So I obliged.
Eileen Kelly
Next thing I know, this creature with claws almost as big as my hands hops onto my wrist, then proceeds to sidle up my arm and sit on my shoulder.
She was heavier than I expected. Not quite like having a dog on my shoulder. Maybe a cat.
And she was very tall. Like the height of a cat sitting on the shoulders of another cat.
It's not every day your shoulder becomes a cockatiel perch, but I was afraid if I looked she might gouge out my eyeballs. I fixed my eyes on the bus stop and hoped for the best.
A few minutes later, Pushy McCellphone was still yapping away like she was in her living room. So the bird and I got to know each other. She told me her name was Peaches and that she was seven years old and also that she was pretty.
"Well, aren’t we a little full of ourselves?" was my first thought.
But then I caught myself.
"You know what? Good for you, Peaches. I wish I had your confidence."
I told her I had an appointment and hoped her owner would get off the phone soon. Then Peaches gripped my shoulder a little tighter with her claws, stretched the top of her body up and over my head so that I was wearing her like a pair of earmuffs, and she told me she loved me.
We stayed in this bird hug for a minute or two, then suddenly her owner whisked her off my shoulder with a half-hearted, "Thanks" and hurried off.
Peaches turned her head 180 degrees and looked at me longingly. Then she disappeared into the New York crowds.
Peaches, if you're out there, I'm on Facebook.
Eileen was a semi-finalist in Nick at Nite’s “Search for the Funniest Mom in America,” and made a name for herself with " My Pony's in the Garage," which premiered at the NY Fringe Festival. She is currently writing a memoir based on her solo show and has written several treatments and spec scripts for television. She likes Springsteen, cheap beer and good Italian bread. Did we mention she’s from Jersey?
Read more about Eileen here: The debut of a brilliant star
