The Scariest Thing

I was driving home tonight, at dusk, on one of our main residential streets. Going the opposite direction, on the sidewalk was a toddler. On the sidewalk, in the street, on the sidewalk, in the street. As I'm watching him in my side mirror, I'm starting to get very cold. I pulled over and asked a guy who was just getting out of his car and chasing his dog who is running towards me (big dog, top down, little car, thank you) if he knew where the little boy lived. He didn't.

With that, I flipped the car around. I was trying to follow the little guy and not scare him, but not let him back in the street. I start talking to him and he came towards the car. I was frantically waving at the people's house I'm parked in front of and still trying to keep up with the kidlet. Finally they opened the door. They didn't know him either. Then he was on a dead run into the street. I doubled my speed so if the car that I thought was coming would see me first. False alarm.

All of a sudden he turns around, runs back to me, arms in the air and lets me pick him up. My legs turn to rubber and it took everything I had not to drop like a rock. I was debating with myself about calling the police when a lady a couple of houses up the street started to frantically call a child's name.

I called out that I had him. I put the baby into Mom's arms. She was pretty much speechless and was probably more rubber legged than I was. She was trying to tell me how he must have opened the door and slipped out.

(May 30th update. A couple of days later I realized it was the grandma I had handed the baby to. Driving home tonight I recognized the woman who was walking up the stame the street using a white cane. Now, her speechlessness makes a whole lot more sense. Her grandson had wandered outside and there was no way for her to SEE where he had gone. Thank you Lord for making me STOP!)

I know honey, my grandson was and is still the master escape artist. Earlier this year he rode his bike past her house to the mall (nearly 2 miles) and we didn't know he was gone. He's called 911 twice now - the most recent call was to complain to the dispatcher that my daughter told him he couldn't go outside to play.

Yes, ma'am, your child is probably nearing the age of two.....that hug I gave you, wasn't just for today - it was for all the excitement yet to come.MM