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Sassafras pulled her plane to a safe stop at the gate of the Finchie Forest airport and powered down the engine. “Welcome back to Finchie Forest! I hope you enjoyed your visit to the Galápagos Islands and had a pleasant flight,” she announced to her passenger.
“I had a wonderful trip as always,” her finchie friend replied. “You should explore the Galápagos Islands sometime!”
Sassafras shrugged. “I’m too busy flying finches to their destinations to spend time sightseeing. A pilot’s job is never done!”
She took her phone out of airplane mode as she exited the plane and checked her messages. She had one missed call and a voice-mail from Robin.
“Hi, Sass!” Her friend’s message began. “I was wondering if you were available to fly me to New York City this weekend? I need to pick up some new upholstery from my suppliers, and I thought maybe you and I could hang out while we’re there!”
Sassafras checked her schedule and verified that she didn’t have any flights scheduled until Monday. She texted Robin back:
Sassafras thought it over for a minute before replying.
After they both checked into their hotel in New York, Sassafras wandered around the Garment District while Robin met with her suppliers. She admired the Big Button and its needle, ate a slice of pizza as big as her face, and relaxed in Bryant Park. Robin texted her when she was finished with her meetings. Sassafras helped Robin carry her new upholstery and supplies back to her room, and then they went out to an Italian restaurant for dinner.
That evening, they saw a very exciting play about an evil doctor who hypnotized his patients into robbing banks for him. Sassafras clapped and cheered when the brilliant detective proved that he was the real culprit. It was a fun night, but one thing bothered her as they walked back to their hotel.
“Do you think somebody could hypnotize me into committing a crime?” she asked Robin nervously. “The other kids used to call me gullible when I was younger.”
Robin shook her head. “I don’t think that could happen. You’re a very kind and thoughtful person, and I don’t believe people could really be hypnotized into doing things that go against their values.”
“That’s a relief.” Sassafras smiled.
“And I don’t think you’re gullible, either,” Robin continued. “You expect other people to have good intentions, and I admire that about you. I think being trusting is a good trait to have.”
“Oh! Thank you!” Sassafras had always been embarrassed about how trusting she was. She’d never considered that there might be something good about it.
The next morning, Sassafras and Robin grabbed some pastries and coffee to go from a nearby café and then walked around the city. They waved hello to the lions outside the library, explored Grand Central Station, took an elevator to the top of the Empire State Building, and then rode the subway to Greenwich Village.
Robin was excited to go thrifting. Sassafras was content to accompany her, but she didn’t think she’d buy anything for herself. Although she supported the idea of reusing clothes in general, in practice, she often felt itchy and uncomfortable wearing other people’s clothes. However, she was surprised to find a soft sweater in a style that she liked at an affordable price. She took it to a changing room and was pleased by how comfy it was, so she decided to treat herself.
They flew back to Finchie Forest that evening with their purchases and Playbills in tow. “Thank you for inviting me this weekend,” Sassafras said to her friend. “I had a great time!”
“Thank you for coming with me,” Robin replied.
As she flew away from the big city, Sassafras realized that she felt refreshed and recharged. As much as she loved helping other travelers get to their destinations, it was nice to take a trip of her own, especially with a good friend.