Mike Starsky looked at the little boy who was screaming and rolling around on the floor in a temper tantrum to beat ‘em all. There were those who recommended a good spanking when they saw this display; but Mike and his wife Lily knew better.

“What started this one off?” He asked his wife. He had just come home with fresh bagels and the semi-hysterical child was the first thing he saw as he opened the door to the apartment.
“He got mad with his shoe laces!”
Mike laughed gently and went over to comfort the bundle of fury. He gathered up the discarded sneakers that the little boy had flung across the room in his frustration and then picked up his son by the waist. The child was still rigid with fury and his father carried him over to a chair and settled down. He pulled the little boy to his chest and hugged him until his own calm breathing steadied that of his son.
“Come on Davey; let’s see if we can do them together. I know it’s tough for you in this world of righties; but I’m here. “

The little boy sniffed and wiped his big blue eyes, the long dark lashes were wet with tears. His hair was curly like his father’s and even when he was at his most irritating the child had a dark angelic quality; His father kissed him on the forehead and offered him a shoe.
Davey sniffed again and pulled the sneaker onto his foot. He took the laces and started to tie them, but once again the knot fell apart. His breathing began to quicken and his father wrapped his arms around him again. “Calm down. Watch.”
His father made two loops and turned the left one around the other; he tightened the loops and the shoe-lace was tied. “Ok,” he said undoing the knot, ‘now you do it. Take your time….that’s it…one loop in each hand; use the left loop to make the knot. Good boy; see you can do it if you take the time to try.” The big blue eyes widened and Davey smiled shyly up at his father. “I know…but sometimes mom forgets…”
“She forgets that we lefties need to do things our own way.” His father gave him a conspiratorial wink. “OK, now you do the other shoe on your own.” Davy tied the second lace and hopped off his father’s lap as if nothing had happened.
Lily watched, she was heavily pregnant with her second child; just like his father, little Davey could go from thunder clouds to brilliant sunshine in a matter of seconds. She looked at the two versions of the same human being and prayed that they would be with her for a long time.

The family settled down to breakfast of bagels and lox and cream-cheese. His parents watched as Davey managed to get cream cheese all over his face. He gulped his milk and grinned at his dad. His little legs were swinging under the table; he was in perpetual motion, a bundle of impulsive energy that was capable of a level of devilry that few would imagine – and of an angelic smile that could melt the hardest heart. Lily heard his sneakers fall to the floor.
“Go clean your teeth Davey; it’s nearly time for you and dad to leave.”
Davey scampered to the bathroom, leaving his sneakers under the table; when he reappeared his socks were half off his feet. He crawled under the table and climbed back onto his chair. He stared at the sneakers and the knots in the laces; his face darkened. Mike took the shoes and undid the knots.
“Come and sit on my knee and I’ll put them on for you.”
In reply his son took the sneakers back and pulled them onto his feet. Chewing his lower lip with concentration he tied first the left foot then the right and grinned up at his parents triumphantly. “I can do it!” He slipped down from his chair; “are you coming with us mommy?”
“No sweetheart; I’m a little tired and I think you and dad should have a boys’ day out.”
“That baby makes you tired; I don’t want it!”
Lily and Mike grinned at each other. “It’s too late for that Davey.”
His father took his cap from the coat-rack and held out his hand. “OK son, let’s go.”
As they walked along the street Davey was glowing with pride to be walking hand-in-hand with his dad in his full uniform. Today was the big July Fourth Parade and Mike Starsky was one of ‘New York’s Finest’; this year his precinct was even leading the police section of the parade.
“Now listen Davey; you stay close to Mrs. Logan no running off.”
The little boy nodded solemnly; Mrs. Logan was dad’s Captain’s wife and she was going to keep an eye on Davey because his mom wasn’t there.
He stood obediently, staying close to the Captain’s wife but he couldn’t see anything. She was busy talking to other officers’ wives and he slipped through the jungle of legs until he was right at the front of the crowd. There was a cop on a horse a few feet away and Davey eyed the big animal’s feet with a degree of hesitation; he decided to stay put and not try to slip under the rope.
After the parade had gone by, Davey slipped back to his place and Mrs. Logan had never even noticed that the little boy had left her side. She led him back to join his father and they walked back to the precinct together. “OK Davey; you wait there while I go and get changed.” Mike pointed to the bench in front of the sergeant’s desk. Davey sat swinging his legs and dreamed of being a cop like his dad. His father reappeared and held out his hand. “Come on.”

