Ema gently forces Nuru back into the rocking chair, "Ema'ma, let me. I will make sure the table is not broken okay?" Nuru huffs stubbornly, crossing her arms, and once settled, Ema kisses her forehead, fixes her floppy hat, and then storms towards OJ. Uh-oh.
He sees her coming and instead of running away like me, Dani, Liya, aba, or any person with a brain would, he puffs his chest out like some soldier bracing for battle. If I wasn't so worried and tired from cleaning all morning, I'd laugh at how funny he looks with his face all scrunched up.
She pinches his ear, ignoring his high-pitched yelp. Ema uses her hip to push him away and OJ stumbles back, his brows furrowing angrily.
We get going again, us girls using all our strength to lug this thing where Nuru had wanted it fifteen minutes ago.
Now that I think of it, why didn't we throw it away when she brought it back from her vacation in Somali last year?
"Guys, why didn't we just throw this thing away last year? Nuru has dementia it's not like she would've remembered." Dani whispers this among us, voicing the exact thoughts I'd feel too bad to say aloud. Ema grunts, shaking her head in disapproval. But she doesn't voice any disagreements.
Liya rolls her eyes, "Shut up Dani, why would you even say that? That's like, able-ist or some shit." and from the sound of OJ laughing behind us, she shouts back, "I don't know what you're giggling about when you look like a whole glazed donut idiot!" That immediately shuts him up.
"Yeah?! Well if I wasn't forced to do this stupid cleaning I wouldn't be sweating in the first place ugly!"
We finally set the table down by the rose bushes and I ignore Dani when she laughs at how I drop my body on the table, sighing when the cold surface cools my heated skin. I tiredly watch OJ make himself useful, dragging chairs over from the patch of grass on the other side. He aggressively wipes at his face with the inside of his elbow. I chuckle to myself, already sensing how Liya's glazed donut comment got to him. And I think she caught on too, if the smirk she sends Dani is any indication.
He offers me a chair first and I smile, flicking his cheek affectionately. He lightly slaps at my hand, grumbles under his breath, and marches back to pull up two more chairs. Ema walks back in the house letting him know she doesn't need a seat at the moment. OJ even helps Nuru over to us, rolling his eyes when she places her fraying sun hat over his small head.
He pulls up his seat next to mine, leaning his body against me while I finish passing out water bottles. I smile and offer him one of the bottles I got from the cooler by my foot, busying my hand with detangling a few of the short curls on his head. OJ ignores me for the most part but doesn't complain, instead he sighs and fans himself with the big hat.
"Now when aba comes home, don't be lying and say I didn't help." OJ drains the bottle in large gulps, releasing a loud burp without covering his mouth.
Liya gives him a dirty look.
Nuru pinches her nose, fanning under it with her other hand, "Pee-yew." Me and Dani muffle our amusement behind our hands.
"Last time that I checked, this is your punishment for skipping school last week. It's not like you had a choice. And you barely even helped out. Just stood to the side and complained about everything."
ESTÁS LEYENDO
Ethel 'n Opal
Romance"can i help you?" "nah, you just look familiar..." [ when a heartbroken Ethel met a soft-spoken Opal, it was sort of a hazy mess. but then again, how else do you fall for your high school sweetheart? ]
