A handsome, tanned lady wearing a periwinkle jumpsuit ran surprisingly swiftly down the stairs to meet them in the driveway.
Kobie's grandmother's house looked like something out of a fairytale: like the gingerbread shack from Hansel and Gretel but lined with weatherboard instead of confectionery. The exterior was painted cornflour blue and the perfectly manicured front lawn was lined with rosemary and lavender bushes.
The lady grinned at them and waved a garden trowel excitedly in the air as she approached the car.
"Are you ready for this?" asked Kobie.
She turned to Michael with a worried look on her face, biting her bottom lip.
"I love old people," Michael squeezed her shoulder reassuringly, "She seems so sweet already"
"No one in my family is sweet," said Kobie.
They stepped out of the car and met Kobie's grandmother in the driveway.
Michael stood awkwardly to the side while Kobie and her grandmother embraced in a long hug.
"I've missed you so much sweetheart," said Kobie's grandma and then turned to Michael, "And you must be the young man romancing my granddaughter"
Michael offered his hand for a handshake.
"Hi, I'm Michael"
Then he remembered about COVID and not shaking hands. he retracted his hand and waved instead.
"Sorry, I keep forgetting about the handshaking thing"
Kobie's grandma grabbed Michael and pulled him into an enveloping hug.
"I'm gonna die soon anyway"
"Grandma!"
Kobie's grandma smelled of Chanel number 5, the same perfume that Michael's grandmother used to wear. The texture of her prickly cardigan reminded him of hugging her. She'd passed away a few years earlier.
"It's fine," said Michael "a hug this good is worth a little COVID."
"You two are terrible," Kobie said, "COVID's not a joke, literally millions of people have died."
Michael was released from his grandmother hug and he looked down at the older lady who was smiling up at him.
"I never actually got your name, Kobie's only called you Grandma"
"You can call me Grandma if you like, or Enid is fine"
"Nice to meet you Enid."
Enid raised her eyebrow at Kobie "He doesn't seem to bad so far."
They followed Enid into her house and Michael and Kobie sat at a well worn wooden dining table while Enid busied herself a few feet away in the kitchen.
"Can I get either of you kids a drink, tea?"
"Tea would be great thanks Enid," Michael said.
Enid opened the fridge and frowned.
"Blast."
"What's wrong?" asked Kobie
"I'm out of milk"
"I'm fine with black tea," Michael said.
"No, no I'm making you an almond tea. It must be drunk with milk."
Enid walked over to the table and lay her hand on Kobie's shoulder.
"Could you please do me a big favour darling. Could you pop down to the store and get me a litre of milk?"
Kobie glanced across nervously at Michael, "Do you mind?"
YOU ARE READING
Feathers
Paranormal*** COMPLETE *** After a freak accident, Michael is left with dark visions that he's too embarrassed to tell his girlfriend about. But what if they're not all in his head? A novel about love, trauma and friendship. About the things we hide from th...
