Sunday we had a busy day, we ran errands and then went to the Zoo. We go there a lot, especially in cold weather. They have a great indoor play area where the boys can burn off a little energy and I don't have to freeze at a park. Perfect. So anyway, we were there on Sunday, but Little Dog was not into it and Big Dog wanted to see some animals. It wasn't that cold, so we decided to take a walk and see some exhibits. After that, Little Dog was done. Really really done. He needed to go home. I told Big Dog we were heading out and we started walking toward the exit.
Big Dog decided he wasn't quite ready to go, or maybe he was just frustrated that Little Dog was slowing down my progress, but he decided to run off ahead. Way ahead. I couldn't see him. I yelled for him and he didn't respond. At first I thought he was probably just at the first exhibit at the end of the path, but he wasn't. And the path became a T. I picked up Little Dog and told him we needed to find his brother. I ran down one side, then the other. Still no Big Dog. Now I was really starting to freak out. Little Dog was asking, "Mama, where is Big Dog?" and I had no idea.
I walked further down the path one direction yelling his name and then I realized if I walked too far down this direction and Big Dog backtracked from the other direction, he might panic if he didn't see me. So I headed back to the T in the path, still yelling and now starting to get teary. Little Dog was helping me yell, for every time I called out for Big Dog, his littler, but still pretty big, yell was like an echo of my call. A very nice family stopped and asked if they could help. Thank you! I gave them a description and they actually split up, mom and daughter heading one direction, son and father going the other, to help me find my boy.
After a few more moments, the daughter ran back and asked if I'd called the police yet. I hadn't, so I pulled out my phone and started to dial. And then I saw him walking back down the path, hand in hand with a woman who was helping him find his mom. Thank you! I ran to him, dropped to my knees and gave him a very tight squeeze. Tears were streaming down my face, I could hardly talk and the kind woman who brought him to me was now trying to calm me.
He'd been up the path by the cafe. This kind woman, and her friend who was just a few steps behind, had seen him standing there alone and asked him where his mommy was. When he replied "She's chasing me!" they knew that wasn't good. The asked him what I looked like and what I was wearing then set out to find me.
I don't think my heart rate has yet returned to normal. Even just thinking about this is making me weepy again. Big Dog and I have had a very serious talk about not running off. And I ordered an ID bracelet with my contact information on it, should we get separated again, but I don't know if that will really help. Though my first instinct was to never leave the house again, or to duct tape my children to my body so we never get separated again, I don't think either of those are realistic solutions. We're going to have to keep on having these talks so he doesn't forget, and I'm going to have to keep remembering that this time, there were kind people ready to help, and that everything turned out ok. But I keep rerunning the what ifs.
Pasta ala Fridge
14 years ago
