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Panic In The Aisles
On Sunday evening I was still feeling pretty sick, but we were desperately short of groceries. So we took a ride to Market Basket to stock up.
Sebastian was worried about being seen in public; he had a band-aid covering a big scrape under his right eye, and was afraid that "people will laugh at me". We assured him that nobody would laugh.
It had snowed that day, and the roads were a little slippery, but we had no problem getting to the store. Sebastian saw a huge shopping cart, one attached to a little park bench on wheels, and was captivated. So we buckled him into the bench and I pushed him into the store.
That damned cart was huge. "This thing is like driving the Titanic!" I complained, as I navigated with some difficulty past a pretty girl (she laughed). After a while Sebastian unbuckled himself and stood up. "Oh no," I said, "I am NOT going to push this cart if you're standing up." He sat down.
We were about 90% done with our shopping when I realized that I'd forgotten something in the snack aisle (snacks, of course). So I asked Teri to take over pushing the cart while I ran back - the damned cart was simply too big and hard to maneuver.
It took me a few minutes to figure out what to buy. Once done, I headed back to where I'd left Teri and Sebastian. They weren't there, so I pressed on in the direction they'd been going. Eventually I spotted Teri's head at the far end of the produce section.
I walked up the aisle and came up behind her. She seemed distracted; she didn't know I was there. So I moved past her to throw the snacks in the cart, and -
"Where's Sebastian?" His coat was on the seat, but he wasn't.
"I don't know. I just turned away for a minute, and when I turned back he was gone!"
Panic. We both scanned the area. Then we split up and started searching the store.
For no sane reason I pushed the cart as I was searching - I wasn't thinking, I guess. Although Teri's purse was in it, so I guess I was protecting her valuables.
I searched the produce area first, looking under the tables; he might think it funny to hide from us there.
But he wasn't there.
Then I went to the bakery area, on the theory that he might have gone there to get a cookie (Teri takes him there for a free cookie every time we go to Market Basket).
No luck.
The candy aisle?
No.
I started a full sweep, going along the back end of the store and looking down every aisle. I wasn't really panicked, but I was worried. As I kept looking, and not finding him, I started wondering what the next step would be. We would go to the courtesy desk, of course, but what could they do? Get on the PA system and say "Sebastian, come here!"? That would be useless. Get employees to help us search the store?
But could he have left the store? I had a sinking feeling that he just might have.
And then I saw Teri down at the other end of an aisle...and a moment later, I saw that she had Sebastian by the hand. He was eating an M&M cookie.
"Where was he?" I said, and "You gave him a cookie?!" in the same breath.
She gave me the "I was frazzled" gesture (if you're a parent, you know what I mean; it includes shrugging and eye-rolling). "He was down the farthest aisle from where he left us. You should have seen him when I found him; he was almost crying."
"I missed you, Daddy!" he said.
"I...missed you too, Sebastian. Very much. But DON'T run away like that again! Mommy and I are very upset with you!"
"I want to go away forever. I'll miss you and Mommy."
I never know exactly what to say when he says that; not much, generally, because if I take it seriously it will hurt too much.
We checked out without finishing our shopping. On the way home we both told Sebastian how upset we were that he had run away, how much he had scared us. He veered between "I want to go away" and "I missed you". Then he said:
"Daddy, will you forgive me?"
I exchanged a glance with Teri.
"Of course I forgive you, Sebastian. So does your mother. And we both love you just as much as we ever did, and we will always love you. But don't run away again, okay?"
"Okay."
So we took him home, fed him, and put him to bed - reinforcing all the while that he mustn't run away, that if he did he would never see us, or the cats, or his grandparents, or any of his toys or stuffed animals ever again. I know he'll run again anyway - he's four, after all - but maybe a little will soak in...enough to slow him down a little next time.
I hope.
Teri went to bed early. I stayed up and baked a devil's food cake; Teri doesn't like my recipe for butter-cream frosting, so I had to use a can of pink vanilla-flavored frosting, since that was all we had. Just for the hell of it, I sprinkled decorative yellow sugar crystals over the frosting; the result was very pretty, although also extremely girly.
But it tasted great.
Then I browned a pound of meat, made bolognese sauce, and had that with ziti and garlic bread (heavenly). Stayed up far too late writing part three of "Grand Obsession", and finally crawled into bed close to midnight - MUCH too late, but when I get the urge I just have to write.
