Sleeping with the Goose!

Sleeping with the Goose.

It was a pleasant surprise to see the Pillows filled with Goose feathers. My husband bought them from the Ikea Store in New Jersey the other day. Pretty sure he did not know that the pillows contained feathers! Quite happy with the great deal that he got, he proudly displayed the pillows to me. Being the curious buyer that I am, I started reading the packaging literature in bold and fine print. Well, hypo-allergenic. Came as a bit of relief. Though amused initially, later I started feeling uneasy about the whole affair!

We had just moved into our new rented apartment in Cator Ave, NJ. With so much luggage to be unpacked and two jet-lagged kids to be attended to, there wasn’t much time left to think about the Geese who once upon a time owned those feathers. I was not in the right spirit either. Snow snow everywhere, not the time to be spirited. Further, I was going through the worst jet lag ever. However, as I put my head down on the pillow, I started getting a very avian feeling! I felt (I still feel today, the third day after the uneasy purchase!) the whole room smelled avian! It was as if I was sleeping in a hencoop (I am not sure how Geese smells like. But I guess it must be closer to the chicken smell!)

I just couldn’t get myself to rest on the pillow. It was very suffocating to sleep in that room. First night passed by without much drama. Thanks to the jet lag. Second day and night; I experienced the worst feelings. I am not sure if my heart flies out to those Geese, to whom my family should be grateful in a way. I am not sure if I am even haunted by their souls.

As darkness fell, the Geese started thronging in my head. Like swarms of worms slithering on each other. Held so close to each other that there is hardly any space for the Geese to move around. That’s why the comparison with the worms. Sounds disgusting, right? I wondered for a moment if I was feeling disgusted by the whole thought and  the smell. As night came, the Geese really filled me up! With the weirdest of thoughts. I slept with out the pillow.

Third day morning. I gathered my arguments against the Pillow. Infamous by now. At least in my mind. I told myself. Listen, you are going to talk to the guy who bought them from the store. He thinks they are great. And moreover, he got them for a great bargain. No feelings for birds as such. No romanticized pseudo-environmentalist either. But, I still did share my feelings with him. About the pillows. What greeted me was his ever hilarious, boisterous laughter. He couldn’t be more amused. Well, let him be.

While the avian smell continues to linger in my whole house, my mind wanders around the Geese. Are they reared only for their feathers? What kind of conditions are they reared in? Or, are they hunted down from their long flights of fancy? Breaking the amazing formations that flocks of Geese are known for. Overcoming the wind-resistance that they beautifully encounter with their near-scientific formations. May be Google will throw up some answers.

I have been accused and at times credited for my sharp olfactory sense. It worked against me here too. But, one sense leads to the other. Just like the olfactory sense opened up my emotional sense. In a way, it touched a chord with my inner self. That which shares a corner for the living.

Writing about the Geese takes some burden off my mind. Let their souls rest in peace!