Thank you for stopping by, don't forget to click on the follow me button please.

.

.

Millita and the thief of the medallion

Chapter 3: From bird to bird

.

Millita arrived at Plaza Murillo to ask for help from the pigeons that came and went through the place, however, there was a problem that did not see our furry heroine with fake braids: no pigeon even looked at her.

It is well known that one of the cats' favourite dishes is the pigeon in the basket (or rather on the sidewalk), so it is not surprising that the birds ran away from her as soon as they saw her and did not give her any help despite the cat's pleas.

"I hope this works," thought Millita, who bought bird food from one of the sellers in the square.

Millita is a kitten, a working kitten, but she was always paid in snacks and not in cash, since cats don't need things like human money, however, once they paid her with a bill for a job done, they tied the payment to an exquisite ribbon that was made that time.

The kitty, once disguised as a cholita, decided to keep the bill in one of her pockets, with the idea that it might be useful in the future, and now that moment had arrived.

"Yes, little madam, do you want food for the pigeons?" said the saleswoman, who didn't understand Millita's meows, but assumed that the little cholita before her eyes wanted to buy her merchandise.

She didn't know if she had given her the right change, but the important thing was that she had done with the bird food. Thus, she gained the trust of the pigeons, although there was a small setback.

"Can't you really help me?"

"Sorry, we thank you for the food, but you're still a cat. In order for us to help you, you need to ask permission from the French."

"The French? And who is that?"

"He's the leader of the pigeons, you need his authorization, without it, we won't be able to help you in any way."

"Yes, it's forbidden to help dogs or cats, without the authorization of the leader of the square."

"And where does this French live?"

"He used to live in the Burnt Palace, but now he lives at the top of the new building they built. Bring us a feather of his and we will gladly help you."

"And how is this leader of yours?"

"Don't worry, you'll recognize him as soon as you see him."

"Good luck."

"Thank you, I'll be right back with the feather, pigeon friends."

Millita had no choice and had to climb to the top of the government building. She had a few problems in the elevators, but somehow, and making herself understood, she managed to get good-hearted people to press the buttons for her, that she couldn't reach them.

Already in the heliport, she met the French, who sang with pure joy.

"Never, say never, never..."

"Emm, this one, excuse me, Mr. French."

"A cat? And disguised as a cholita, nothing more and nothing less, what do you want?" Asked the leader of the pigeons, who had such a snowy plumage that Millita for a moment thought she was talking to a cloud or a white balloon.

"I came to ask you for a feather of yours."

"A feather of mine?"

"Yes, you see Don French, I have a friend named Clara, she's in serious trouble..." The kitty explained her problem to the featherer and, moved, he took off one of her white feathers and gave it to Millita.

"I hope you're lucky, Detective Millita."

"Thank you very much, Don French!" Our heroine thanked him and then hurried down to the square.

Once the white feather had been exposed to the pigeons in the square, they asked Millita for more information, and then they were ready in the sky to search from the air for that minibus, which had the figure of a bird painted on its roof.

.

.

"We found it!" The pigeons informed her at the end of the afternoon.

"That's good! Where is it?!"

"Apparently the thieves are leaving the city, heading for Copacabana."

"To Copacabana? Where is that?"

"It's next to the lake, a big place, that's where the thieves went. Isn't that so, friends?"

"You better hurry and go to the General Cemetery, the bus stop to Copacabana is nearby."

"Sure, you have to hurry, because you can't go to Copacabana at all hours," another pigeon informed her. "When it's too late, the navy doesn't allow anyone to cross the Strait of Tiquina."

Millita thanked them and ran to the bus stop.

.

.

She was short of breath, but had succeeded, the problem was that the change she received from the seller of the Plaza Murillo, was not enough for the passage to that population.

"What am I supposed to do now? I don't have any more human money", the kitty thought anxiously, but she couldn't give up. "I have in my house a mouse and a bird, maybe with that I can complete the cost of the ticket, I also have the ribbon, is very nice. I hope it reaches.

With that resolution, she left immediately to her house, the tiredness didn't matter, she had to help Clara.

.

.

What a calamity! As soon as Millita arrived at her house, she saw that it had been demolished.

The bricklayers who knocked down the adobe walls with pickaxes while chewing coca leaves, were surprised at the presence of a cholita crying in tears just behind them.

The workers did not understand what she was saying (they supposed because of the crying), but they understood enough. They took pity on the poor Millita and allowed her to collect her few belongings that in their eyes seemed only garbage.

Poor Millita, with no money, no food and no home to return to! Only her clothes on top, her miniature borsaline hat and the bag she wore on her back, which contained caps of soda and beer bottles, the head of a Troll doll and other trivial things that made up her toys. The rest had been lost forever.

