Missing Toddler

It was that time of the year when sales before the festivals began, as the year-end was soon approaching. After a Sunday hearty lunch, we decided to venture out shopping. We went to explore the clothing store near our home which happened to be our favourite brand too. As soon as we entered the store, we found it was unusually crowded with a huge stock of garments, not with people, fortunately. The contemplation of finding many pieces of clothes at affordable prices for all of us and our extended family made me very happy. We dived into the sea of clothes hung on the hangers. There were small gaps between two rows, and barely one person could stand in between. Anyhow, we started looking for the clothes we wanted, while my toddler son started playing around. There were other families too. He just got engaged himself playing with other kids around. I was keeping an eye on him. Slowly the helpers added more rows of clothes as evening was approaching and more customers entered the store.

It was not easy to select the clothes as we wanted to buy something for everyone- size, quality, colour, and price, everything matters. While we were lost in these issues, my son was not visible. Thinking he would be somewhere around, I became less attentive. Finally, when we were about to bill, I wanted to try some clothes on my son. So, I searched for him. he was not in sight. On that floor, we searched every row, but he was not to be seen. The children he was playing with were also not to be seen. Probably they had left with their parents. I was searching for him with every kid who was present in that store. We went to the other two floors of that store, thinking he would have gone there searching for us. But he was not there also. At last, when the store manager noticed our ordeal, he offered to help by announcing his name or if anyone saw him to bring him to the counter. We waited for some time but to no avail. Then we decided to leave the cloth bags and come out of the store. The security at the door told us he had seen the small boy going out of the store.

“Why did not you stop him?” I asked him with a bit of anguish. He replied that he thought he was with his parents, as other children were also there. By then, we were sure he was not in the store. Where could have he gone? Our home was nearby, but he would not be able to navigate the road nor could walk up to that. But still, maybe, he would be trying to return back home, as the road was not completely unfamiliar to him. I was about to cry but still controlled myself. Everyone inside the store was blaming us for being careless. I didn't pay attention to that as my only interest was to find my boy as soon as possible. We decided his father go up to our home looking for him. I would wait there in front of the store hoping that he would come back to the store if he had gone towards the right side.

While his father sped away, I kept on praying for his safety on that crowded road. Many unwanted thoughts clouded my mind at that time. I pushed everything away with the forced positive thoughts. I kept looking at every person on that road with kids.

After a while, his father came back alone and said that he could not find him on the road. My mind was not working- as if it had gone blank. We both stood on that road quietly for some time looking at each other helplessly. I prayed to God in my mind and we both started walking to the left towards the traffic signal. Suddenly his father said, “Look there,” pointing at a roadside eatery close to the signal. I saw a small boy standing in front of that shop wearing a red T-shirt and blue pants- he was our son. He was keenly observing the cook make Malabar parottas. We both ran to that shop. That was a roadside eatery on the main road round the corner, at the signal. As it was a bit inside from the footpath, we had not noticed him. I hugged and carried him. Uncontrolled tears were flowing from my eyes I kissed him and asked why did he go there. He had started speaking in broken sentences only around that time. He said he could not find us at the store and came out as he wanted to go home.

The cook was kneading the dough, making balls, and then making pleats, converting them into circles, and then rolling before cooking and patting with his palm to make them soft. He found the process very interesting and was watching with undivided attention all along. In fact, he still enjoys watching that and relishes parotta as a dish. The cook informed us that he had been standing there all along and watching the parotta-making process. The cook had asked him to sit but he continued to stand. Probably he did not understand the local language, we thought. He also informed us he had offered him to eat one piece with a gesture, he had replied “No” shaking his head. Then the cook said, “I knew he was missing, so I wanted him to be here so that his parents could find him. If I ask more he may go away or cry, which I did not want.” We thanked the cook a lot for his thoughtful action and generosity in offering food and a seat and keeping him engaged there till we arrived. We bought some parotta and curry from there and got them packed for dinner. That day I learnt a lesson for not keeping an eye on the toddler. I also taught him never to leave the place where we asked him to wait till we came back.

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