Yesterday

The Mohawk kids Adam and Aden cut their flip flopped toes on glass shattered in the parking lot. They were playing frisbee. I felt partially responsible since I saw the glass there for weeks and had not done a thing. Mark the maintenance man is no longer employed by the new landlord. The new guy just wants to save a buck.

After the incident I couldn't live with myself. So yesterday I got a dustpan and swept the piles of glass pouring the sand and shattered shards into an open paper bag. This aroused interest from all the kids who were outside playing. Can I help? They asked. Sure but only if it's fun for you. I'll get another bag and another broom.

It's addictive! I warned. You start picking up a pile of glass and next thing you know you're cleaning the neighborhood.It happened to us. We began sweeping both sides of the driveway and picking up glass and trash all over the parking lot.

I got out a push-broom and then three more push brooms. More kids came and joined in. I started trimming the hedges and Josh offered his hack saw to chop the Jack and the beanstalk weeds that had become trees. I brought out plastic yellow cups and a jug of cold tap water for the kids.

The barrel-shaped father bellowed from the window and when they didn't run to him like obedient soldiers he threatened to come down and punish them. "You have to stay inside until you're 18, even when you go to school I'll make sure you have no recess for the whole year!" the father bellowed.

"Does this count as community service," the eldest asked me shouting out the window. "Absolutely," I said. "Who is the officer, I will contact him and explain how you worked on the community lot for two hours."