Hello, I'm creepy

Around 4pm this evening, perhaps closer to 4:30 the doorbell rings. I answer the door expecting perhaps an excavator or a flood restoration specialist, but was surprised by a shorty. I am not very talented at the whole age guessing game, I would make a terrible carny.. but he was short. I'm guessing 5 or so years old.. but really I have no idea. He was riding a bike with training wheels, it was sitting on the step behind him. I had never seen this kid before. He brushed one foot on the doorstep like he wanted an invite in. I calmly chatted the kid up. I didn't find out too much. I came out onto the porch first of course, inviting kids into the stranger's house down the block, not a good idea. I found out his name was Cash, he lived "over there" which took a few pointings to clarify. His parents weren't with him, his dad wasn't home but his Mom was and no he was not ok. Inquiring farther led to the fact that he was in need, of something black, that his friends wanted, and that could be used on his bike and had something to do with a jetpack. He was surprised I did not have one of those and asked me what else I hadinstead. I have to admit to pausing to decide exactly what would be the best response to that. I suggested we take a walk back to his house "over there". He didn't love the idea but I let him know I just wanted to say hi to his mom.. He still didn't like the idea but started to ride his bike with one training wheel making contact and the other askew. He informed me his was still fine and that he would be ok. I walked with him for a little longer, he told me I didn't have to come with him. I got the idea he was starting to realize he might not want his mom to find out he was searching out jet bike components a few blocks away from home. Whatever the cause he asked me not to keep walking with him... and call me crazy but when a little kid on a bike says kind of loudly "Stop following me" I tend to feel a little creepy.

There were some neighborhood mom's on a porch nearby who kind of chuckled, they recognized the kid, this wasn't his first scavenger hunt. But they weren't sure where he lived exactly, but they could point "over there". Cash kept looking behind him to make sure I wasn't on his trail, and turned the corner. I didn't want to freak him out, but played the "what if" game for a few seconds before deciding to take a casual stroll in the general direction of "over there". To make sure he made it home, and maybe let his mom know of his exploits. I rounded the corner.

Nothing, Houdini on a two wheeler. He only had a block on me. I kept going in the same direction a few blocks and chatted up two other groups of moms on their porches. The second grouping had some info for me and also pointed "over there". But this time they pointed back the way I had come from, so simple triangulation of "over there A" and "over there B" meant that I was closing in and in a minute... well likely I was going to pop up, scare the crap out of a 5 yr old who would likely start yelling "I said stop following me!" Creep factor increased.

I closed in on the two to three houses I had it narrowed down to and saw Cash. He was with another little friend and they were running out of one home towards another. His friend was saying something about "let's ask your mom, if it is ok you can be at my house"... interesting. I was on the other side of the street, and tried to look casual approaching the defenseless 5 yr olds... creepy... Cash didn't seem to care but his friend seemed a little ill at ease. They were at Cash's front door and I said "Hey, I want to say hi to your mom too..." see, everything I could come up with sounded like a really creepy scary thing to say.. I made sure to stay out on the main sidewalk...

I was considering calling the mission completed, obviously he had made it home. I kind of wanted to let the mom know she had a wanderer on her hands, but maybe this was just normal kid stuff.... But while I was thinking about taking off I was realizing that the front door was locked, Cash couldn't open it, and knocking and ringing the bell wasn't bringing anyone to the door, and in my head I started playing round two of the "what if" game.

I saw which house the guys had come from, so I meandered in that direction... "Ask your mom if you can be over" sounded a lot like a parental directive. When I walked up towards the front step of that porch, the front door was open and a little wobbly one yr old ish little guy was coming down the sidewalk by himself... again, I'm bad at the age game, but he looked a lot younger than my two year old. I rang the doorbell and pretty quick a frantic mother came to the door and grabbed the baby... thanking me... for baby blocking I guess.

I told her my little story. She realized that her other son had left the door open. As I walked away I heard Cash's friend getting some instruction on not leaving the door open, and she was bringing Cash in on the gig.

I don't know the rest of the story... but really? This all took quite a while, and no one was freaking out looking for a kid that young? Locked doors? No answer? One of the moms who kind of knew where he lived had taken him home once after he just invited himself into their yard for a long time... she said the parents didn't seem too concerned...

I'm aghast and baffled, and admittedly totally inexperienced, but this just feels wrong.

But if I find any "black things to use on bikes for a jet pack..." I'll keep them handy just in case I guess...