#SOL16 Day 18 Lost

Exhaustion setting in, no ideas for Day 18's Slice, but reading the Classroom SOLSC slices provided inspiration. This post, from Vanissa, a student in the amazing Margaret Simon's class, made me think of my own "lost" story. 

My mom, sister, and Great Aunt Sue had gone to the Sunrise Mall to shop and buy an apple pie for my Great Grandmother, Mama. I was about three years old, as the story goes. My sister and Aunt Sue were heading up the escalator to the bakery to find the pie and my mother was with me, in my stroller. Like most little sisters, I wanted to do exactly what my big sister was doing. My mom said to stay with her, and she turned to look in men's shoe store window, I guess looking for new shoes for my dad.

That's when I climbed out of my stroller (no seat belts? This was the early 1980's and I guess strollers didn't have belts then? OR maybe I was smart enough to unbuckle it? Hmmm....must remember to ask my mother). I figured I would catch up with my sister and Aunt Sue, but quickly became disoriented and lost. This must have been one of my first memories, but I do remember it. I recall walking in circles, and looking back, confused as to where the shoe store, my mother and stroller went. I remember crying. 

That's when a lady took my hand and started walking with me. My mother, who was in hysterics that I was missing and perhaps stolen, spotted this lady, who was very tall, and small me, holding her hand.  We were reunited! My Aunt Sue had been completely convinced that someone kidnapped me because of my cute curly hair and hadn't been much help to my poor mother. I don't know how long this whole ordeal lasted, but as a mother to a three year old now, it must have been the longest moments of my mother's life. 

When they brought home the apple pie, Mama took a bite and pronounced it "medicinal." That is always my favorite part of the story, after the reunited part, of course.