Lost In A Grocery Store – Anecdote


         I looked around in a frantic. The shelves upon shelves and the bright white lights began to look daunting as they were all I could see everywhere I looked.

So it was a regular day for five years old me and everything was fine until we decided to go grocery shopping at a local Walmart. Stepping foot into the store everything was normal and dandy. My mom stared at the grocery list clutched in her hand, the list that would tell us where to first go. So we started off by picking up the fruits and vegetables we needed and moved on to the rest of the food items that required to be bought like usual. The trouble, however, started during the end of the trip when the family decided to look at the books available in the store, just before paying at the register. Walking towards where the shelves, I began to look through the neatly arranged books. Picking up a book that interested me, I looked back to assure myself of my families presence,  just as I thought, they were all there and I turned back to the book in my hands.

“Did you find something yet?” My mother asked.

I nodded as a reply and continued to observe the book with deep concentration. The book was interesting enough just as much as the next part of what happens to me in this story. I took the book triumphantly because this book was the one and I turned around, much to my horror my family was nowhere to be found. Suddenly my heart began to beat and beat, faster and faster as the seconds went by, sweat encased the palms of small fragile hands. Now keep in mind I was only five which I hope will justify my stupidity in this situation. I walked around in a daze and continued to walk in hopes of finding my family in the aisles of our local Walmart. The fear was apparently very apparent on my face because a worker approached me looking concerned. She knelt down on her knees to reach my level and a warm smile formed at her lips.

“What’s wrong?” she questioned sweetly.

The words rushed out of my mouth through my dry throat as tears threatened to spill out of my eyes

“I can’t find my mom,” I mumbled softly to the worker.

Her smile grew wider and her hand reached for my small one. She stood up and started to walk. I did not know where she was leading me but a few seconds later we were at the help center where the intercom was placed. A few other workers saw me in my state and reciprocated the concern the lady holding my hand had felt for me. The lady told everyone what had happened and a teenage boy knelt down to try and comfort me. At this point, I just wanted to find my mom and all these people were starting to annoy me. The lady finally announced on the intercom for my mom to come and collect me. The seconds went by painfully slow as my family finally decided to emerge from the chaotic aisles of the store.

“Where were you” I yelled at my mom who seemed mildly amused.

“We were right there” she spoke calmly, “I thought you were busy staring at your book, so we moved to another aisle for a second but we couldn’t find you when we came back!”  She explained.

She embraced me into her arms and laughed.

“it’s okay now, let’s go home,” she said.

My mother was very unconcerned about this, in fact, I saw amusement on her face. I could not fathom that she did not feel as afraid for me as I did for myself. Looking back on it I do understand it now because it definitely was not as big of a deal as I originally thought. Walking away, I looked back at the workers who were just as amused as my mother at this situation. I even heard a chuckle out of that teenage boy, which I then thought was very disrespectful but I did not pay it much mind. I had found my family and I did not need to worry anymore. In a short while, I had forgotten of the situation entirely and we drove home in peace.

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Image reference:

https://pngtree.com/freepng/crying-girl_3165542.html

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/348817933633503177/