PARENTING
When I Saw Panic In the Father’s Eyes I Started to Run
The game had suddenly become dangerous.
I heard them before I saw them
A trio of high-pitched giggles was bubbling up behind me and seemed to be gaining fast. A joyful sound. The quality of laughter that can only come from a young and carefree child whose greatest stresser in life is trying to make a boom-boom on demand.
I looked over my shoulder and saw three little boys, tres niños as they say in México. Trills of laughter poured out of them as they fed off each other’s energy. They swirled and bounced along the sidewalk: one stumbling forward, the other pushing sideways, another pulling back. Despite all the zigging and zagging, they moved steadily forward, outpacing the afternoon dog walkers strolling along the old sidewalk leading to the shore of Lake Chapala.
After they passed me, I noticed they occasionally looked backward and squealed with a little extra delight.
So I looked backward too
About 20 feet behind me, I saw two men, each 30-ish. And each pushing a clunky old stroller with a baby tucked inside. The men seemed quite determined in their stride as they sternly began to call out to the boys.
