Lost at the Fair

I couldn't see into the food stand where mom was buying the food; I was too short. I think I was four years old. I got cotton candy and everyone else got corndogs. I didn't like it when my sister took a taste of my candy. She should of gotten her own.

We had just gotten to the fair and everybody had to go to the bathroom because we had been in the car for a long time. My mom dad and two sisters all walked away from the stand at once, but in two directions. Mom with Regina and Lucky and Dad by himself. I thought they would be right back so I just stood there snacking on my cotton candy. When it was all gone I figured that they were lost. I wasn't lost of course, I hadn't moved. I knew the best thing would be to go to the car. After all, I heard Dad telling Regina and Lucky to go to the car if they got lost. I walked out of the fair to the street we were parked on. It was kinda far. I had to run across a really big street but I looked for cars first. Our red Dodge Valiant was hard to miss; it was parked right on the corner a few blocks away. Across the street from the car a family was having a big picnic. They had lights up around the picnic tables and were barbecuing on a big grill. A tractor was in the front yard. I thought that was funny because they didn't have a farm, it was a regular neighborhood.

A woman came over to me from the picnic. She looked like she had kids but I didn't see any. I told her my parents were lost and I was waiting for them by our car. She took me over to her yard and I played on the tractor for a little while. She took me inside her house to her kitchen and gave me Fritos and Coke. Her kitchen was really bright compared to the outside and there was a lot of food from the picnic.

It was getting kinda late when the policeman showed up. I had been at the lady's house all day! I didn't want to go with the policeman. I told him my parents would be back at the car in a little while. He said he was taking me somewhere where my mom would find me. I think I cried, but I'm not sure. We stopped at a brick building on a busy street. He took me up the steps and into a really quite place that smelled kinda funny, like it was old. A lady told me to hush. She said if I kept up my noise I would wake the other kids. I guess I was crying. I didn't see any other kids. I pictured them all sleeping together in one big room. I guessed they didn't have any mom's if they lived here. The lady gave me a blanket and a pillow and laid me down on a hard little bed. I couldn't sleep because I was thinking about all those orphans sleeping quietly somewhere else in the funny smelling building.

Next thing I know my mom is carrying me down the steps to the car. I guess I was sleepy. I was mad at my family for getting lost. I did'nt even get to go on a ride. I fell asleep again right away. I knew my mom would come get me sometime. I just wish the policeman and the lady would have let me wait by the car like I was supposed to.

Michael V Cornelius