“I cannot believe you are going to put that THING on our child.”
Amy leered at Craig.
He responded sheepishly, “but you know how Ryan likes to take
off, honey. This bungee leash is the only way we’ll be sure he
doesn’t get away from us!”
“We’re going to a kiddie park,” barked Amy, “not the Westminster
Kennel Club!”
The doorbell rang. Craig skulked over to open the door for Amy’s
best friend, Sarah, and her daughter, Ashley.
After one look at Ryan, Ashley tugged on Sarah’s trouser leg and
asked, “Is Ryan gonna play doggie?”
“Craig, didn’t I tell you that thing was a bad idea?” Sarah
reached into her purse and produced a tiny plastic panda. “Here,
I got an extra one of these, and it looks like you can use it.”
Sarah told her friends that she worried about Ashley, too, but
that she didn’t want her to miss out on having fun in crowded
places. She explained how the Child Guard alerts parents by
beeping if a child strays more than a few feet away.
“Mommy says I need to hold on to my kitty,” interrupted Ashley,
showing off her cat-shaped Child Guard, on a ribbon around her
neck.
“They’re shaped like little pets, so the kids don’t mind it when
they’re clipped to their clothes,” said Sarah.
Craig studied the panda and wondered aloud, “but what happens
when we’re all using our Child Guards at the same time? How do we
know what our kid’s doing?”
“That’s what’s great about the system,” said Sarah, “it scouts
around for a clear frequency, so it doesn’t interfere with anyone
else’s system. So, are we going to the park, or what?”
Later that afternoon, Ryan and Ashley played on a swing set while
a trio of parents relaxed on a park bench. Ryan’s panda and
Ashley’s kitty dangled from their necks in unison.
Ryan glanced up at a cloud, and heard the familiar sound of the
ice cream truck pulling into the park. A split second later, the
Child Guard receiver he had attached to his key ring started to
beep.
“Like father, like son,” deadpanned Amy.
Craig rushed off to scoop up Ryan on his dash for the sweets. As
they saw another young child straining against a nylon harness,
Craig reminded himself to thank Sarah for helping them enjoy the
afternoon without that kind of embarrassment.
Yours in safety.
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