Child Predator

Upper East Side, Sunday, 5pm

I'm on my way to the subway, passing by what I've been told is Liza Minelli's building. In the building's driveway two kids have set up a lemonade stand. I'm struck by the surreal, not quite Norman Rockwell-ness of the scene. Two adorable kids, a hand-lettered sign, paper cups, a plastic pitcher, all with the backdrop of the one of the more posh addresses in Manhattan.

I'm not the only one bemused by the scene, there's a reporter taking pics and ordering the kids to "look like you're selling me some". The kids happily oblige and pose with the pitcher poised over a cup. Snap, snap. The reporter moves away, writing in his notebook. I pull out my camera and decide it's worth buying a $1.50 cup of lemonade to justify taking a picture of my own.

Before I can take out my money, a woman walks up and exclaims, "Oh, aren't you cute!" Then, casting a wary glance at my camera, she moves between me and the children and says in a lower voice, "You kids aren't out here by yourselves, are you?" The older child says, "No, my mom just went upstairs to get some more lemons." The woman eyes me suspiciously and says, "Well, I think maybe I'll just hang around here until she gets back." Then she turns around as if to block my view of the children, arms folded.

I can't help chuckling, and the woman says, "Oh, you think this funny? Taking pictures of strangers' children?" I say, "Actually, I'm just waiting for their mom to come back too. Because I want to ask her, 'HOW MUCH FOR THE LITTLE BOY?'"

Yeah, it totally didn't happen that way. But I still got the picture.
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