Leaving the Valley

Tomas the ranger came to the visitor centre at sunrise. He had a Thermos of coffee. He sat on a bench next to Polly.

Tomas, čuvar parka, stigao je u centar za posjetitelje u zoru. Imao je termosicu s kavom. Sjeo je na klupu pored Polly.

They did not say much. Polly preened her feathers. The morning smelled of the river.

Nisu puno razgovarali. Polly je uređivala svoje perje. Jutro je mirisalo na rijeku.

"You are leaving," Tomas said.

"Odlaziš," rekao je Tomas.

Polly tilted her head.

Polly je nagnula glavu.

He told her about the rest of the park. The high country with its lakes. Another valley to the north. A grove of tall trees.

Ispričao joj je o ostatku parka. Visoko gorje s jezerima. Druga dolina na sjeveru. Šumarak visokih stabala.

"This place is too big to see in three days," he said. "You only see pieces."

"Ovo mjesto je preveliko da bi se vidjelo u tri dana," rekao je. "Vidiš samo dijelove."

Polly thought about her dives off the cliff. None of them were good. But each one was a little better. She could keep getting better for a lifetime.

Polly je razmišljala o svojim skokovima s litice. Nijedan nije bio dobar. Ali svaki je bio malo bolji. Mogla bi se usavršavati cijeli život.

The green shuttle bus came back. The same driver. Tomas stood up. "Off you go," he said.

Zeleni autobus se vratio. Isti vozač. Tomas je ustao. "Idemo," rekao je.

Polly stretched her wings. She lifted off the bench. She circled the visitor centre. She climbed.

Polly je raširila svoja krila. Podigla se s klupe. Kružila je oko centra za posjetitelje. Usponila se.

The valley dropped away. El Capitan was on her left. Half Dome was on her right.

Dolina je nestajala ispod nje. El Capitan bio je s njezine lijeve strane. Half Dome s desne.

At the rim, she banked west. Below her, a peregrine hunted small swifts along the cliff. Polly watched. Then she found the wind and let it carry her out of the park.

Na rubu, skrenula je prema zapadu. Ispod nje, sivi sokol lovio je male ptice uz liticu. Polly je promatrala. Zatim je pronašla vjetar i pustila ga da je nosi izvan parka.