I was at the Morton Williams on Third Avenue and 63rd, sitting at the little coffee area, drinking orange juice and going through my phone when this nicely dressed woman approached me. She was young, early 30s I’d say. She might have had a hat on. I didn’t really notice.
The lady just came up to me and said, “Could you watch my kids for just two minutes?”
I said, “Sure, I’d be happy to.”
Coffee area at Morton Williams
And so off she went to the aisles, leaving me with three kids. There’s a boy in second grade, girl in fourth grade and a little girl of about two in a stroller. So I just watched them as we chatted. One of the children indicated that the family was moving. It was the little one. She was just rambling.
So when the mother came back, I said, “I understand you’re moving?”
“Oh, no, no,” she said. “We’re staying here with my father. You know, we’re from Virginia.
Thanks for watching the kids.” And they left the store.
I thought, she’s not from here. No New Yorker would leave their children with a complete stranger. Also, no New Yorker would think I’ll stop what I’m doing to talk to your kids.
That tells me I don’t look too scary. Then again, it was the Upper East Side.