Missing

I almost had a big heart attack yesterday.

Last night, my maid said that she wanted to buy a RM11++ jeans from Tesco. She saw that in the Tesco brochure and told my mum that yesterday was the last offer day. So, after dinner, I took her, the two kids and my mum to Tesco, doing some grocery shopping at the same time. After almost one hour of shopping, I queued up waiting to pay at the far end of the cashier counter. I then turned to where my mum & the kids were and asked, using our own sign language, “Where is Brendan?”

My mum looked around her & showed the “not here” sign. I thought she was joking until I realized that Brendan was missing! We walked up and down the aisle and I even peeped under a nearby table covered with cloth and Brendan was nowhere to be found. I didn’t dare to venture far from where I was incase Brendan was playing hide-&-seek.

My maid, carrying my little gal, quickly ran to the market and vege section cos Brendan likes seeing the fruits and veggies and fishes. My mum quickly walked around here & there and finally when down the escalator to the car park to find him. Everyone was staring at us. I finally went to ask the Guard at the exit of Tesco if he has seen a little boy of my given description. He said he didn’t see him and request that I made an announcement via the P.A. Reluctantly, I went to the Information counter.

My mind was racing. My heart was beating fast. My pulse irregular. At first, I was pretty calm, but the calmness turned to panic when time passes by.

This is SOOO unlike Brendan. He is not the type who would usually wander away, though he has the habit of slowly taking his own sweet time walking behind us and stopping to see the things around him. He dislikes strangers too and any strangers who carries him will throw him into a fit of tears!

So, I was keeping my ears opened for any crying children and any announcement of a missing boy.

Back at the Information counter, I was hoping to see a little boy crying, but I didn’t.. I called my hubby in Germany to inform him that our son is missing.

THEN….. at the far end corner, totally away from where we were standing, was a little boy who looks like Brendan. It was indeed Brendan! He was squatting near the toys section, near the entrance of Tesco, observing some dunno-what-toys, definitely unaware of what was happening.

“BRENDAN!!” He turned and looked at me. “Why are you here, Brendan?! Why did you walked away from mummy? Don’t do that to mummy anymore ok?” He stared at me with blurry eyes and kept very quiet.

I was crying and laughing simultaneously, oblivious to the stares from those around me.

I proceeded to carry Brendan to where I left my trolley and put him in there while I make the payment. After a while, my maid and mum turned, with faces all pale but was relieved to see my smiling face. My mum gave Brendan a HUGE BIG scolding to the amusement of the cashier and the people queueing up behind us.

THAT one particular incident gave me one big hit in the head.