had something similar to tell him. Wind had encountered him the week before. Freedom promised he would tell him a story about a ship, the Metula, that had contaminated the coasts of the very far end of the world in the strait of Magellan. It had taken place long ago. Indeed the damage to the environment had been tremendous. Wind told Ray to go to the shore of the river to see if they could find Freedom and ask him about the Metula. So, off they set towards the banks of the Paraná river. Luckily enough Freedom was catching snails by the shore when the ovenbird and the swallow arrived.