It's Friday morning, just driving away from the house to join
the traffic flow of parents dropping off their kids to school. I had my girls dressed up and beautiful as bonbons - Apollonia has a performance at
school and Amadea is pretty in pink for her school photo.
As we were passing the safety bank, Apollonia looked across the road and exclaimed: "Mamma, our chicken is in front of this house!"
"What our chicken? What front? Which house?"... I was throwing questions at her trying at the same time to keep my eyes on the road. "Look, our chicken is eating grass in front of this house" and she showed the house we were passing by.
"What our chicken? What front? Which house?"... I was throwing questions at her trying at the same time to keep my eyes on the road. "Look, our chicken is eating grass in front of this house" and she showed the house we were passing by.
Well, well, well!
I'll be damned!
It is really our chicken!
Really! - in front of the house across the road picking the grass next to the fence...
I didn't count the chickens this morning to check if all 9 were there and look at her - took off for a walk.
Why would our chicken cross the road?!...
Couldn't get in deep thinking, the road was busy and we were running late.
As I dropped my oldest daughter to school and about to take the little one to preschool, I really became anxious and curious about THAT chicken. I made an U-turn and went strait to the house where we saw it last.
There it was, picking something in the grass with not a worry in the world and the busy traffic passing it by. I parked the car in the driveway and jumped with a big spring in my steps calling the "lost soul" to mamma. She didn't want to have any of me unless I was coming in peace with hands full of food. Oh - food! Say so. I took the little packet of crisp bread from my younger daughter's lunch box.
"Here, chick-chick-chick-CHICKIES!"
"Here, piew-piew-piew-PIEW!", I started to give her crumbs crisp bread to allure her close enough to catch her.
Darn chicken! Runs around like a dart and I am becoming more and more dangerous for the passing by morning traffic. I could feel with the corner of my eye how the cars are slowing and hear few hoots and whoops while running with hands thrown in the air to catch this little bugger. "Go Indiana Jones", shouted somebody through their car window. While some other smarty pants was cheering: "Go Team Chicken!"
Hm! Sweat, blushing and annoyance were spreading across my face like a rainbow. "People are having fun", I was mumbling. "What's next? An YouTube accidental sensation?" You want an Indiana Jones, I'll give you an Indiana Jones!
I took my jumper and start flapping it in front the chicken like a matador till I throw it over it and blanketed it completely. Gotcha! Phew what a sweat and running! Now what? I had no idea how to drive the chicken home since we were on the opposite side of a very busy road. I scratched my head for few seconds and then just pushed the chicken in my big grocery bag full of beetroot, carrots, leek and parsnip. She just looked around and started picking the carrot leaves, feeling very much at home amongst the veggies.
As I got home, I saw 9 young hens running towards me and greeting me with loud chick-chick-chick. Wait a second - 9? So who is in my grocery bag? I've stolen a chicken? All this circus to catch somebody else's chicken?
So what am I - the Indiana Jones from Kingwood or The Chicken Thief?!...
Always count your chickens. And stop, look, listen and think before crossing a road.
Ciao,
Sophia
© 2014 - sophia terra~ziva. all rights reserved
I cannot stop smiling broadly at this brilliant story. And I find myself going back several times to admire the chicken in the bag. Its stunningly beautiful colour complements the lovely vegetables perfectly.
ReplyDeleteThank you Elizabeth! I am glad you enjoyed the read. She turned to be a very attached to me lovely young hen and comes for a pet.
Delete