Nomenclature

The Device

On his 50th birthday Robert was given the device. Clipped to a belt, slipped into windbreaker, secreted into a pocket the device worked silently and efficiently on the user's behalf. An elderly acquaintance had brought him to the park to explain the present.

"Our little secret," the man said, a young smile briefly flitting across his weary features as somewhere in the park a child's laugh rang out.

"It was Edison's idea." he went on, "He was wearing out, needing sleep, unable to keep up the infamous Edison drive and pace. All those children. All those energetic little children. It gets one thinking..."

Robert nodded, fiddling with the lone switch on the little device, wondering how he might be able to gracefully exit the odd conversation.

"If only he could tap into a little bit of that energy, tap into that fountain." The man gave his device a little confirmatory shake, "Oh, not in some Dr. Frankenstein manner with laboratories and machines, but silently, surreptitiously, mostly harmlessly."

"Mostly...?" Robert starts to ask, but is distracted by the whirling dervish of a two year old walking by the park bench. The old man quietly toggles the switch on Robert's device and waits.

Robert, not really a fan of children, was about to remark as much when the child launched into a flurry of mindless hilarity. A sudden warm glow filled Robert and instead of a scowl or a frown he felt an involuntary smile take over his face.

What a wonderful child! he thought and before he could stop himself he said to the Mom, "What a happy fellow. He looks like a real handful."

"Oh, you have no idea!" she said, laughing, "He gets so wound up around other people."

The old man switched off the box and Robert felt immediately deflated, a sudden urge to follow the lady and her child.

"Wonderful isn't it?"

"What? Oh, that was, uh..." Robert trailed off, confused.

"Be honest, Robert, when was the last time you felt happy in the proximity of a two year old? Eh? Never, most likely. That is our present from Mr. Edison. Sharing in a little bit of the energy, a little bit of the joy of being young."

Robert tried to think, tried to work up a strong conviction against such a thing but his thoughts were awash by the recent surge of energy and joy. "You said mostly?"

"Ah, yes, well there is no free energy as they say. The device tends to drive the children. They become more frantic, more defocused, too long or too many devices and the child is really quite uncontrollable. One must exercise moderation, yes?"

"Grandparents?" Robert asked, remembering his childhood showered with gifts and love by happy Grandparents. Was it all device induced love?

"Hard to say, Robert. Each person choses how to use the device. Most of us don't need it to feel the energy and love of our own Grandchildren. You will see, you will learn. Too much and it is hard to come down, hard to be alone. Parks are very nice."

"Yes, I can see that." Robert said, having toggled the switch, faint pulses of warmth picked up like distant radio signals.

They sat back in contented silence and watched the children play.

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