What do squirrels and ninjas have in common? Well, if you ask the six-year-old Billy Henderson- an instantly recognizable local hero of Benkelham suburbia, the answer will be death-defying, daredevil stunts. Friends, buckle your seat belts, for we are about to dive into one of the oh-so-bizarre suburban tales that sound more like rodent-sized Mission Impossible adventures than the humdrum routines of life in peaceful Benkelham.
There I was in Benkelham, in the heart of a quiet suburbia, orchestrating my own humble bird-watching routine when a peculiar sight caught my eye. This wasn’t the usual suburban spectacle that Billy might unairedly describe as “Adults being boring!” The Blackburn-Henderson garden was hosting an event more grab-your-binoculars-exciting than a squirrel on the verge of revealing an awe-inspiring, ninja-like plunge from a tree towering over the picket fence.
Now, every squirrel in town knows three things- how to dash across power lines without getting fried, how to differentiate between stale and fresh nuts, and third, not to perform stunts when Billy Henderson is around. But our protagonist of the day – let's call him Bolt due to the lighting speed of his paws and his love for dramatic dives - well, Bolt was clearly not savvy with these squirrel norms.
"Mom! Bolt is about to do his Ninja tumble again!" Billy's cry of alarm echoed across Mrs. Henderson's freshly manicured garden. The boy flung off his tortoise-patterned picnic blanket, donned an oversized satin cape stitched dearly by his grandma, and transformed into Super-Billy in a heartbeat.
Bolt, the furry little stunt squirrel, seemed to be unimpressed with his growing audience. That, or he mistook Billy's Superhero Cape as the mark of a fellow stunt-lover. Without a slight twitch in his wild missy tail, Bolt leaped, followed by an elaborate somersault limited only by his tiny body's aerodynamics, the audience below holding their breath.
The Henderson family, Blackburn's neighborhood dogs, a handful of surprised bird-watchers in the vicinity (including myself), and Tweeting-town's entire bird population watched on as Super Billy sprinted, extended his arms and performed a classic catch from the eighth dimension (the one right above Benkelham, for context). The suburbia stood still as every heartbeat synchronously paused to witness the landing of a spectacular mid-air rendezvous between boy and squirrel.
Billy landed back on his feet (a moment recorded and replayed at several dining tables later), Bolt safely ensconced in his arms. The child's triumphant laughter echoed across Benkelham's heart, and the suburbia broke into a collective cheer. Our brave heart grinned, Bolt patted Billy's heroic cheeks while still gripping an acorn tight in his mouth- they were bonded forever.
A suburban tale as wild as this commands your attention, doesn't it? Just another extraordinary meeting of the minds and the fur at a neighbourhood that enshrines the extraordinary in the ordinary. Bolt, the ninja squirrel and his saviour Billy, will always remain Benkelham's unlikely heroes whose courageous saga has unfolded under the watch of countless avian eye-witnesses.
As the suburban moon peeks out from behind the clouds and another day in Benkelham draws to a close, we can't help but hope our little hero is all geared up for his much-deserved superhero nap. After all, even in superhero business, one needs a break to recharge! Meanwhile, Bolt has already developed a newfound reputation as "the Rebel Squirrel with a Flair for Dare." And Benkelham has a new legend for folks to tell around their hearths.
So, the next time you see a seemingly ordinary six-year-old your heart should flutter, for it might just be Billy, the furry ninja's saviour standing right next to you fetching his morning paper, ready and willing to jump into action to protect his neighbourhood. Now wouldn't that be one heck of a wakeup call, at least for Bolt and all his squirrel friends?