I woke up to the sound of something breaking. I was near the window. The window had been left open, and the strong wind had knocked over the flowerpots by the window, scattering the soil of the broken pots across the floor. I got up and went to the kitchen. I poured boiling water from the kettle into a cup. I needed a cup of green tea. I picked up one of the cups and tried to scoop the remains of the plant and soil into it.

Returning to the window with my cup of tea, I saw a winged horse sitting by the window, staring at me.
I said, "Don’t tell me you want green tea too?"
"No. You know I prefer borage tea. Considering your current state, I think you need borage tea more than I do."
"I don’t have any."
"Do you really think you don’t need it?!"
"No. I mean, I don’t have any borage tea. I drank the last cup last night."
"It’s almost morning."
"You see! I still couldn’t sleep until daylight."
"You should get some of those pills that the walrus used to take."
"If I’d found something in the pillow, I wouldn’t be wasting time."

The last time I’d managed to get a good night’s sleep was that night when the walrus had left. He’d rolled around in bed all night, not sleeping a wink. The next morning, I found out he’d gone.

I sipped my green tea. The winged horse was now perched on my shoulder. Together, we looked out at the sky. The sunrise over the city. Crows soared freely in the dimly lit sky. The wind tossed our manes into the air. This time, it didn’t try to fight gravity—it seemed gravity had been forgotten. Maybe it was the green tea!

A noise behind us made us both turn.
"Excuse me… um… sorry… (cough) I… I apologize. Last night it was so cold. My wing got injured. I didn’t see the antenna. It was dark. I shouldn’t have been flying that late. Your window was open, you see… I had no choice… Oh, is that green tea? Wow, fantastic! The aroma’s filled the whole room! Could I have a cup too? My grandmother used to say it prevents cancer. By the way, is this really a house? It looks more like a single room!"

A large crow stood in the middle of the room, its black eyes and white feathers striking. The horse’s jaw dropped in surprise.

"Excuse me, could you close your mouth, please? I know you’re shocked by my presence, but your open-mouthed astonishment reminds me of my late grandmother. When she passed away, she was two hundred ninety-nine years and three hundred sixty-five days old. I don’t miss her at all. In fact, she used to irritate me with her constant nagging and meddling. She always marveled at my actions, even on her last day. You’ve probably heard that we crows live up to three hundred years. I got lucky she didn’t remember that year was a leap year! I didn’t tell her either… couldn’t deal with her anymore. Otherwise, she might’ve lived another day…"
(He plucked a few feathers with his beak and scattered them on the floor.)
"So, where’s my green tea? Or do I have to pour it myself? You city folk are like that, aren’t you? Well, at least the kitchen’s close by…"

The crow, laughing, dragged one of its wings along the floor as it waddled over to the stove, poured itself a cup of green tea, and returned to sit on the floor beside the walrus’s disheveled bedspread.
"Is your room always this messy? I bet I could guess how many years it’s been since you tidied up!" it chuckled slyly.

The horse continued to stare at the crow in astonishment, this time with its mouth closed—though not because the crow was white.

"Enough already. There’s a limit to how much one can marvel. You’d better come to terms with this. I know you’ve never seen a white crow before. Well, there aren’t many of us. Actually, besides myself, I’ve never seen another white crow either." (It laughed proudly.)
"Let me help you out. Last night, your window was open. A rare injured crow came inside. You offered it a cup of tea, and it accepted."

The horse burst out laughing. "You’re quite a character!"
"Yes, nice to meet you too. I’m Crow. I used to live in one of the nearby villages. Came here looking for work. I was minding my own business when I hit your building’s antenna. By the way, you’ve got some smart neighbors. No one in this weather leaves their window open at midnight."
"I like the wind." "But I don't think the wind likes you. Look at my wing! I know the wind better than you do."

(Pen on paper)