Under A Haystack

When I was a single mother on my own, my mom gave us a place to stay when we needed it, a vehicle to drive when we didn’t have one, and a helping hand with babysitting when I had to work or go somewhere you couldn’t wag a kid along. But since she was a working, single mom herself, our schedules didn’t always synch up. One day I had an appointment at the same time my mother had to be at work, so we appealed to my teenage brother, Todd. Not historically a big babysitter, he required some cajoling, but eventually said he would watch her if I could be back in time for him to go to work. No problem. Except the clock at the insurance agency was slow and I got home to an empty house. I thought he must have had to take her to his job and I called immediately to profusely apologize and say I was on my way. But his response was, “Oh, I totally forgot she was there,” meaning he did not have her. Trying to stay calm, I called my mother, thinking maybe she had the toddler. Which she didn’t. Panic-stricken, I had no idea what to do next when I heard a faint whimper. It turns out Keilana had fallen asleep and rolled off and under the bed out of sight. I think of that every time I read Little Boy Blue. Nursery rhyme or no, missing, sleeping kids are scary.

http://www.amazon.com/Little-Boy-Blue-Waldman/dp/0866118683

http://www.paperbackswap.com/Playmore-Inc/author/