Little Brother

I was sitting in the park the other day, just you know, sitting. People are all around, sitting, chatting, little kids playing. You know, the norm. I'm just sitting minding my own pleasant business. I see two little girls about the same age playing and running around the park and what looks like a little brother wanting in on the fun. He chases them and they run away from him, then so naturally he chases them again... and the cycle repeats. o little brothers. ... o big sisters...

After a while of them chasing each other one of them comes up with the brilliant plan of coming up to me, a stranger, and asking my name.

"Hi. What's your name?' says the little girl looking down at me.

At this point I'm not quite sure what to say. I mean, this little girl is talking to a complete stranger (me). Do I tell her, "you know little girl, you really aren't supposed to talk to strangers" even though I know I'm perfectly nice and safe? Or do I tell her my name and be nice? Decisions. Decisions.

I tell her my name.

"My name is Julie," says girl one.

"My name is Allie," pipes up girl number two.

"My name is Josh," chimes in little brother.

"I like your shoes," I say to girl number two. She beams.

Girl number one shuffles her feet closer to me. "I like your shoes too," I tell her. A smile spreads across her face.

Little brother is looking left out. I just can't have that, so I say to him, "I really like your shoes!" He grins from ear to ear.

Uh-oh. Here comes mommy. "Thanks," she smiles at me. Though, for the life of me I can't figure out why she said 'thanks' to me.

"Sorry!" I offer to her while thinking, "It's not my fault! They started it! I was just being nice!"

She walks over to her kids and says, "Do you see that lady? That really cool and nice lady right there?"

Their little heads bob up and down vigorously. And little girl number one says, "Ya! we asked her what her name is!"

"Oh. Well, did you know it before you asked her what her name was?" Mommy asks them.

This time their little heads just tilt to the side in confusion.

"So, what that make her?" she asks?

blank looks stare back at her. I try not to smile.

"A stranger," mommy says.

"Oh," say sisters and little brother. Then they scamper off chasing each other yet again.

I feel terribly. I was the stranger! The mean, terrible, horrible stranger! But I'm not mean, or terrible, or horrible. I'm really nice. I feel so bad! ... But Mommy didn't even let me explain to her. Oh man. I hate that. I was just being nice. Though... if I were their mommy, I would have probably done the same exact thing. And she was very nice about it all. I just hate getting in trouble... by strangers. So I sit and keep on sitting, just like I was before the little kids got me in trouble with their mommy. o my.