Chapter Two

Thank Heavens for the Ladies' Lounge.

Mrs. Canterthumpy's refuge was painted pure pink. She plopped-down on the aptly covered chenille commode cover. Mike came in behind her and instantly went and hid behind a towel, his feet clearly visible.

"Boo!" Mike said.

"Mike I can see your feet." She managed a bit of reluctant glee. If only Momma had time to play.

She scratched her head. What to do with Manley? Momma could hear gawkers gathering near her yard below.

A passerby walking outside said "...if you eat nuts, Son, we got 'em."

"...he's NUTS." someone else laughed.

This made Momma angry. She washed her hands in the sink, grabbed something from Manley's room, then went downstairs and out to her lawn.

There were now about 20 people gathered at the edge of the wood looking at Manley, who had fallen asleep standing-up, his antlers wedged against (and stuck to?) a tree.

"Boy, I say hey Boy" and older gentleman said. "You okay? What's that there on your head?"

"Reindeer Boy" a kid squawked. A group of small boys snickered.

Another boy said "...'ent that Manley the Moose Canterthumpy?" Some of the boys laughed at the name.

"Boy!" the older gentleman called. There was no waking Manley, at least.

Momma walked slowly past the crowd, and, whispering under her breath said "...that's our boy. Leave him alone."

A curious woman with a big hat was blocking Momma's view of Manley. With Mike tagging her left thigh, she cleared her throat and said "..excuse me. That's, ugh, my boy."

The woman seemed to reach into her purse so quickly Momma thought she needed a breath mint. "...I have this article," the woman began. "I found it in Today's News two Tuesdays before yesterday...How NOT to Raise a Child."

Momma gave her a look, which even made Mike cower. "...Manley is a good child, and I'm a good mother."

Mike gave the salute of agreement and Momma scooped him up into her arms with the other thing she was carrying.

"..I'm just saying." the big hatted woman said.

"THANK YOU" Momma said. "And I appreciate your interest." She shooed the woman aside then headed closer to Manley. The boy stood as close to the clearing entrance, asleep with his head leaned forward against a cedar. His arms dangling.

"...Baby," she whimpered. She ran to Manley and scratched his forehead.

Manley awoke, and with his very small, and somewhat discouraged voice said"...I'm not a reindeer!"

"I know you're not Joesph" his mother said. Beside him she placed his favorite thing: his Dad's heavy (borrowed) goose down pillow.

"Momma, my pillow!" he said, and they kind of fell to the ground in a huddle.

The three of them hugged and considered their options. For a few precious moments, the world was blocked away and none of this was happening.

After a while the mummering from the crowd began to bother Momma.

"Nothing to see here," Momma said "...just a mother with her two boys."

Some people would stare for a minute, then walk on. Momma tried to shut them out of her mind. Mike closed his eyes so hard he fell asleep.

These three things were seen or heard:

Old people stopped at the clearing shaking their heads.

An occasional bark from a curious dog.

A few hand points and skirt tugs from children Mike's age.

Other neighbor folk came and brought information. Tony, who was known in the neighborhood as Tony the TV Watcher, came up and said something surprising. "I saw this on TV last week."

Momma shrugged.

"I recorded it," Tony said "...want to come watch?"

"What channel was it on?" Momma asked. A voice deep in her head was hoping Tony didn't see it on National Geographical or World of Wonders.

"I saw it two days before yesterday---Tuesday---on the Good Morning Today show at ten" Tony said.

Momma rolled her eyes in disbelief.

"Really," Tony said. "It was a television program about someone who had a BUMP."

"These are horns," Momma explained. "It's not the same."

Manley, who was still within earshot, covered his face with his small hands. Slowly, he traced his fingers from his eyebrows to the large horns now protruding from his forehead. "...thanks anyway Mister." Manley said.

It didn't seem like having horns was a good thing after all.

Momma and Mike followed the neighbor Tony to his house, and passersby still continued to throw pieces of half-eaten fruit (and peanuts) to Manley. "...I'm not a reindeer, I'm a boy." Manley whispered. He went deeper in the woods, away from the spectators.

In the forest Manley felt great. He was a giant. Using his forehead to turn his antlers side-to-side, he was a formidable creature---Man-Boy! His dad would be proud.

That's when a frightening thing occurred for Manley. His horns began to grow bigger in front of his eyes!