Saturday, April 18, 2009

It's only me, Benjamin

I was just reminded of some years ago, when I lived across from a kindergarten. On a fine Sunday, I walked past, and a little boy, about four years old, was standing in front of the open gate and amusing himself by lurching towards passing strangers and growling loudly like a lion.
Then, to calm their shattered nerves, he would reassure them: "It's only me, Benjamin."

I loved that.

I spoke a little with Ben. The kindergarten was closed, it being Sunday, but I figured his mom must be in there. So to keep him safe, I closed the gate on him. The clasp was higher than he could reach.
He said to me totally calmly: "if you close the gate, I can't get home."

So I asked him to follow me to his home, I needed a word with his mom. And he did, he lived just around the corner.
I followed him up to their apartment and met his mom and told her I'd seen him in the kindergarten and taken him home to check if he was allowed to go down there on his own. She said he certainly wasn't, and thanked me.

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By the way, from the paucity of comments on the jump-rope post below, I think many people missed the video. Don't miss it, it's pretty amazing.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

What?! You publicly admit to having spoken to a minor? You must surely be a paedophile!

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Surely it's a dangerous game these days to be anywhere near strange kiddoes. Sad.

Anonymous said...

Re: comments on video. The playback was very poor - skipping frames, freezing - ruining what must be an impressive performance.
Re: Benjamin - he might be needing a Big Brother (organization in the states) might be fun for you too, someone for those walks you mentioned. . . (miss having a kid to tag along, to the store etc. . . )
-Eric

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Sorry to hear about the video, it plays fine for me.
I'm sure they are on youtube too.

Ben seemed a perfectly normal child, and it was a quite safe neighborhood, so I did not worry, it was more on general principles.

tc said...

I'm glad that you were there to bring him back home, Eo. Definitely different times, back then.

Anonymous said...

YOu should learn to mind your own business. Nobody likes a snitch.