If you were in my sister's shoes...
I have a story to share, and it is rare that you would not get story about my girls, it is about my big sister's.
The 2 eldest ones (she has 5 girls, and 1 boy) were about 11 and 10 years old, and they went to the same tuition class. The tuition center is about 15 km from their home, which is also near my parents place.
The routine was simple. Class finished at 5 pm, and it is either their parents picked them up, or the teacher sent them home.
But on that day, my sister decided that she wanted to go shopping and asked the girls to get the teacher to send them back. But, the girls somehow decided to wait for their mother, as they were just eager to know what she bought for them.
They just told the teacher that they would wait for their mom.
Thinking that the girls were ok with the teacher, my sister just went straight home.
After waiting for an hour, the girls decided to walk, hoping that their mother would see them if she drove on the road. By the way, 'kampung' girls got no handphone and it just happened that they just didn't have a 10 sen coin to make call from the public phone.
At home, my sister started to get worried. Search and calls to the father, teacher, babysitter's, my parents' place showed that something was not right.
She started to imagine the worst but tried to be calm and started to look for them. She drove back and forth from home to the tuition center, a few teacher had gathered there, she stopped everywhere that she thought the girls would be. It started to get dark, while others were trying all they could to locate the girls, my sister could not do anything but weep.
At 9 pm, she was back at home and while waiting for some news, she thought her world already was crushed, and she felt like she'd die (that's her words, ok!).
At 9.30 pm, she heard some noise at the front door, and the two girls could barely stand due to exhaustion, but apparently very angry with the mother.
It seems that, my sister had done everything that she could do to find them except for one thing: look at the roadside.
Amidst the tears of relief, my sister insisted over and over that she didn't see them.
Then came a small voice of her then 4-year-old from behind "Amy nampak!".
All the while, the little girl that my sister brought along during the search saw her big sisters, but maybe since she didn't understand what the fuss was all about chose to be quiet. Well, anyway, she is the quietest and the cutest, too!
According to the two girls, they waved like crazy everytime the car passed them. There is a friend's house on the other side of the road, but the girls insisted that the cars were all very fast and they just scared to cross it.
Asked why they didn't just ask for some money from some traders near the tuition center that they all know, the started to argue. The younger one said she wanted to do that but the other one insisted that she was just too embarrased.
Lessons learnt:
1. Don't underestimate a 4-year-old
2. Know your child well
3. Get them handphones...hehe
Actually, I was reminded of this story when hubby asked, what would I think in the same situation. To him, my sister was just worried about herself more than to really think of the possible actions taken by the girls. She was more worried on how she would do without the girls, rather than think about one possible thing: the girls would walk.
And hubby asked me how I had feel when we realised we had lost Bea1 in Ikea that day. I said I was pretty sure Bea1 was ok as she knows the place well.
Actually, she never can wait till we finish our meal and run towards to kids' section whenever she likes. That day, failing to find us, she returned to the cafe and being a smart girl, she wailed her lungs out. A staff brought her to the information counter and for the first time, mama23beas heard the announcement on a missing child meant for her own. Anyway, I was cool all the time, my insticnt told me she was ok and the good thing is she has learned her lesson.
Ops, didn't I mention that this post isn't about my girls;). Heh...long rambling post again!
The 2 eldest ones (she has 5 girls, and 1 boy) were about 11 and 10 years old, and they went to the same tuition class. The tuition center is about 15 km from their home, which is also near my parents place.
The routine was simple. Class finished at 5 pm, and it is either their parents picked them up, or the teacher sent them home.
But on that day, my sister decided that she wanted to go shopping and asked the girls to get the teacher to send them back. But, the girls somehow decided to wait for their mother, as they were just eager to know what she bought for them.
They just told the teacher that they would wait for their mom.
Thinking that the girls were ok with the teacher, my sister just went straight home.
After waiting for an hour, the girls decided to walk, hoping that their mother would see them if she drove on the road. By the way, 'kampung' girls got no handphone and it just happened that they just didn't have a 10 sen coin to make call from the public phone.
At home, my sister started to get worried. Search and calls to the father, teacher, babysitter's, my parents' place showed that something was not right.
