Lost

What a awful feeling it is when you think you have lost your child.

It may only be for a minute or more but that feeling of them being lost nearly stops your heart and has it sinking to the very bottom of your stomach,doing a dozen somersaults on its way down there.

The panic that rises up inside you when you check off all the places that they might be and each one turns into a nope not here or here or here!

And as you go round checking each probable place that they could be, a uneasy feeling starts to bubble up in the pit of your stomach and this feeling gets more and more intense with each step you take.

You start walking calmly and then your footsteps get quicker and quicker until you have to control yourself or you would just run round like a maniac yelling and shouting their name. 

It's a horrible feeling.

And at the school bbq my little darling boy gave me and several others a taste of this feeling good and proper!

We had been around all the stalls and rides and had a good look at what was on offer,the field and playground was full of grown ups stood chattering and children quickly darting around,yelling quick hellos to their friends before diving off to find adventures.

This was lovely to see. These days children do not get as much opportunity to play freely outside without their parents hovering over them and they were making the most of it.

I assessed the situation and thought yep lets give Chips some basic rules and go for it.

So I told him where I would be sitting and what areas he could go to,he listened and all seemed well.I made my way through the crowds of people and sat down and Chips stayed on the grassy bit having a look around.

I had a really lovely chat with some friends who plonked down on the ground beside me,there was no sign of Chips but I wasn't too concerned,I just thought he was busy and sometimes you just have to trust a little don't you.

After a while I decided to have a look around and see what the lad was up too.

And that's when it started.

I went to where I had left him,nope not there,I walked through the groups of people stood chattering - no sign of him there, I had a quick scout at the sweetie stall - no sign of him,as I walked around the surrounding stalls my friend saw me searching and came to look with me.

''He's got to be somewhere'' she said ''And hes wearing a bright red top,we will soon spot him''

We didn't. 

My footsteps were getting quicker and quicker but I still was ok,after all we had plenty of other places to look around,places where it was very possible that he might be.A TA joined in the search and everyone was smiley and very reassuring that soon young Chips would be found.

We checked the play equipment and I could see peoples faces becoming a little bit puzzled as we still couldn't spot Chips but still the adults around me were positive that he would be somewhere on that field.

At the other end of the school playground was a big patch of grass and lots of children were playing games up there,I hadn't noticed this grass before and I suddenly relaxed,that's where he would be,mystery solved.

We started to walk up to the grass and as we arrived I scanned the group of children playing and Chips wasn't one of them.

I looked again but I had been right first time,Chips wasn't there.

I turned to tell everybody that he wasn't there and I saw the looks on peoples
 faces.they had already sussed out that he wasn't there and they were getting concerned and that's when I started to really worry.

He wasn't there,he was lost,just where was he?

People started to move swiftly now and I was beginning to get really concerned and then someone shouted ''We've got him'' and a hot bewildered little boy was pushed into my arms!

I was very relieved!

When I asked him where he had been he said on the fair rides.

How could that be though,he had not got any money,it was the one place I hadn't checked properly as I knew he couldn't be on there.

Ah but unbeknown to me a kind hearted lady had been supplying him with money to go on the rides,he had had a great time,while I had had a few years taken off my life!

Anyway,alls well that ends well! 

And I was taught a valuable lesson,sometimes the very place you think they cant be is the absolute place you may end up finding them!