De Franse ambassadeur Xavier Chatel was aanwezig op het vliegveld van Kabul toen veel Afghanen aan de Taliban probeerde te ontsnappen. Hij kwam daar een meisje tegen met wel erg bijzondere bagage: een vogeltje. De vogel mocht niet mee in het vliegtuig waardoor het meisje alleen moest vertrekken. Xavier besloot om de zorg voor het vogeltje op zich te nemen.
1. Dit is hoe Xavier de vogel aantreft.
2. Ze maken samen de afspraak dat Xavier voor de vogel zal gaan zorgen.
For sanitary reasons, the bird could not embark on the plane from AD to 🇫🇷. She cried silently. I was moved. I promised to take care of the bird at the 🇫🇷 residence, feed him. She could visit him anytime and take him back. I won’t forget her look of desperate gratefulness.
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— Xavier Chatel (@Xavier_Chatel_) October 5, 2021
3. De tocht naar zijn nieuwe huis ging niet zonder slag of stoot.
During that heavy fortnight at the base, I was sleeping 2 or 3 hours a day, so intense was the evacuation organization. On a dizzy interlude I took Juji – the bird’s name – to the French residence. This energetic little mynah escaped his box and made a big mess in the car.
3/8 pic.twitter.com/kCeP0uWjnw
— Xavier Chatel (@Xavier_Chatel_) October 5, 2021
4. De vogel was niet meteen enthousiast over zijn nieuwe verzorger.
He hid beneath the seat and wouldn’t budge. When I tried to talk him into coming back, the fierce little fellow showed me that if he survived the Kabul airport, I was no match.
4/8 pic.twitter.com/UvcEy1gTXb
— Xavier Chatel (@Xavier_Chatel_) October 5, 2021
5. Toch voelde hij zich al snel thuis.
So I bought him a nice cage, fed him, took him out in the cool mornings so he could see other birds. He has a girlfriend now – a dove that visits him every day. So he loosened and started, at night, to say mysterious things, in a language we couldn’t understand. He spoke!
5/8 pic.twitter.com/jUM9cgxLmS
— Xavier Chatel (@Xavier_Chatel_) October 5, 2021
6. Om met elkaar te kunnen communiceren besloot Xavier hem Frans te leren.
I tried a few minutes every day to teach him 🇫🇷 words, starting with “Bonjour”, but the thing is: Juji doesn’t like men. He frowned at me and looked angrily, while he giggled at females. I went on trying hopelessly my daily “Bonjour” – but sure enough he wouldn’t listen.
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— Xavier Chatel (@Xavier_Chatel_) October 5, 2021
7. Na meerdere pogingen, blijkt de vogel een echte talenknobbel te hebben.
…Or so I thought. Until one day, the (female) manager of the French residence sent me this “Bonjour” that went straight to my heart.
7/8 pic.twitter.com/0k5BIn7hR7
— Xavier Chatel (@Xavier_Chatel_) October 5, 2021
8. Gelukkig worden de vogel en zijn baasje Alia toch weer met elkaar herenigd.
Today, from Paris, the bird’s owner, “Alia”, found me on Twitter. She was so happy to see her bird thus cared for. She wanted me to teach him 🇫🇷. Alia, your bird has become the embassy’s mascot, but he is here for you, and if I can, I’ll take him personally to you one day.
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— Xavier Chatel (@Xavier_Chatel_) October 5, 2021
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