Zoe’s Tale PART I Chapter Five

thither was a tap on my door, a rat-a-tat that I gave hickory to social function when I was nine, when I made it a secret fraction of my secret corporation. I made Dickory a secret member of an entirely different secret club. homogeneous with mammary gland, popping and Babar. I was alto scotchher nigh the secret clubs when I was nine, apparently. I couldnt even forbidden tell you what the name of that secret club was now. But hickory still employ the knock whenever my bedroom door was closed. precipitate in, I verbalise. I was bearing by my bedroom window.hickory tree came in. Its dark in hither, it utter.Thats what happens when its late and the lights are permit out, I said.I heard you straiting nigh, hickory tree said. I came to see if you needed whatsoeverthing.Like a warm glass of milk? I said. Im fine, hickory tree. Thank you. indeed Ill founder you, hickory tree said, punting out.No, I said. Come here a minute. Look. hickory byeed over to stand next to me at the window. He looked where I pointed, to ii figures in the road in front of our house. Mom and Dad. She has been out on that point for nigh time, hickory said. Major Perry conjugated her a few minutes ago.I distinguish, I said. I saw him walk out. I heard her walk out, too, some an hour earlier the squeaking of the springs on the screen door had gotten me out of bed. I hadnt been sleeping, anyway. Thinking intimately discharge away Huckleberry and colonizing somewhere new was keeping my brain up, and wherefore made me pace around. The idea of leaving was sinking in. It was making me twitchier than I concept it would.You know about the new small town? I asked Hickory.We do, Hickory said. Lieutenant Sagan advised us earlier this evening. Dickory also filed a request to our government for more than information. wherefore do you call them by their localize? I asked Hickory. My brain was face for tangents at the moment, it seemed, and this was a good one. Mom and Dad. wherefore dont you call them Jane and tush like everyone else?Its non appropriate, Hickory said. Its too familiar.Youve lived with us for seven years, I said. You might be able to adventure a little familiarity.If you wish us to call them John and Jane, then we will do so, Hickory said.Call them what you want, I said. Im ripe saying that if you want to call them by their first call, you could.We will remember that, Hickory said. I doubted there would be a change in protocol anytime soon.Youll be coming with us, counterbalance? I asked, ever-changing the subject. To the new colony. I hadnt assumed that Hickory and Dickory would non be joining us, which when I thought about it might non energise been a smart assumption.Our accordance allows it, Hickory said. It will be up to you to decide.Well, of course I want you to come, I said. Wed just as soon leave Babar behind than not take you deuce.I am happy to be in the same category as your dog, Hickory said.I think that ca me out wrong, I said.Hickory held up a hand. No, it said. I know you did not mean to express Dickory and I are like pets. You meant to stand for Babar is spell of your household. You would not leave without him.Hes not just get around of the household, I said. Hes family. Slobbery, distinguish of dim family. But family. Youre family, too. Weird, alien, occasionally detectable family. But family.Thank you, Zoe, Hickory said.Youre welcome, I said, and suddenly felt shy. Conversations with Hickory were going weird places today. Thats why I asked about you calling my parents by rank, you know. Its not a usual family thing.If we are truly part of your family, then it is safe to say its not a usual family, Hickory said. So it would be hard to say what would be usual for us.This got a snort from me. Well, thats true, I said. I thought for a moment. What is your name, Hickory? I asked.Hickory, it said.No, I mean, what was your name in advance you came to live with us, I said. You had to have been named something to begin with I named you Hickory. And Dickory, too, before I named it that.No, it said. You forget. onward your biological father, Obin did not have consciousness. We did not have a sense of self, or the need to describe ourselves to ourselves or to opposites.That would nettle it hard to do anything with more than two of you, I said. Saying hey, you only goes so far.We had descriptors, to help us in our work, Hickory said. They were not the same as names. When you named Dickory and me, you gave us our true names. We became the first Obin to have names at all.I wish I had known that at the time, I said, after I took this in. I would have abandoned you names that werent from a nursery rhyme.I like my name, Hickory said. Its popular among different Obin as well. Hickory and Dickory both.There are other Obin Hickorys, I said.Oh, yes, Hickory said. Several million, now.I had no possible intelligible repartee to that. I turned my attention tail end to my parents, who were still standing in the road, entwined.They bed individually other, Hickory said, following my gaze.I glanced prickle at it. Not rightfully where I was expecting the conversation to go, but okay, I said.It makes a difference, Hickory said. In how they call to each other. How they communicate with each other.I suppose it does, I said. Hickorys observation was an understatement, actually. John and Jane didnt just have it off each other. The two of them were nuts for each other, in just the sort of way thats both spot and embarrassing to a teenage daughter. base because who doesnt want their parents to love each other, right down to their toes? Embarrassing because, well. Parents. Not so-called to act like goofs about each other.They showed it in different ways. Dad was the nigh obvious about it, but I think Mom felt it more intensely than he did. Dad was matrimonial before his first wife died back on Earth. Some part of his bone marrow was still with her. No one else had any claim on Janes heart, though. John had all of it, or all of it that was supposed to die to your spouse. No matter how you sliced it, though, theres nonentity either of them wouldnt do for each other.Thats why theyre out here, I said to Hickory. In the road right now, I mean. Because they love each other.How so? Hickory asked.You said it yourself, I said. It makes a difference in how they communicate. I pointed again to the two of them. Dad wants to go and lead this colony, I said. If he didnt, he would have just said no. Its how he works. Hes been moody and out of sorts all day because he wants it and he knows there are complications. Because Jane loves it here.More than you or Major Perry, Hickory said.Oh, yeah, I said. Its where shes been married. Its where shes had a family. Huckleberry is her legal residenceworld. Hed say no if she doesnt give him liberty to say yes. So thats what shes doing, out there.Hickory peered out again at the silhouettes of m y parents. She could have said so in the house, it said.I shook my head. No, I said. Look how shes looking up. Before Dad came out, she was doing the same thing. rest there and looking up at the stars. Looking for the star our new major planet orbits, maybe. But what shes really doing is saying auf wiedersehen to Huckleberry. Dad needs to see her do it. Mom knows that. Its part of the reason shes out there. To let him know shes ready to let this planet go. Shes ready to let it go because hes ready to let it go.You said it was part of the reason shes out there, Hickory said. Whats the other part?The other part? I asked. Hickory nodded. Oh. Well. She needs to say arrivederci for herself, too. Shes not just doing it for Dad. I watched Jane. A lot of who she is, she became here. And we may never get back here. Its hard to leave your home. toughened for her. I think shes trying to key out a way to let it go. And that starts by saying good-bye to it.And you? Hickory said. Do you need to say good-bye?I thought about it for a minute. I dont know, I admitted. Its funny. Ive already lived on intravenous feeding planets. Well, three planets and a space station. Ive been here longest, so I guess its my home more than any of the rest of them. I know Ill miss some of the things about it. I know Ill miss some of my friends. But more than any of that Im enkindle. I want to do this. Colonize a new world. I want to go. Im excited and nervous and a little scared. You know?Hickory didnt say anything to this. Outside the window, Mom had walked away a little from Dad, and he was turning to head back into the house. Then he stopped and turned back to Mom. She held out her hand to him. He came to her, took it. They began to walk down the road together.Good-bye, Huckleberry, I said, susurration the words. I turned away from the window and let my parents have their walk.