"Hey, are you alright?" Kobby Brian asked and snapped his fingers at her.
''Huh? I..."
Calia said absentmindedly and bit her lips. Kobby Brian looked at her and noticed she was doing that again. Was she that clueless about her own actions or didn't she know that biting her lips like that in front of a man was like looking for trouble for herself? His gaze darkened and he looked at away and stretched his hand towards her.
''Here is your phone, Ma'am''. Kobby Brian put the phone on her bag when she showed no signs of taking it. He picked his books and walked away.
After he had walked a good distance away, Calia snapped back to her senses. She had frozen just now and no words could come out of her mouth. She turned and looked at the man before packing her stuff and going after him.
Calia hid behind one of the books shelf and watched as Kobby Brian found a seat and sat on. She clutched her palms nervously and leaned on the shelf berating herself. She had made a big mistake in front of the man she had a crush on and wished the ground could open so that she would bury herself inside and never have to see him again.
''Ahm, he must be angry, right? Who wouldn't be angry under such a circumstance? But, why did it have to be him? I was doing well, trying my best to forget about him but why did he have to come here and make me do something so unforgivable?''
Calia slapped her cheeks adding ''you can't do anything right, Calia. Why didn't you verify the situation first before jumping into conclusions? Any normal human being would have done what I did, right? but, it would have been better if he were a stranger. Now he is going to think I'm a senseless woman. You are absolutely useless, Cal'' she berated herself.
Calia looked at Kobby Brian once again and decided to leave the library. She walked listlessly towards the counter to pay for the books she had picked and bumped into a kid and his mother. The kid held a plastic cup of juice and it spilled on Calia's dress. The bump made the kid to fall on his butt and cried. The kid's mother quickly rushed to his side protectively and glared at Calia saying.
''As an adult, you should watch where you are going first. Darling, are you alright? Let mom see where you are hurt'' the woman turned to her son after speaking harshly to Calia. She touched her son and checked his body worriedly.
Calia chuckled, finding the situation quite ridiculous and spoke ''It was clearly your son who bumped into me first because he was running and you are putting the blame on me instead? If you had controlled the child and made him realise this was a library, a public place, he wouldn't have been running around and especially when he had a drink in his hand. Look at what he did to my dress? I didn't even complain and you're putting the blame on me instead? Lady, don't you think you are going overboard?'' Calia asked the woman.
The woman stood up after studying her son and making sure he was alright before she turned and looked coldly at Calia as if looking down on her purposefully saying ''is that all you can say? After making my precious son to fall on the floor?" The woman's voice was especially loud and drew attention to them. People started looking at the and murmuring.
Kobby Brian heard the noise and turned. He saw the scene and frowned. Kobby Brian sighed and closed the book in his hands and stood up to go and see what was going on there.
Calia tussled her hair feeling a headache creeping in. She had never been insulted and looked down upon in this manner before especially by someone who was clearly at fault. She chuckled at the ridiculous situation.
"Did you just laugh? Miss, is this funny to you? How dare you still have the cheek to laugh after what you just did? Why is this generation of young women so shameless?" the woman asked in a loud voice.
"Yes, I laughed but that is because this situation is really funny. You and your son are clearly in the wrong yet you're putting the blame on an innocent person. Shameless? The one been shameless right now saying." Calia told the woman.
''What? So, won't you apologise to my son?'' the woman asked and looked on proudly. The people in the library now turned watching them.
''What? You want me to do what? Apologise to your son? Haven't you seen what he did to me? Forget that he is a kid and can be forgiven but you a grownup acting this way in front of your kid? Aren't you ashamed even a bit? I wonder the type of character you are showing to your kid. Listen to me. I will not apologise for something I didn't do. Excuse me''.
Calia turned to go and the woman held Calia's bag and forcefully yanked her back. Calia who was unguarded lost her footing and found herself falling on to the floor but a pair of strong hands quickly caught and supported her. She looked behind and saw that the person who saved her was Kobby Brian. Calia flushed as their bodies came into close contact with each other.
"Are you alright? Can you stand on your own?" Kobby Brian asked as he helped her to sturdy herself.
"Yes, I am fine. Thanks" Calia said and Kobby Brian nodded his head before looking coldly at the woman saying.
''I think you are the one who should be apologising to her? Your son was at fault and instead of correcting him, you put the blame on an innocent person instead. You looked down on her and asked her to apologise to your precious son? Did it ever occur to you that she was also someone's precious daughter?"
"What kind of upbringing are you giving to your son by behaving this way in front of him? If your son did something wrong, you should let him know and let him apologise for it not to blame an adult who was innocent'
"I have everything recorded on my phone and everyone here also saw how you behaved just now. Do you want to take this to the police station?''
''He is still a kid. She is an adult, she was the one who was supposed to be careful''. The woman said displeasingly and frowned.
''Really? Then, let ask you something. Did you know that this was a library and that children were not allowed to run around here because it will cause disturbances to the people who came here to learn one or two things?''
The people who stood by and watched started nodding their heads. They agreed with his argument and found the woman's behaviour rather bad and ridiculous. She was clearly at fault yet she dared to blame and look down on other people.
The woman saw the disdained gazes that the people were giving her and looked down but Kobby Brian wasn't finished with her yet. He was somebody who hated injustice and would fight for those who were right.
''Apologise to her right now or I'm taking this to the police. Let the police determine who is right and who is in the wrong. Also, the note at the entrance clearly states that children below 9 are not allowed in this side of the library"
The child who was hiding behind his mother all that while suddenly went forth and spoke ''big sister, I was wrong''. The child's behaviour shocked everyone.
''Is okay. Next time, don't run about, okay? Especially when you have a drink in your hands?'' Calia bent down towards the kid and told him and the kid nodded. At that point, the mother of the kid became ashamed of herself and apologised to Calia.
''I'm sorry. Please let me pay for dry cleaning'' the woman said.
''Is okay. You don't have to do that. Is just a dress any way'' Calia told the woman.
Calia smiled at the woman and turned to look at Kobby Brian and heard him saying
''Let's go''. Kobby Brian said and held her hand bringing her out of the library.
Calia looked at their hands and the way he held her so unrestrained and her lips curved into a smile.
Even if he was married, she didn't mind being saved by him. She didn't mind having feelings for him. It was okay for her as long as she didn't cross the line to confess to him.
He was a proper and decent man and she was happy he was the one she fell for. Even if it was a crush, it was harmless as long as she didn't let anyone know about it, right?