Episode 1:9

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As Meldwyn’s feathered friend settles in, it begins a pleasant rhythmic chirping. Meldwyn smiles and begins swaying. He’s soon crooning to the music, using his pop-up as a prop microphone between licks. He’s free associating, singing snippets of whatever songs pop into his head. He becomes lost in the moment, singing a little ditty by Nine Inch Nails with particular gusto. The buzz is killed as Meldwyn becomes aware of a loud, screeching, chittery sound popping up in the mix. It sounds like a drunk and lovesick Tarzan pouring his heart out to the jungle after sucking down a balloon full of helium. Slightly shaken, Meldwyn starts looking around the park for signs of Yoko Ono. Turning to his left, he spots the source of the noise.

As the bird hastily packs for a trip south, or north or anywhere but here, Meldwyn quickly reaches into his backpack and retrieves a small handful of peanuts from a bag. He thrusts them in the direction of the semi-rhythmic screech and it mercifully stops. The cute, furry little squirrel from which this hideous din has belched, seems to smile as it reaches for the peanuts and pops a few into it’s mouth.

Meldwyn lays some more peanuts on the park bench for the tone deaf rodent and breathes deeply to rechill. Only after pausing does he think that, though there may have been no causal relationship to what he has just endured, he should refrain from singing about fornicating like a member of a non hominid species in this setting and perhaps consider another number from the NIN catalog next time.

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