We went over to a neighbor’s house the other night to chat with a family. One of the girls who usually comes to the market with us was sick last week with tonsillitis, so I wanted to see if she was feeling better and if she still wanted to go to the market with us.
While I was chatting with his big sister on the steps, little 2-year-old Jor Lay wanted some attention. He was standing in the house–up just a step of bamboo–and calling my name, so I held out a high five to him, and continued talking.
This appeased him for a minute, but he wasn’t fooled. He shouted my name a few more times, so I stuck out both hands in his direction, thinking double fives might do the trick.
I’m still talking with his sister and have my eyes toward her when he leaps into my arms, I guess thinking I was holding my hands out to catch him rather than give him high fives.
I totally dropped the ball. And this case, that was a child.
He face planted onto the next step of bamboo and one leg slipped between the cracks. He looked up at me with a face of shock and utter disappointment, and then wailed.
I’m going to have to fight for some cool points with that little guy.