Free Charmed Particles by Chrissy Kolaya Page B

kitenge topped with a Hello Kitty T-shirt her mother had insisted on adding to the ensemble for reasons of both warmth—for it was winter in Illinois—and modesty), when it came to show and tell, even the students who thought Lily was a weirdo had to admit that she aced it.
    â€œMy dad brought me this teddy bear back from a business trip. I forget where,” Abby Johnson mumbled, holding the stuffed animal aloft listlessly by the ear and sounding bored, even by herself. “He got my mom one, too.”
    Lily, however, had requested that Mrs. Hamilton make available to her a slide projector and had informed her teacher that she expected to require thirty minutes for her presentation, not including Q&A. Had Mrs. Hamilton not been so exhausted at this point in the school year, having had her fill of wiping noses and breaking up scuffles on the playground, and having been kept up the night before by her husband’s snoring, she might not have allowed it, but as it was, she chose to see it as a blessing, as thirty minutes of class time she did not have to fill.
    Lily shared with them slides of her father’s most recent expeditions. From New Guinea he had brought Lily a ceremonial drum made with lizard skin and human blood, which she had passed around the room and which the children held in their hands reverentially, equally horrified and curious, just as she’d known they would be.
    A NIMALS OF THE G RASSLANDS
    It was field trip season—spring—by which it was understood that the teachers were exhausted and the children were restless, and thus any excuse to get everyone out of the classroom was leapt upon. Mrs. Hamilton, upon learning that Meena’s father worked at the Lab, asked him to give the class a personal tour of the facility, and Abhijat had been more than pleased to oblige, consulting in advance with Meena and Lily about what their classmates would find most intriguing.
    On the appointed day, the children, jostling and chattering, spilled in an unruly crowd from the bright yellow school bus, which idled noisily in front of the Lab’s education center, a low building surrounded by prairie grasses and a reproduction Conestoga wagon. Here they were met by Abhijat and a docent, who had been dispatched by the education center to translate theoretical physicist to layperson, as needed.
    The docent introduced Abhijat to Mrs. Hamilton. “Dr. Mital.” Mrs. Hamilton took his hand in hers to shake it, beckoning the children who had begun to stray back to the fold. “We are so grateful to you for taking time out of your busy schedule to show us around the Lab.”
    â€œNot at all,” Abhijat said. “It is my great pleasure to have you all here as our distinguished guests.”
    â€œPerhaps you know our chaperone, Mrs. Winchester? Lily’s mother.”
    Abhijat took Rose’s hand in his. “Very honored to meet you, Madame Alderperson.”
    â€œPlease. Rose,” she corrected. During all of her interactions with the Mitals, dropping off and picking up Lily and Meena from their many activities together, Rose had only ever met Sarala. She’d been curious about Meena’s father.
    â€œI understand our daughters have taken quite a liking to each other,” Abhijat said.
    â€œYes, I’ve been so pleased to see that.” Rose smiled.
    Together they looked at the girls, who stood a bit away from the rest of the children, notebooks and pencils already in their eager hands.
    â€œChildren, may I have your attention, please?” Mrs. Hamilton’s voice rang out over the chatter, her hand held up in the air as she spoke. “I’d like to introduce Meena’s father, Dr. Mital. Dr. Mital will be our expert guide today and will tell us all about his work here at the Lab.”
    The children gathered in a squirmy half circle around Abhijat. “Yes, yes,” he said. “Very pleased to meet you all,” Abhijat began, nodding