Seeing herself helpless and no longer able to gather what was necessary for the passage to Copacabana, where the thieves surely were, she had to go to the only person, so to speak, who could advise her in this dark hour.

"Oh no, Millita, none of the things you rescued will pay for the bus to Copacabana," said Cuchicuchi, the cat, as he adjusted his hat because he felt the cold air hit his bald head. "Humans are only interested in human money."

"But I don't have any money, and now I can't look for a job in the hurry I have to find the thieves."

"Yes, you're right. All I can think of is for you to go and see the seagulls."

"Seagulls?"

"Yes, they're rare birds that weren't here before in my younger years, maybe they'll take you to Copacabana, so I saw some of them are too big, maybe there's some seagull big enough to take you."

"And where do I find those birds?"

"Uy Millita, you have to go very far, to the very edge of The City of El Alto, those birds are near the garbage dumps."

In truth, the distance was a lot, but Millita wasn't going to give in just like that, her friend's safety was at stake and after thanking the old cat, she left for the periurban areas of the youngest city in Bolivia.

.

.

Millita had to walk a long way, but she had finally reached her destination. At first the birds intimidated her because they were bigger than pigeons and screamed a lot, but she discovered that they were not as bad as they looked since they were sympathetic when she approached them and explained her problem.

"Well, we'd like to help you, cat friend," said one of the seagulls, the largest in the vicinity, "but I don't think we can take you that far. There isn't one of my sisters big enough for you to get on her."

"Oh, no! What can I do now? I must hurry or the thieves can escape."

"What about the old condor that lives near the snow mountain?" Suggested a seagull pointing with one of his wings to the mountain range. "He's big enough to carry you."

"No, he's very sullen, he wouldn't listen to her, unless..."

"Please tell me, I'm desperate."

"You can't go straight to the condor, but there are a couple of red-faced hawks who can intercede on your behalf."

"Really?"

"Yes, they are in a garbage dump beyond. I will guide you."

"Thank you very much."

"You're welcome, just don't panic. They look very fierce, but they won't hurt you."

So, the seagull flew again, and Millita, untiring, followed him from below, fortunately the flight was not prolonged and finally reached the hawks, who were brothers.

The seagull was right, the predatory birds had a wild look with those curved beaks and face and chest dyed the color of blood, they were smaller than their snowy guide, but it was noticeable that it was better not to mess with them.

"What do you say friends? Will you help the kitten save her friend?" Asked the seagull. "With this one and we're even."

"All right, I owe it to you after you saved my brother from drowning by that human garbage he accidentally swallowed."

"Millita right?" Said the other hawk, see that big rock over there? "Wait for us in that place because the condor doesn't like to come so close to human waste for fear of being seen."

Millita nodded gratefully and the hawks left in search of the condor, while the seagull said goodbye to the kitten and wished her good luck.

.

.

When Millita believed that the hawks would not return, she saw how they returned flanking what at first she thought was a black cloud, but then she gave a meow of surprise to see that the dark cloud was actually the condor.

Such a large bird had never been seen by our heroine and she did not believe that such a thing could exist.

Millita lay on the ground as she watched the condor land right in front of her. She would have liked her borsaline hat to cover her head, but it was very small, so she held on to her braids and covered her eyes with them as she swept the floor with her tail of how nervous she was.

"Cat friend," said one of the hawks, "don't be afraid, this is the condor friend. We have brought him here and he is ready to help you."

"Really?" said the kitten while she still fearfully saw over the braids.

"Cat friend," said the condor this time, "the brothers told me your story, and I am very moved. Don't worry, I'm going to help you, come on, let's not waste any more time because thieves can cross the border and escape."

"You're right, condor friend, thank you very much, hawkish brothers."

"Take care, Millita," said the birds and watched as the kitty climbed on the back of the condor, which then spreadhis wings.

"Hold on tight," said the condor and took flight.

At first Millita had her eyes closed trying to hold on and not lose her borsaline hat, but then her smell felt a different aroma.

"Oh, what's that?" asked the cat as she saw a large expanse of fresh water beneath her.

"It's Lake Titicaca, the highest lake in the world," answered the condor, who flew here and there over some scattered clouds.

Millita was delighted, the braids hung backwards by the movement of the air, and the clouds craved cottons of sugar that she ever saw in the squares of the city.

"Can we come closer and touch the clouds?"

"I wouldn't recommend it, my friend. The clouds look soft and spongy in the distance, but they are formed by very cold water, with how high we are and the flight we carry, you could catch a cold if we get through them by accident."

Millita nodded and held on tightly to the dark plumage of the noble bird, frowning and wishing to arrive as soon as possible to find the criminals and clear her friend's name.

"Clara, don't despair. Soon I will catch the real thieves of the medallion."

CONTINUARÁ...

.

.

Thank you for reading, don't forget to click on the follow me button please.