Take . Two

Some people, when they travel, prefer to visit new destinations every time, ticking places off their list.

I do like to explore the new but for me places are not only about visual beauty or interest, they are about connections. Thus I love to return to special places - where I have had the opportunity to get to know people and have lived a ‘local’s life’. 

Sometimes though returning to places can be for other reasons.

Today we returned to a house we had stayed in as a family ten years ago. At that time our boys were five and four. 

Our boys particularly wanted to return as the house had very strong memories for them. 

On the first night of that stay, an incident occurred that had an impact on all of us.

My husband was overseeing the barbecue outside, with our boys directed to stay on the nearby lawn. I prepared things in the kitchen.

We were excited to be staying. The house had an incredible view, perched on a rocky outcrop surrounded by water on three sides. The other side had a train line which was used morning and night for goods delivery. There was no fence between the house and the train line (about 20m away) so we had warned our boys about not going near the track.

At some stage during the dinner preparation we noticed that the boys weren’t around. We called them. They didn’t come or respond. We called again. No answer. 

Without wanting to think or voice the worst, we knew that there were two dangerous factors nearby: the water and the the open train track (with a train due within the next half hour or so).

Fear and dread rose in us as we called and searched. I couldn't understand why our boys didn't respond. Couldn’t they hear us?

I feel for all parents who have lost a child. That fear of not knowing where your child is; hoping that all would be okay, while trying not to think of the worst. A mixture of thoughts and emotions. As each minute passes the panic increases. The calm and rational exterior starts to crumble and desperation begins to show itself.

We called and called. No answer. It was a horrible time.

Some twenty minutes after we had noticed them missing, my husband found our boys walking and exploring on the rocks quite a distance from the house. He yelled out to me - gifting me with pure relief. 

We were very lucky that day. All that had happened was that our curious and adventurous boys had gone exploring a lot further than they had realised. Our dinner had been left and was burnt but that didn’t matter, our boys were safe. 

Returning today our boys wanted to explore the train track (now unused) and the rocks they had walked. My husband and I joined them and found that revisiting this place, talking about that time, listening to each other’s views and feelings of that incident have helped to heal the memory. And so for us as a family, it has been well worth the trip.