Complacency

Generally, we watch our kid like a hawk because we know a lot of bad things can happen to him if we don't. Plus, we've talked about those dangers and acknowledge that they could happen to us.

Unfortunately, we got complacent at the in laws. Used to having them fawning over our child and generally watching him for us, we allowed ourselves to miss him for several precious minutes. Unfortunately, both hubs and I didn't see him going out of the house when we were loading our bags in the car. So after doing my bit, I immediately returned to the sofa and assumed Yakee was playing with his cousin in the next room. Hubs judiciously closed their front door behind him after loading our bags and joined me in the sala.

As I was wondering why I wasn't hearing my son's usual noises (or the other's shrieks, calls, praises and reprimands that usually follow him), we all heard crying. I thought my son had a fall at MIL's cluttered room when SIL came running out of the bedroom, shouting Yakee was outside.

Pappie got a scared look in his eyes as he ran to open the door. Poor Yakee was crying for Mommy while banging on the door, and his voice when he called out to his father was pure fear and misery.

I couldn't help but laugh a little but later on, I did shed some tears for what my son must have felt. Even Yaya cried for the poor baby who was upset too much, he immediately nursed and slept. SIL and I both voiced out that at least we know he knows to go looking for his caregivers. But Pappie was hugely upset by the incident (maybe that's why I wasn't, as some sort of balancing thingie) that he became very masungit and cannot even be engaged in conversations hours after. He was THAT bothered.

My son was missing for some 5-10 minutes, more than enough time to have been kidnapped, run over by a car or bitten by a dog (and most suspect that he did go visit the neighbor's dog and only came back after realizing that nobody was with him). So I can understand why my husband's blood must still be running cold till now, or that his heart hasn't resumed beating.

Thank God and guardian angels that Yakee remained safe.