Keeping the Tape Handy

 Keeping the Tape Handy

Noel Laflin

8-26-21

Little Niko, aged three-and-a-half, came racing down our street on his miniature razor scooter the other night - racing down our street like a tiny bat out of hell - his mother, sans scooter, not far behind.

He abruptly stopped in the middle of the street just feet away and asked me, “Hey, what are you doing?”

“I’m planting grass seed,” I replied, holding up the half empty bag of all purpose seed, trying to fill in a few persistent bald spots on the strip separating the neighbor’s driveway and our own.

“Why are you doing that?” he asked.

“I am trying to make it look nice,” I replied.

“Better put tape on it then,” he concluded, pushing off and tearing away.

“I’ll do that, kiddo," I promised.

His mom, having caught up to her son momentarily, watched him speed away again. 

"He is pretty funny," I said. "And fast," I concluded.

"You have no idea," she smiled in reply, attempting once more to catch up with the boy. "He's pretty certain that tape fixes everything too," she added, as she sauntered on.

He zipped by again, from the other direction this time, a minute later and reminded me about the tape. He said it was important.

I’ve got tape handy, just in case he comes back to check on my progress.