“I’m just saying, you could have carried me.”
The look on Bobby’s face said he’d considered that possibility.And that he’d done the math.
“Bobby!”But before I could press my attack on this—on thistreachery!—Keme squirmed around in his coat some more with that familiar teenage mixture of discomfort and guilt and an all-around not-knowing-what-to-do-with-himself.I drew a deep breath and said, “Keme?”
His eyes came up to mine, but only briefly.
“It’s not your fault.You were trying not to hit Mr.Cheek.Are we good?”
He gave a one-shouldered shrug.
“Could you do something for me?”
A nod that on anybody else I would have called eager.
“Could you get me some water?”
Keme beat a retreat toward the doors.
“Oh, wait, Keme?”
He stopped.
“Could you get me some of those peppermint patties Indira made?”
He slipped toward the door.
“And my laptop?”I let him take a step.“And my favorite blankie.”The newborn zeal in his face was starting to dim as a more familiar expression—entrenched annoyance—struggled to make its way to the surface.“And those fuzzy socks I love.”
He waited.
I waited.
When he took another step, I said, “And then I need an ice pack for my ankle.And a hot compress.And how are you at pedicures, because my toenails keep cutting holes in my socks—”
Entrenched annoyance gave way to pure, untroubled teen outrage.
“Okay,” Bobby said, “that’s enough.”To Keme, he said, “I’ll take care of him.”
But Keme hesitated in the doorway.And finally he said, “Do you still want a glass of water?”
The warning look on Bobby’s face kept me from laughing, and instead, I managed to say, “No, thanks.Go find Millie and let her baby you.”
For a single moment, happiness shone out from Keme in a dumb grin.And then he was gone.
“How about that?”I said.
“I’m thrilled you managed to find a way to torture him in spite of your injuries,” Bobby said.
“He loves it!And anyway, he was going to beat himself up about it all night if I let him.”
“He should beat himself up.That was reckless, it was stupid, and it got you hurt.”
I studied him for a few seconds.And then I said, “Bobby, you were having fun.I want you to have fun.And I don’t want you feeling guilty to turn into you lecturing Keme.”
The quiet deepened.Bobby put his hands on his hips.He looked away.“I shouldn’t have egged him on.”
“Well, the only thing that will ever make me possibly forgive you is a lifetime of servitude.”
