CHAPTER 1

“The floog are a LOT like us … and my floogonian mom, Qantuu was like any Earth mom. She was feeling a little blue this day; a little sad.  It was noticeable too. 

Their adult daughter, and my big sister, Qiin noticed it first.  During a visit, her mother looked a little down, which was a little unusual. 

Qiin asked, “Why?  Why do you look so sad today, Maamel?” (‘Maamel’ means mother in the floog language)

Maamel didn’t know why she was blue.  She just was for some reason or other but, couldn’t really give Qiin an answer.    The two of them looked at each other, and Qiin  made the suggestion that perhaps her mother needed a change of some kind.

I’d found it a strange floog custom that they always wore the same outfit day in, day out, like a uniform or something.  So, I’d made a remark to her at one time about it.  That, I believe, probably made her think about what she always wore.

She told Qiin, that, yes, she felt like she needed a change of some sort.  All the while she talked she was looking at her clothes.

 Qiin caught on and said, “Yes!  It’s not really done, but maybe you need to wear something new.  Let’s go shopping!”

Both Xerix and their adult son, Wazo had no idea what was going on, as they watched the two ladies rush out the door.  

When asked where they were going as they hurried out, Qiin answered something almost not understandable.   They had no clue what the words ‘shopping therapy!’ meant, that Qiin threw out at them in her rush out the door.

Much, much later, Maamel came home looking decidedly happier!  She stood in front of Xerix and Wazo, beaming, and wearing a beautiful new outfit. Xerix was almost speechless. The few words he was able to get out consisted of;  ummm. Oh.  My.  You.  Look.  You.  Look…"

Qantuu waited for the expected compliment, but, it didn’t come.  So, she fished a little.  “How do you like the new me?” she asked.  There was a long silence, until Xerix stammered out the only thing he could think of.

“Wh …What did you do with the old one?”  He knew very quickly that the answer was not the right one.

Wazo pulled his father’s feet out of the fire with whispered instructions to, “Just say yes, Papon.  Just say yes.”

I thought I was a little wiser than Xerix about what ladies liked, but I was really no smarter than he was.  I came home from school, my mind on what I could eat.  Qantuu was in the kitchen prepping my afternoon snack.

I’d worked hard all day at school.  I was hungry, and my eyes were laser-focused on what goodies were on the counter waiting for me.  I got the usual, how-was-school-today-question, and I answered automatically with the usual fine-what’s-to-eat- answer.

Then, with me not really looking at anything else, she asked, “Do you notice anything different?”

Like Xerix, the first word out of my mouth was, “Uummm.”  The next one was, “Nope.”

Qantuu said nothing as I walked out the door.  I should have known something was different.  Why else would she ask me something like that?  I should have clued in......

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