Stranded

Have you ever been stranded somewhere, either by yourself or by other people? I have gone through some really humourous (well, it’s funny now but it wasn’t back then) times of being stranded. Here’s one my cousin recently reminded me. She said she’ll never forget this as long as she lives.

Back when I was younger, I kept hanging out at my cousin’s house in Shah Alam (about 25 minutes drive from my house). Either my dad or mom would send me there and pick me up after they were done with their chores and work. So one day, my mom sent another cousin and I over to play.

As usual, just before evening, my mom came to pick us up, and here I have to relate my cousin’s side of this experience.

My cousin was already settled in the back seat with all her stuff while I was still standing outside the car with my door ajar. Suddenly, my mom put her car into gear and started to slowly drive the car away. With my door still ajar, I sarcastically said, “Bye, mom” but still she drove on and the movement of the car caused the door to close lightly.

My cousin, who was in the car, could only look at my Shah Alam cousin and I through the rear window as we slowly became small specks in her view. She turned quickly to the front and said to my mom, “Auntie, isn’t your daughter following us back?” To which my mom did not reply.

My poor cousin thought my mom was angry and so she kept quiet, not daring to say anything more. Just as they were reaching the highway toll, which was about 5 minutes from my Shah Alam cousin’s house, my mom asked me, “Is my book there at the backseat?” When there was no answer from me, she repeated her question. That’s when my cousin burst out in a panic, “She’s not here!!”

It took my mom 5 minutes before she realized that her daughter was not in the car with her. When she first drove away, my Shah Alam cousin and I thought she was joking or will notice my absence just before she turned off the road. We could only stand there and stare after the car, my cousin in puzzled wonderment and me in a somewhat nonchalant anger with my hands folded across my chest. Apparently, we were still standing in the driveway when my mom sped back down the road to the house.