Lovejoy, the House Parrot

In the village, dogs are everywhere—on paths, under stilts, and wandering between houses—but never inside. Chickens roam freely too, scratching around for scraps beneath the floorboards and, eventually, making their way into the pot (for what I can confirm is a very good soup). But of all the animals that call this place home, only one has the honor of living inside the house: a flightless parrot named Lovejoy.

Lovejoy doesn’t say much, but he knows a few words in Wounmeu, the Wounaan language. I’ll admit—I’ve always been uneasy around parrots. But the kids adore him, and they were determined to change my mind. One afternoon, while I was reading in the hammock, one of the girls gently knocked him off the wall with a broomstick and brought him over to sit with me. I wasn’t sure what to do, but it was all very sweet. Slowly, I started to warm up to him.

Lovejoy spends his days walking the beams, scaling the walls, and generally keeping an eye on things. During meals, he gets his own little pile of rice while we sit and talk about the day. I do my best to tell stories about my family back home, fumbling through high-school Spanish while the kids listen and laugh. Most evenings, Lovejoy climbs up to the roof to watch the sunset alone. And honestly, I get it.

Turns out, Lovejoy’s a pretty cool dude.