She started to imagine the worst but tried to be calm and started to look for them. She drove back and forth from home to the tuition center, a few teacher had gathered there, she stopped everywhere that she thought the girls would be. It started to get dark, while others were trying all they could to locate the girls, my sister could not do anything but weep.
At 9 pm, she was back at home and while waiting for some news, she thought her world already was crushed, and she felt like she'd die (that's her words, ok!).
At 9.30 pm, she heard some noise at the front door, and the two girls could barely stand due to exhaustion, but apparently very angry with the mother.
It seems that, my sister had done everything that she could do to find them except for one thing: look at the roadside.
Amidst the tears of relief, my sister insisted over and over that she didn't see them.
Then came a small voice of her then 4-year-old from behind "Amy nampak!".
All the while, the little girl that my sister brought along during the search saw her big sisters, but maybe since she didn't understand what the fuss was all about chose to be quiet. Well, anyway, she is the quietest and the cutest, too!
According to the two girls, they waved like crazy everytime the car passed them. There is a friend's house on the other side of the road, but the girls insisted that the cars were all very fast and they just scared to cross it.
Asked why they didn't just ask for some money from some traders near the tuition center that they all know, the started to argue. The younger one said she wanted to do that but the other one insisted that she was just too embarrased.
Lessons learnt:
1. Don't underestimate a 4-year-old
2. Know your child well
3. Get them handphones...hehe
Actually, I was reminded of this story when hubby asked, what would I think in the same situation. To him, my sister was just worried about herself more than to really think of the possible actions taken by the girls. She was more worried on how she would do without the girls, rather than think about one possible thing: the girls would walk.
And hubby asked me how I had feel when we realised we had lost Bea1 in Ikea that day. I said I was pretty sure Bea1 was ok as she knows the place well.
Actually, she never can wait till we finish our meal and run towards to kids' section whenever she likes. That day, failing to find us, she returned to the cafe and being a smart girl, she wailed her lungs out. A staff brought her to the information counter and for the first time, mama23beas heard the announcement on a missing child meant for her own. Anyway, I was cool all the time, my insticnt told me she was ok and the good thing is she has learned her lesson.
Ops, didn't I mention that this post isn't about my girls;). Heh...long rambling post again!
posted by mama23beas at 4:25 PM
7 Comments:
It's a good thing there that nothing bad happened to the girls.
Ooooh, Ohhhhhh I can't imagine if I am your sister.
Your sister was probably in such a panic. Her 4-year-old must have stayed quiet to prevent getting a scolding from a very frantic mother. Sounds like the girls have been brought up well re safety not to cross a busy road and also not to talk to strangers. I'm wondering though, would they have asked a police for help if they saw one?
Oh mY God, that was so scary! Kesian the poor kids. Luckily they weren't harmed. I cringed while reading your story because my own kids have done the disappearing act, too. My 2nd one, when she was 8, went into a schoolbus with her friend (she was always fetched by me or my husband). Sampai 8pm we couldn't find her ... called the headmaster, her friends, even the police. Nasib baik jumpa (the bus driver called, nasib baik my daughter ingat phone number).
Oh my goodness!!! I would have panicked and blanked off!
Praise God, the girls are fine.
Thank god nothing happens. Nowadays it's very dangerous for girls to walk on the street, judging from the news on the papers. I'm glad that your sis's girls are ok.
Friday's Child...we thank God for that.
butterflutter...I don't know what I would do in her situation too.
Min...now that got me thinking about the police, but knowing both of them I think not as they didn't even say a thing. From their story, they didn't get scared or anything till it was dark. They never thought their mom would miss seeing them by the roadside.
lothloriendor...name cards seem to be a good idea. And for us the backpack carrier also helps in certain crwoded places.
QOTH...small kids, we understand if they get lost...but if the big ones do the dissapearing act, lagi tak boleh tahan.
Yes Geetha... luckily they were all fine, only exhausted but they skipped school the next day;).
Shoppingmum...tell you what, my sister's imagination went hi up to "What if only the bodies are found..."...due to us being fed by horror stories in the newspaper and TV.
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