One morning, when my youngest daughter was five, I received a call at my office saying she was "missing".  Close friends from Germany, who had three children themselves, were visiting and I'd consequently given my regular babysitter the day off.  "Oh Alexa is probably just hiding under one of the beds as a prank"  I attempted to reassure them.  "We've checked the entire house, she is missing" they repeated again in an anxious tone.  "When was she last seen?" I asked. "Out in the front yard watching Dominik [their pre-teen son] skate.  Dominik came in but he did not bring her with him.  When we went outside to find her, she was gone." 

           With this news everything changed.  "Call the police" I instructed.  My office was twenty minutes from home and, in those days, I didn't own a cell phone.  Rather than drive back to assist them, which would have seemed logical, I refused to believe Alexa would not be located in such a lengthy amount of time and remained instead glued to my office phone. An excrutiating hour later, after volunteers knocked on every door in our neighborhood, they reported Alexa had not been found. 
     While I knew this fact greatly increased the possibility she had been abducted, my mind refused to embrace the accompanying emotionalism.  "Keep looking" I stated firmly.  Fortunately, the police were way ahead of me, interviewing each volunteer and recording details of every contact. One man reported that he avoided knocking on his neighbor's door because he knew the couple were both at work. "Go back and knock on their door anyway," the officer instructed.    
     Low and behold, a teenager answered the door.  Behind her stood two little girls, one of them was Alexa.  The teen's family was also visiting from out of town, and her younger sister invited Alexa to come play Barbies as they were returning from a neighborhood stroll.  Only with the news of Alexa's safe recovery did I finally break down and cry.  "Why did you go with a stranger?" I implored when I was reunited with her again. Alexa replied simply "She told me her name mommy."

This blog is dedicated to Amber Dubois, last seen while walking to Escondido High School the morning of February 13, 2009. 
 
Mama Marlaine Parenting 2.0 www.lifeskillsreportcard.com

 


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