My mother’s birthday was this last Friday so my sister and her family met my mom, grandma, Kyle and I for dinner. We went to a family style place that serves as much fried and cholesterol packed food that you can eat for one bargain price. Yee haw! Oh, and there are also little goats and miniature cows that you can feed food pellets to, right out of your hand. Also, there is an indoor slide for the little kids to go down. It starts in one room and slides around and shoots the kids out onto the ‘front porch’ of this cute little cabin, which also doubles as the stage for the country band. It has several little country shops and a lake with ducks and just gorgeous landscaping. It was really fun. It was also 60 of the scariest seconds of my life.
My sister and her husband are a really fun couple to hang out with and she has both a son and daughter. I love them both dearly. My little niece, Rory, is 3 ½ and just the light of my life. When I say the light of my life I truly mean it. This little girl and I have a bond so special that it makes me smile and my heart feel like it could explode. She worships her Auntie Kimmie too. I love it whenever I pick her up, the second she sees me she runs as fast as she can with her adorable smile and jumps into my arms. I just want to squeeze the stuffing right out of her.
Okay, back to the restaurant. After I finished eating Rory started begging me to take her back to the slide. Of course I never say no to this little angel. More gum, sure. More candy, sure. A pony, you betcha. I grabbed her little hand and we headed back over to the slide. I dropped her off at the slide’s stairs and made my way over to the stage where I could sit and wait for her to come shooting out. The country band was up and playing in full swing. I sat down and listened for a minute and then realized that no kids were coming out of the slide. My mind started to click. Wait a minute, band on stage, no kids coming down the slide.
Holy Shit! Rory!! I jumped up and sprinted around the corner and up the very stairs that I had just watched my little angel run up a few moments before. When I got to the top and turned the corner I saw the gate in front of the slide closed and my heart stopped. It literally stopped. Time stood still and my head swam with about as much FREAK OUT as it could. Where was my niece? I began running around screaming her name, asking anyone and everyone if they had seen a little girl running around by herself. Oh my god, the baby. Where was she? I ran down the stairs and didn’t even know where to begin. I was frantic. It was only about a minute but it seemed like forever. All of a sudden I see my sister walking toward me holding Rory’s hand. That little baby made her way all the way through the restaurant, back to the table, and told them that she lost Kimmie. I picked her up and held her so tight and she said to me “Auntie Kimmie I was so scared”. It broke my heart. I told her I was too.
Next time I think I’ll just go down the slide with her. If I get stuck, at least I’ll know she’s with me.
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