The day my daughter was stolen: -A true story-
January 12, 2015 was a memorable day for our family. We've just arrived at Dubai International Airport after visiting South Africa for the Christmas holidays. Our three children, then aged 4, 3 and 2, had a good rest during the 8 hour flight and was fully recharged once we got out of the plane. I can't sleep on a plane so I had a magazine which kept me busy, and there was an article about Madeleine McCann, the little girl who disappeared during a family holiday. This story has always bothered me and I like to read every single update that I can.
We were really chuffed with the children for being so calm and on their best behavior during the flight, as we all know that flying with children can be very draining sometimes - especially when you have three under the age of 5.
We stood in a line that was as long as the Nile river, or so it felt, and Dubai Airport is huge and one of the busiest airports in the world. It went so slow and there were millions of people waiting to get through immigration but there was a problem so there was nothing we could do. The kids were starting to get more and more energized and standing still was no longer an option for them. I told them that they should stay close and within arms reach as I don't want them to get lost. As a last resort, after many many times of having to calm them down and asking them to be patient, I said:
"Do you see that policeman over there? He's looking for all the naughty children who don't listen to their parents!"
They looked at me with big eyes and my 4 year old son asked: "What will he do with naughty children mommy?" I didn't really think it through as I did not expect them to ask about it, so I said:
"Oh I don't know, maybe he catches them?"
I wasn't pleased with my answer but it worked and they stood quietly until we got to the Immigration counter. We received the stamps in our passports and we had to pick each child up for the guy to see and compare them with their pictures, and then we proceeded to the security checkpoint. There were so many people and we had a lot of hand luggage that had to go through the little curtain.
At last we were all set and knew which Carousel to receive our checked-in luggage from. I stayed there waiting to see if I can spot our bags while my husband went to the other side to fetch us a trolley. The kids followed him like they always do. When he returned, however, he had only our two boys with him. I immediately asked him where our daughter(3) was, and he replied:
"I thought she was with you?"
Paranoid is my middle name! I started calling for her, shouting her name and screaming like a crazy person. All I could think of was Madeleine McCann. My heart started racing, the world was spinning and I didn't care what people were thinking of me at the time. I could see the flashes in front of my eyes:
She's gone,
missing,
kidnapped,
STOLEN
The more I searched, the more lightheaded I felt. I could feel the blood draining from my head, and at that moment I knew I was going to pass out. I stopped and leaned against something (I don't recall what it was) and as I stood there trying to recover from the dizziness, I listened and I heard her screaming. I knew it was her as only a mother would recognize her own child's cry for help.
We followed the sound and it must have only been a total of 45 seconds but it felt like FOREVER and a day!
Then I saw her!
Back at the Immigration counter, behind all the barriers that we passed before, there she was in the arms of a policeman who looked just as relieved to see us as we were relieved to see her. She was screaming. Not because she's lost, but because THE POLICEMAN CAUGHT HER! She was terrified and it was all my fault!
I am not supposed to teach them to be afraid of the police! Well, except for South African police maybe - they're not all good, but they're not all bad either.
Needless to say, they were all, NO, we were all very quiet for the last few rounds at the airport and the kids were very obedient for the rest of the week too. She still remembers that day when she was "caught" by the police but she knows that it was a bulldust story and that he was just helping her to find us.
Of course, I blamed myself and felt like a bad mother for losing my child that day, but most importantly, for creating panic within them to make my job as a parent easier...for myself. With that being said, it had been a very valuable lesson for all of us and I can only hope that it can serve as a lesson for other parents and caregivers too.
Who knows what could have happened to her that day...
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i like your writing style, you know how to create suspense :)
Thanks for reading @cwbrooch ;)
Please do not blame yourself! Luckily everything worked out. We had programs at my elementary school where we got to meet police officers and talk to them. We thought they were superheroes.
We also had that in school and back then they were really superheroes to us too, but things changed a bit in the world since then. They are supposed to be trustworthy and that is what I want my kids to think too. Thank you for saying that I shouldn't blame myself. I did, but I'm over it now and if that particular incident didn't happen, I wouldn't have had a story to tell.
Thank you for reading and for your comment here.
It is much appreciated ;)
I know how you feel, but it was not your fault. You were stressed and it all worked out well as in my post today I say there is no book to teach us how to raise children. Loved your post, and thank you for sharing. You have the ability to keep me glued to your posts.
Thanks for the compliment @bigbear and thank you for reading, again! ;)
My oldest daughter decided to hide in a department store when she was three. The store locked down just in case someone snatched her, she crawled in between some clothing racks and fell asleep worst 10 minutes of my life looking for her, such relief when I found her.
Oh my goodness, I can only imagine! I am also relieved to hear that your story ended well too.
Thank you @tecnosgirl :)
This post has received a 0.39 % upvote from @drotto thanks to: @banjo.
That feeling that i read it in the book
Now it has befallen me
Happy she was found
Those things scare them because at that age there mind are sensitive and they trust there parent to always guide them.
True @tormiwah
Thanks for reading.
I know I, in exasperation, said similar things to my son!
He wandered off at a large music festival and I was freaked out, but he swears he told me he was going back to our camper...
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STOPNice post! Once my little daughter disappeared in a big clothing store, it was horrible and I almost faint. I panicked because the store was full of clothes and people. I was searching and shouting but couldn't find my child. So I throw to the ground and hopefully saw two little legs no so far where I was, I was so happy to find my child.
I'm sure. It's horrible when things like that happen.
Thank you for your comment ;)
I'm always especially patient with parents and children who travel. Juggling documents and luggage is hard enough without adding impulsively ambulatory children to the mix.
If we want more people to have children, then we must be more accomodating.
People certainly get irritated way too fast with little children. Kids are kids and no matter what good manners they are taught, they will always act up in some or other way in public. Thank you for being a 1 in a million understanding kind of person.