Sebastian was worried about being seen in public; he had a band-aid covering a big scrape under his right eye, and was afraid that "people will laugh at me". We assured him that nobody would laugh.
It had snowed that day, and the roads were a little slippery, but we had no problem getting to the store. Sebastian saw a huge shopping cart, one attached to a little park bench on wheels, and was captivated. So we buckled him into the bench and I pushed him into the store.
That damned cart was huge. "This thing is like driving the Titanic!" I complained, as I navigated with some difficulty past a pretty girl (she laughed). After a while Sebastian unbuckled himself and stood up. "Oh no," I said, "I am NOT going to push this cart if you're standing up." He sat down.
We were about 90% done with our shopping when I realized that I'd forgotten something in the snack aisle (snacks, of course). So I asked Teri to take over pushing the cart while I ran back - the damned cart was simply too big and hard to maneuver.
It took me a few minutes to figure out what to buy. Once done, I headed back to where I'd left Teri and Sebastian. They weren't there, so I pressed on in the direction they'd been going. Eventually I spotted Teri's head at the far end of the produce section.
I walked up the aisle and came up behind her. She seemed distracted; she didn't know I was there. So I moved past her to throw the snacks in the cart, and -
"Where's Sebastian?" His coat was on the seat, but he wasn't.
"I don't know. I just turned away for a minute, and when I turned back he was gone!"
Panic. We both scanned the area. Then we split up and started searching the store.
For no sane reason I pushed the cart as I was searching - I wasn't thinking, I guess. Although Teri's purse was in it, so I guess I was protecting her valuables.
I searched the produce area first, looking under the tables; he might think it funny to hide from us there.
But he wasn't there.
Then I went to the bakery area, on the theory that he might have gone there to get a cookie (Teri takes him there for a free cookie every time we go to Market Basket).
No luck.
The candy aisle?
No.
I started a full sweep, going along the back end of the store and looking down every aisle. I wasn't really panicked, but I was worried. As I kept looking, and not finding him, I started wondering what the next step would be. We would go to the courtesy desk, of course, but what could they do? Get on the PA system and say "Sebastian, come here!"? That would be useless. Get employees to help us search the store?
But could he have left the store? I had a sinking feeling that he just might have.
And then I saw Teri down at the other end of an aisle...and a moment later, I saw that she had Sebastian by the hand. He was eating an M&M cookie.
"Where was he?" I said, and "You gave him a cookie?!" in the same breath.
She gave me the "I was frazzled" gesture (if you're a parent, you know what I mean; it includes shrugging and eye-rolling). "He was down the farthest aisle from where he left us. You should have seen him when I found him; he was almost crying."
"I missed you, Daddy!" he said.
"I...missed you too, Sebastian. Very much. But DON'T run away like that again! Mommy and I are very upset with you!"
"I want to go away forever. I'll miss you and Mommy."
I never know exactly what to say when he says that; not much, generally, because if I take it seriously it will hurt too much.
We checked out without finishing our shopping. On the way home we both told Sebastian how upset we were that he had run away, how much he had scared us. He veered between "I want to go away" and "I missed you". Then he said:
"Daddy, will you forgive me?"
I exchanged a glance with Teri.
"Of course I forgive you, Sebastian. So does your mother. And we both love you just as much as we ever did, and we will always love you. But don't run away again, okay?"
"Okay."
So we took him home, fed him, and put him to bed - reinforcing all the while that he mustn't run away, that if he did he would never see us, or the cats, or his grandparents, or any of his toys or stuffed animals ever again. I know he'll run again anyway - he's four, after all - but maybe a little will soak in...enough to slow him down a little next time.
I hope.
Teri went to bed early. I stayed up and baked a devil's food cake; Teri doesn't like my recipe for butter-cream frosting, so I had to use a can of pink vanilla-flavored frosting, since that was all we had. Just for the hell of it, I sprinkled decorative yellow sugar crystals over the frosting; the result was very pretty, although also extremely girly.
But it tasted great.
Then I browned a pound of meat, made bolognese sauce, and had that with ziti and garlic bread (heavenly). Stayed up far too late writing part three of "Grand Obsession", and finally crawled into bed close to midnight - MUCH too late, but when I get the urge I just have to write.