07.19.09

Today was the last day of the Pitchfork Music Festival. As I was mounting my bike to ride back to Kyle’s house, I overheard a policeman say into his intercom, “I was going to bring them in, but seeing as how young they are, I think I’m going to let them off.” A little ahead of him was a group of young boys (ages 6-10, maybe?) who I assumed the officer was debating punishment about. Acting on a strange, out-of-character impulse I whispered, pedaling slowly past the boys, “Hey, be cool, guys. It looks like you’re going to get away with it this time.” One of the boys replied, “But it wasn’t us! We know the kid who did it, but we didn’t do anything.” To which I said, still uncharacteristically,  getting ahead of the group and turning my head so that they could hear me, “Well then, just stay out of trouble anyway!” Faintly, I heard one of the younger boys yell as I turned onto the next block, “Thank you, beautiful lady!”