Thursday, July 28, 2011

It's like going to the movies...


but it's a movie you hate and you can't believe you are there and you can think of a zillion other things you'd rather be doing like getting a bikini wax or cutting off your arm or something.

That's how my monday started.  Well, it actually started better than that, progressed as normal.  I dropped G off at Mrs. Frances' and was on my way to work with my baggy of cheerios and a diet coke.  All things normal, until I saw a 2 year old on a sidewalk... so I slow down.  Is someone chasing after him?  Nope.  Keep slowing down and looking.  No one.  U turn as the kid is starting to cross this super busy street.  The lady behind me was trying to figure out what I was doing until she saw him too.  We both stop and walking to him.  There is NO ONE AROUND.  No one.  Just a 2 year old with his blanket, a diaper that he had been in since the night before and a tshirt.  Oh, and he didn't speak english.  I had a baggy of cheerios and assorted baby toys so we tried to coerce him with those.  The cheerios worked-ish.  Another lady from the apartment complex is pulling out and struck by the situation and she stops.  (We have called the police, fyi.)  She says she's lived there a long time and has never seen them.  A new guy is turning INTO the complex and we flag him down.  He's a maintenance guy there and he goes and gets his golf cart trying to think of where this kid might live.  HE says that there is a new family who is renting by the week.  He goes to their place.  The door is open.  The lady is asleep.  The cops get there.  She does not come running.  She just walks over to us.  Picks up her little boy and says, "thanks."  That's it.  Nothing.  No explanation.  NOTHING.  Her child has been missing a good 45 minutes and NO PANIC.  The cops followed her back.  I hope they called CPS.  Though, in reality, I know that basically nothing will be done even if they did.

I just don't understand.  

4 comments:

Helen said...

Oh my god. Hearing things like that breaks my heart. Thank the lord you saw him in time. This may be TMI but from someone who can't have kids, this pisses me off.

3101 Austin Avenue said...

oh. my. God. seriously? I dont even know what to say in response to this...I am flabbergasted. And disgusted. And thankful that you were around....with Cherrios.

Carol said...

This poor mother. What state must she be in and how beaten down must she be in her life to be so blase about the situation. Thank goodness that no accident occurred to harm the kid physically and I hope against hope that this incident was just the thing needed to get this mom and child help. So sad.

Cate said...

Oh gosh... so much to say about this. I really appreciate Carol's reminder that the mom's response is not normal, and something must be wrong in order for her to act this way... depression, domestic abuse, drug/alcohol use... there are so many possible reasons for this situation and her response, and sadly almost all of them point to a systemic problem that this little boy will inherit if intervention doesn't come.

I was just listening to a commercial for Big Brothers Big Sisters yesterday and thinking I should really think about joining. The little boy you helped this morning could probably use someone like that in about five years...