Rats, Roses And Paper Bones

Chapter 27: He likes me?

For a split second, it felt as though I hadn't fallen at all.

Everything was back to normal.

Well, almost everything.

My knees were scraped, and they hurt like crazy, but apart from that, my dignity was slowly recovering.

"Mom, Dad, this is Doyin."

Michael introduced me to his parents.

"Mr and Mrs Obi."

They had the kind of faces that made you think they were naturally strict and probably a little judgmental.

But their eyes told a different story.

Just like their son's, their eyes were warm.

So that was where he got it from.

His dad looked like he was in his early sixties. Grey hairs were scattered across his head, and he wore a pair of round glasses that somehow made him look even more serious.

His mum looked a little younger, probably in her late fifties. She wore a pink floral dress that complimented her light complexion and brought out a certain vintage elegance.

She was gorgeous.

I suddenly became very aware of myself.

Their eyes moved from my head to my toes.

They were assessing me.

His father especially looked like he had something to say.

Moyo, meanwhile, was staring at me as though she could see straight through my soul.

Then Mr Obi spoke.

"Michael."

"Sir?"

Michael walked towards him.

"Get my ointment from the car."

"Okay."

Michael hurried towards their car and returned a few moments later with a small tube of herbal ointment.

He handed it to me.

I took it and gave Mr Obi a small bow.

"Thank you, sir."

He smiled.

"Apply that to the bruises for about three days. They'll be gone before you know it."

"Thank you, sir."

He looked at Michael.

"Won't you help her apply it?"

Michael blinked.

"Oh. Okay."

He reached for the ointment.

"Oh, you don't have to—"

"Let me."

Before I could protest again, he crouched down in front of me.

He squeezed some of the ointment onto his finger and gently rubbed it over my scraped knee.

I froze.

Okay.

This was awkward.

Very awkward.

And it didn't help that Moyo was standing somewhere nearby.

Thankfully, she wasn't looking at us anymore. She had turned towards Michael's mum and was talking to her.

I let out a small breath of relief.

---

After the whole commotion—and several rounds of awkward small talk with Michael's parents—I finally remembered why I'd walked over there in the first place.