My Heart Stopped!

A few weeks ago, my son was at a party thrown by some of his classmates, in a section of Brooklyn that he didn’t know too well, and one where I would have preferred that he not be in.  That particular week was his father’s week. Now, I don’t have a problem with his father letting him go to this party.  After all, as much as I would like to keep both my kids locked up at home, I know that’s not realistic.  We can’t hold onto them forever and they have to learn to navigate the city, or else they won’t know how to function as adults. 

Around 10 pm, my son calls me to ask if I can order him an Uber because the local train wasn’t running (I don’t understand why this kid thinks I am his personal secretary, or why he thinks that Uber is free). My gut reaction was, “Why are you calling me?  You’re at your father’s.  Call him.”  After all, this is supposed to be my Mommy free week.  Or, at least as much as it can be.  Anyway, as I was telling him to take the bus or walk to the next train stop to catch the express train (its only a few blocks away – I know that area of Brooklyn better than he does), I suddenly hear, “Oh no Mommy” … and the phone went dead!  I called him immediately.  My call went straight to voice mail.  I call again.  The same thing happens.  After a while, I begin to worry.  I tend to have an overactive imagination.  In my mind, I have imagined that someone has jumped my son to either steal his cell phone or rob him of the little bit of money he has in his wallet.  Or worse, the cops rolled up on him.  If he had gotten jumped, they probably would have just taken his phone/money and beat him up.  If it were the cops, my 5’11’ black son could have been shot.  Unfortunately, in the world we live in today, those scenarios aren’t far-fetched.

I call my son again.  Again, I go straight to the voice mail.  When we were talking, he had told me where he was standing.  I checked the locater app that I made him download on his phone and he’s still in that same area.  I waited to see if he got on the bus.  The app would let me know if he was on the move.  Nope.  Nothing.  The app still shows him at the same location.  Now, I’m starting to panic, but I’m trying to keep it together.  I can’t just sit home.  So I get in my car to find him.  Thank God for technology!  I have the locater app and a GPS app on my phone.  I plug that baby up in the car and start driving.  After about fifteen minutes, I realize that I left my bat at home.  I meant to bring it, just in case I needed it.  I told myself that I would have to buy a spare bat and keep it in the car.  I start wondering how much damage the snow remover can do.  I have two in the back of the car.
​
Let me tell you.  My heart was pounding the whole time I was driving.  I was praying to God that my son was fine.  Every now and again I would check that location app and it had my son still at the same place.  I would call his phone and go straight to voice mail.  Finally, my son sent me a text.  He was fine.  He had gotten on the train and was already downtown waiting on his second train. You cannot imagine how relieved I was!!!  I thanked God that my son was safe, turned around, and went home after stopping at the store (I needed more tea. I figured that I may as well get it since I was already out.)  While I was driving home, my son called me and told me that his phone froze up and died on him.  That’s why he couldn’t call or text me back earlier.

Let me tell you, as a parent, there are going to be times when your kids will scare the crap out of you.  Sometimes they will do something stupid or crazy.  Other times, something may happen that is totally out of their control.  No matter what, you got to be ready to handle whatever the situation may be.  So, get ready, and …

Consider Yourself Warned! 

What have your kids done that scared you?