MY FRIEND OSCAR
Whether it’s day or night, rain or shine, there’s nowhere I’d venture and nothing I’d undertake without Oscar by my side. Oscar is this Scarlet Macaw Parrot I rescued from a sinking galleon that got caught in a terrible storm off Castrum Maris just as it was entering the Grand Harbour.
Around the world
Swift and violent storms are known to form quickly over the Mediterranean Sea, especially in autumn, when cool air from the north passes over the warm sea! Oscar, who sometimes behaves more like a peacock than a parrot, will insist that he saved me and not the other way around, but we agree to disagree! Oscar used to belong to a wealthy Spanish merchant called Eduardo, who traded between the Americas, Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.
Tales for the High Seas
Their travels, fraught with natural hazards and pirate threats, were also journeys of great discovery. Oscar was most probably found in the lush Amazon forests in Brazil. Eduardo also frequently travelled on behalf of the Grand Master. These trips mainly involved delivering gifts to dignitaries, with Maltese oranges being especially appreciated.
Oscar recounted that his most annoying journey was to deliver a Maltese Falcon to the Emperor of Spain. He and the falcon clearly did not get along, and Oscar simply could not understand how such a lame bird could be seen as a gift fit for royalty! Honestly, I sense some sour grapes every time Oscar tells this tale, but I always play along and agree that it should have been Oscar at the Emperor’s court … imagine that! All that racket and screeching! He wouldn’t have lasted an afternoon!
Oscar told me that Malta’s strategic location was perfect, and its harbour was the best he and Eduardo had ever visited. Even though Malta did not have many raw materials to export, Eduardo and Oscar visited frequently, either with supplies or en-route to other countries.
When, in 1530, Emperor Charles V of Spain ceded Malta to the Order of St John, a written pact stipulated that as a nominal feoff entitlement, the Order was to pay a yearly homage to the Emperor by presenting him with a peregrine falcon.
Oscar’s captivating tales have endeared him to the locals, transforming him into a celebrity along the shore. Oscar certainly loves the attention, and I don’t mind him basking in the attention as long as he’s sharp and alert on the job. You won’t see him lift a feather, but his skills in reading the weather and sea currents are unmatched. He can also speak perfect Italian, Spanish, French, and Maltese, which is extremely useful for my trade, especially when supplying the Order’s galleys.
It must have been a huge adjustment for him to go from sailing the seven seas to ferrying around and across the harbour day in and day out. But Oscar has settled in very nicely and seems genuinely happy as he sits proudly on top of the stern pillar of my kajjikk. He has also made countless friends, but his clear favourite is Camelia, the Inquisitor’s Parrot. He takes advantage of every opportunity to fly over to the palace, sometimes even for a quick hello in between trips. I must admit that Oscar has become my inseparable companion and has changed my life, especially in the mornings when he is screeching his tail off by daybreak!