What the Village Does

I was making dinner when the doorbell rang. Typically when this happens, it's someone selling something. I contemplated not answering, but felt compelled to go to the door. When I opened it, two girls were standing on the doorstep. The taller one held some papers in her hand-- selling something, I thought; neither smiled; neither spoke.

"Can I help you?" I asked. The older girl thumbed at the younger girl and said, "She knows your girl from the school bus. She wanted to know if she could play." The smaller girl nodded. 

I recognized the girls. I had laid eyes on them for the first time just this morning. We were wrapping up the Cousins' Sleepover with a walk/scooter ride/bike ride to the park, and we passed the duo on the walking path. I greeted them and they said "Hi" in return. I noticed they spoke with Madeline, who was further down the path on her bike. Later,Maddy  remarked, "I saw two girls who ride my bus."

And here they were. I introduced myself and, with considerable prodding, the girls told me their first names and where they lived. I asked which of my daughters hey sought, and the little one pointed behind me, where Madeline was lurking in the entry way. I introduced the girls and explained I was making dinner, so it wouldn't be long, but they were welcome to play in our yard for a bit and get acquainted.

The windows were open, and my other children were curiously milling about, keeping watch without being asked. Just a couple minutes later, the doorbell rang again. I opened it to a pretty, young, nervous-looking woman. She began, "Hi, did two little girls just come over here?" "Well, yes," I said. I stuck out my hand and introduced myself. "Are you their mother?" She looked confused, "Nooo..." Then, I realized she thought they were my children. "Oh, I don't know the girls-- they just showed up and asked to play. I figured it was pretty harmless if they hit the play set for a few minutes."

"Well, that's the thing," the woman said. "I live just down the road, here, and I was watching the girls. They took some toys from our yard that belong to my son. They were also taking mail out of mailboxes."

"Oh!" I said, coming outside. "Well, let's address this." The woman kind of stammered, "I'm sorry, I should have said something right then. I saw them." I assured her, "No, no, it's uncomfortable, but it's not something we can let go. We all have a responsibility to children."

We walked around to the backyard and called up the girls from the playset. I calmly but firmly asked them-- more told them-- about what was suspected. The bigger girl denied it. The smaller girl

shook her head. I said it was witnessed. (I did not explain the woman standing behind me, nor did she speak.) The big girl looked shame-faced while trying to maintain confusion. I asked, "Where are the toys and mail?" The younger girl held up a small backpack. I took it, looked inside, removed the items, handed the toy cars to the woman and put the mail (it was all junk mail, real estate flyers) under my arm. I handed back the bag, kept smiling, and said, "You know it's wrong to take things that don't belong to you." They nodded. "It's time for you to go home, now. I know you won't do this again." They nodded. "Are you going to tell your mom what happened, or should I come home with you to talk to her?" They promised, "No, no, we'll tell her."

I suspected they wouldn't, of course, but I smiled again. "OK, good. And, girls, let's make better choices tomorrow. Be careful crossing the road."

The other mother and I watched them go. "Thanks," she said. We're all in this together.