KALICO: 1 Hypnotized, Naked in Hope Springs, Texas

Kalico: First, Hypnotize the Chicken

Kalico: Tuesday, a shop on Main Street after lunch

"David! This spring chicken needs your attention!" the lady called again.

"Coming, Ma!" A teenage male voice called from some distance back through the door into the rear portions of the shop.

"David will be up here in a few moments, he's back there putting feed in the animal pans," she said, turning to face me. "I'm Gayle Moore, David's mother, and you are?"

"Kalico Johnson," I replied, "But really, you don't need to call him away from something. I was just going to ask about the chicken, I can come back later."

"No, no, you wait right here. Go right over there and look at Henrietta. David will want to tell you all about that chicken. You'll fined it real interesting, I'm sure. Are you related to Granny Johnson, down on Johnson Road?"

"Yes, she's my great-something grandmother. We're living with her at least for a while, as of two days ago."

"Oh! Kalico! Isn't your mother Wanda Johnson?"

"Yes, that's her name."

"Wonderful! I knew her in school, but she was a couple of years behind me. I remember when you were born. You were so cute. Such red hair, long and thick, with those cute white patches in it. I don't think I've ever seen a newborn with such long hair.

"We were both pregnant at the same time, and visited a lot in Doc Kramer's waiting room. David was born maybe four of five days before you were. I went to the hospital over in Center Lake when David was born. But something happened when your turn came. Short labor, I think, and you were born out at the farm. Granny Johnson took charge and delivered you just like a calf or lamb. Did you know that?"

Great! Another person who knew Mom back in the old days.

"No. Nobody's told me much about the details of me getting born."

"Oh, you must ask Granny Johnson to tell you. Everyone said my David was cute, but it's a good thing he got his five days of glory before you came along, because you were the talk of the town."

This is the point where I should put in another paragraph grumbling about Mom and Mrs. Moore knowing each other and Mom moving us back to this tired old town without asking me about it; but Mrs. Moore kept talking so I didn't have time for internal grumbling. Besides that, something she said made a curious echo in my head. Well, not exactly an echo, but something sounded strange, like maybe I've got a hollow head.

"Listen, Sweetie, I need to finish grooming this little mop-hound. I'll just let David tell you all about his chickens," and she went back to fluffing the tiny long-haired dog in the other room, pushing the door nearly closed.

A boy about my age? A boy, about my age who calls his mother "Ma!" How interesting. Mr. Coltwright had said something about that earlier: Self confidence "when" I meet a boy about my age. Or find something interesting about a boy about my age. Or maybe not. It was a fleeting thought. Maybe it was "take a shower before I meet a boy about my age."

My clothing smelled even more rank at the thought of a boy in near proximity. Yet, somehow I had the feeling my imagination was exaggerating my smell because of what Mr. Coltwright had said.

As I watched Henrietta the Chicken, I thought maybe I should take a hike before David arrives; before he has a chance to ask questions and establish that I'm the new Super Geek in town and that will be that. Nothing puts off a guy's attention quite as quickly as discovering a girl is a geek. Or worse, discovering that the girl geek also has body odor.