Chapter 267: She pushed me

 A multi headed mass travels erratically down the footpath.

Some of the mass walks. That’s grandmother and grandfather. Some of the mass runs helter skelter. That’s Bruce, Gertrude and Kay.

Grandmother: Don’t run. What if everybody did that?

They continue running.

Grandmother: It doesn’t matter what I say. Everybody does exactly what they want.

Bruce runs back up the path and stops in front of me. He has a really important message to give me.

Bruce: Guess what?

Me: What?

Bruce: I’m wearing Spiderman underpants.

I nod and he turns and runs down the footpath. Towards Kay and Gertrude.

Kay and Gertrude run up the footpath. My gaze wanders and I don’t see the accident.

I see tangled legs and arms and Kay staring at her bleeding knee.

Me: What happened?

Kay: She did this. She pushed me.

Gertrude’s face looks guilty. She mumbles to herself.

Me: Kay that is a bad injury to your knee. It needs a bandaid. When we get home you all get to have a band aid. You all get to choose your own bandaid.

Me: (reasonably privately to Gertrude). We will draw her a card. To help you apologize.

Gertrude: Do you want it landscape or portrait?

When we give her the card you will say sorry. You have learnt a lesson and you will never do it again.

Me: (reasonably privately to Kay). If Gertrude gives you card and says sorry you also have to do something.

Kay: She pushed me. I get to push me.

Me: No. You won’t push her. You have to do something really difficult. You have to accept her apology. Say thank you for the apology and then move on. Don’t keep on and on about it. Don’t keep on mentioning it. Don’t mention it every time you see her bandaid or your bandaid.