Stepping outside of the dimly lit and grand cathedral, I immediately noticed three things. The first was the blinding sunlight that hit my face with such force it brought tears to my eyes. The colossal amount of people crowding every inch of the Duomo Plaza caught my attention second. Just half an hour ago I had walked into a nearly vacant area, but now it bustled with people coming and going from all over the world. Lastly, I saw pigeons in every direction. They perched on statues, occupied benches, flew around the square, and gathered together in groups scavenging for food scraps, proving the popular tourist attraction belonged just as much to them as it did to any human.
“Watch out for thieves and stay close to me at all times,” my mother …show more content…
However, despite his effort to appear friendly, something about him made me uncomfortable. Perhaps the way he stared intensely at my mother’s purse or the fact that he carried a wooden stick in his belt evoked this suspicious feeling. The small detail in the background that everyone else had briskly refused the offer didn’t make the situation any better. But why couldn’t we do the same? And what harm could it do anyway? My mother came to the same conclusion. Sighing, she instructed us to take the seeds, not wanting to induce trouble or display rudeness. I nodded slowly and mimicked his hand position as he poured the seeds into the palms of my hands, careful not to spill any on the ground. The man to his right reached into his pouch and took some more out, sprinkling them into my sister’s hands. Almost immediately, pigeons came flying at us, pecking at my skin. Startled, I dropped the seeds to the ground and stepped back as dozens more came to feast. When they finished, they glanced up at us, asking for more, but once they realized we had given them all we had, they quickly dispersed into other areas. Promptly thanking the men, my mom took my sister’s hand and tried to steer us away again. Once more, they blocked us. The first time, they wanted us to feed pigeons, a seemingly simple and even generous gesture. What did they want this
“Watch out for thieves and stay close to me at all times,” my mother …show more content…
However, despite his effort to appear friendly, something about him made me uncomfortable. Perhaps the way he stared intensely at my mother’s purse or the fact that he carried a wooden stick in his belt evoked this suspicious feeling. The small detail in the background that everyone else had briskly refused the offer didn’t make the situation any better. But why couldn’t we do the same? And what harm could it do anyway? My mother came to the same conclusion. Sighing, she instructed us to take the seeds, not wanting to induce trouble or display rudeness. I nodded slowly and mimicked his hand position as he poured the seeds into the palms of my hands, careful not to spill any on the ground. The man to his right reached into his pouch and took some more out, sprinkling them into my sister’s hands. Almost immediately, pigeons came flying at us, pecking at my skin. Startled, I dropped the seeds to the ground and stepped back as dozens more came to feast. When they finished, they glanced up at us, asking for more, but once they realized we had given them all we had, they quickly dispersed into other areas. Promptly thanking the men, my mom took my sister’s hand and tried to steer us away again. Once more, they blocked us. The first time, they wanted us to feed pigeons, a seemingly simple and even generous gesture. What did they want this