They went to the bus station. “Where are we going?” Davey was almost beside himself with excitement. His father bought the tickets and said nothing. They climbed into a bus and started their journey through Brooklyn. “We are going to change bus in a minute, Davey, stay close OK?” Davey clung to his father’s hand while they crossed from the street and walked around the block. He didn’t know this neighborhood and it all looked strange and frightening. The bus came around the corner and Davey saw the destination board. “Coney Island! We’re going to Coney Island!”
Mike looked down at his son with pride – and amazement. Davey had only started school in January and he could read the bus destination.
“What else can you read Davey?”
“Lots of things….I can write my name too, but Miss Dodson doesn’t like me to ‘cos the others can’t. And I can do sums too – but I’m not supposed to.”
Mike was intrigued by this bit of information. “Where do you find sums to do?”
“Billy Goldberg showed me his assignments!” Billy Goldberg was two years older than Davey; his mother sometimes looked after other kids if their moms couldn’t be there when they came out of school. With her clinic visits because of her pregnancy, Lily Starsky had been grateful to take the offer when it was given. Mike digested the information that his small son was capable of doing third grade math! He was beginning to understand why Miss Dodson had already called him in twice to explain why she had found it necessary to paddle his son for being ‘disruptive’ – Davey was bored to frustration! And when he was excited …

Mike looked at him now.

Davey was bouncing in his seat and pressing his nose against the window. “I can see the Ferris Wheel! Can we go on it dad?”
“Of course…if you think you can handle it.” He led Davey by the hand and they went down to the boardwalk. There was music coming from one of the booths; a barker was calling the crowd to ‘come see the bearded lady’; in another booth a sad imitation of Houdini was struggling to escape from a pair of handcuffs. Dave tugged at his father’s arm and Mike saw that his son was determined to get to the Ferris Wheel.
Davey stood and stared up at the wheel. “Wow; it’s high up!”
“Are you sure you want to go on it?”
“Yes.” He was jumping up and down with excitement again. The he looked up at his father. “Do you want to go up there daddy?” There was a note of worry in the child’s voice.
“Sure, but are you sure you want to.”
“Yes yes yes….”
“Ok ok son, I get the message.”
They stood in line and Mike bought tickets then off they went on a big adventure in the sky. The wheel started and they rose up above the Coney Island Amusements and the Brooklyn skyline opened under their feet. Davey edged closer to his father.
“Can we see our apartment?”
“No I don’t think so. But look over there; do you see the ship?”
Davey followed his father’s finger and saw a big cruise ship as it started to enter the New York harbor. “Wow!”
Then he looked down! He snuggled up to his dad and comforted himself against his strong body. He started fiddling with an unruly curl and Mike put his arm around the little boy to reassure him;
“We’re going back down now Davey.” He felt his son relax.
Back on the ground, Mike ruffled his son’s hair; “how do you feel?”
“Hungry!”
“Well I guess we’d better go find a hotdog.”
Davey skipped alongside his father. “A hotdog with onions and relish and ketchup and…”
“You’ll be sick.”
“No I won’t.”
And he wasn’t.
The next ride was the Roller Coaster. Mike was surprised that Davey insisted on going on it – he had expected the Ferris Wheel to have been enough of a thrill of heights for one day. But no, as soon as Davey spotted the rail-switchback he started pulling on his father’s hand. The wagon stopped in front of them and Mike loaded his son on board and began to get in next to him. Two big blue eyes glared at him. “On my own!”
“Davey, I can’t let you go on this on your own.” The blue eyes flashed and Mike could see anger welling up.
“Ok, I’ll sit in the seat behind you.”
“OK;”
And off they went; Davey squealed with delight as the wagon dragged itself up to the top of the switchbacks and then hurtled down again; when the ride was over he didn’t want to get out of the wagon. Mike knew the magic words. “We didn’t have dessert – how about some cotton candy?” Davey was out of the wagon is a blink of an eye.
Cotton Candy was followed by a ghost train (and a candy apple to comfort a frightened six-year-old) and after Mike had demonstrated his shooting skills and won a teddy bear and a goldfish in a bowl it was time to go home.

On the journey back into town Davey’s eyelids began to droop and after they had transferred to the home-bound bus he curled up against his dad, clutching the teddy bear in one hand; he put his thumb in his mouth and fell asleep.

Mike carried Davey into the apartment and called out to Lily. When she didn’t reply he set the sleeping child onto the couch and as he did he spotted the note on the table.
‘Lily’s waters broke; I took her to the hospital. Meet us there after you’ve left Davey with Hattie. Joe D.”

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