I couldn't write about this last night because just recalling the moment makes my heart stop.
Yesterday, we went to the company picnic. After a barbecue lunch, I left Hubs and kids at the table and walked back over to the food line with a friend, who was getting a plate for her teenage daughter's boyfriend.
Minutes later, as Hubs cleaned up the mess, Tootie and E-man headed toward me. I didn't realize it until Tootie tugged my shirt and asked a question.
I glanced down. No E-man.
I looked over at the table where Hubs remained, still gathering up our things.
No E-man.
The table was only 30 feet away. Clear view. No toddler in sight.
"Hey!" I yelled to Hubs. "Where's E-man?"
Hubs looked up. "What?!"
"Where's E-man?"
Hubs looked around. Panic flashed across his face.
I ran to the table.
"He was headed toward you," Hubs said.
We looked under the tables and then Hubs raced over to the food line.
I stayed at the picnic area, quizzing people and calling E-man's name.
No answer. No little boy in the red-and-yellow striped shirt.
In tears, I glanced to the left of the food line. I could see Hubs bending over. When I heard my son's cries, I went weak in the knees.
He had wandered into the beverage line, looking for me. When Hubs found him, he was walking in circles, calling, "Mama? Mama?"
No one had paid him the slightest bit of attention.
I can't describe those frantic few moments when he was lost, when I imagined him toddling to the busy nearby road.
I can, however, describe the disbelief, the anger that no one in that line responded to a child who was clearly lost and frightened.
How do you miss that? How can you ignore it? How can you not reach down, grab his hand and and call out for the parents?
I'm furious with myself, furious with Hubs, that we let him out of our sight for that one crucial second.
But I'm also pissed off that none of those people -- many of them parents themselves -- couldn't be bothered to help.
They say it takes a village. But what if the villagers don't give a damn?
24 comments:
that's horrid, they know better. or they should.
That is so hard.
I would have.
Heck, I have done - and sometimes received nothing from the parent except the sort of look that memorises my face for police files because OBVIOUSLY someone helping their child is a a deviant.
Maybe all those people in the line tried to help the above parent in the past.
But I still would have squatted down to his level to try and help him find his mum.
Oh my god, my heart!! I always ask when I see a little one with no apparent parent..."hey who do you belong to?"
Oy, I am so glad you are ok and he is ok.
I had something similar happen, except my kid ended up in the edge of the big duck pond. A huge group of moms just watched him toddle off.
I didn't know whether to get angry at him or kill one of them. Couldn't believe they just stood there and watched him walk off.
I'm so glad you found him and he was ok. They get away from us so quickly.
Ugh. What is wrong with people? I saw a little girl the other day in the store crying for her mother and all kinds of people just looking at her. I started over to help but her mother materialized before I could get to her.
Diminutive One was could disappear in seconds, so I completely understand that heart stopping fear. I ALWAYS stop to help a lost child.
I'm glad you're little guy was okay.
That is so scary, but it seems that it happens to even the most consciencious parents.
I lost sight of my daughter at SeaWorld after turning my head for just a second. Took a good 5 to 10 minutes (coulda been shorter, but it seemed like an eternity) to find her with the help of a park attendant. I was in tears, too. Fortunately, she had the good sense to ask a park employee for help.
I'm glad you had a happy ending.
I lost my son not too long ago. He was there...then he wasn't. We walked outside, and something caught his attention, and he stopped and stayed inside. Thankfully in our case, a nice clerk stopped and tried to calm him down while we frantically searched for him. Because when we looked down and didn't see him, we were already outside, so we didn't know if he was in or out... It's the longest seconds of your life.....He was just crying his brother's name over and over. To this day HE remembers it happening and he won't let me out of his sight when we're in public, so it did have a good lesson with it too.
He tells me "Remember when I got lost and you cried?" Yes, son, I remember. It's a moment I'll never forget.
I feel for you.
That is incredible. I am stunned.
Man, I had some of those moments. It only takes a nanosecond and they are gone from view! But that no one helped! Dang, it makes you wonder.
Heart-stopping just reading your post.
Before becoming a mom, I would hesitate to ask a child who looked lost if s/he knew where Mom was. I didn't want to look predatory. But now, I don't really care how I appear (I usually have my baby with me anyway!) and try to watch out for the little ones.
Oh that is awful. So scary. Thay should be ashamed of themselves...
That is horrible.
I am so glad that he was okay, and I'd be outraged by the behavior of others too.
People seem so fearful of looking like a predator if they so much as speak to a child, but in this situation, how on Earth could you just ignore a lost child???!!! Sorry to just repeat your post, I'm just so flabbergasted.
Glad he was quickly found.
I felt sick reading this. I have been there before and it is literally gut-wrenching. I am SO GLAD you found him, and I want to kick the collective ass of all who heard him and did nothing.
That's awful! People should be more aware of what's happening around them. I would have totally flipped out on them.
I got so anxious reading this. I'm so happy everything worked out.
I completely know the feeling. I lost Payton for about 8 minutes, or a lifetime it felt, at the park when he was 3.
I was frantically looking for him and asked this one Grandmother if she'd seen a little boy wearing a green shirt...she just said no and gave me a LOOK. I couldn't believe it. As if I were bothering her to ask.
But a group of other moms heard me and came over to help me. One of them found him.
I swear, if a mom ever asks me if I've seen her kid, I'll drop what I'm doing and help.
I don't know how people could see a child crying for mom and not do anything. Grrrr!
How scary! And awful! Poor little guy! Poor you!
OMG. My heart is racing, even though I knew (because of the title) that he was okay.
I will always drop everything for a parent who has lost their child.
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