Lost and Found
15
Have you ever lived 2 years in a foreign country because of your father’s job? It was very hard for me…very hard. I was 4 years old, didn’t know Dutch and had to go to school. Yes it’s true. When we were living in the Netherlands children had to start school when they are 4 years old. I had one Turkish classmate but in school it was forbidden to speak a language different from Dutch. The funniest thing was my teacher thought I knew English very well, so she always spoke to me in English. I didn’t. I barely understood her in English or Dutch. I was only able to tell her simple things like “I am thirsty.” Mom taught me those sentences. Anyway, I’ve remembered very few things about my life in the Netherlands but this story is different. This is the story that I remembered completely.
My mom is a little bit a shopaholic woman . She loves shopping a lot but I don’t like shopping. I think it is very boring. Trying on new clothes even you won’t buy any of them… Nonsense… We are like different poles in the compass.
One day we went to a shopping center in Rotterdam. As usual my mom started looking all of the clothes in the mall one by one. I was bored, again. I thought that my mother was shopping for hours. I told her: “I want to go home!” She promised me that we will return home after going to her fa vorite shop: Zara. At last she decided to buy a dress. I was really bored that I didn’t want to go with her to the payment point. I said: “I am going to wait here for you. I don’t want to come with you.” She told me to stay where I am standing. It seemed to me I have waited her for a very long time. Then I decided to go to the payment point and find her. The Zara store had two floors. I couldn’t find her on the first floor. I thought the payment point was in the basement. I went to the basement. I looked every inch of the basement but I couldn’t find her. I couldn’t find my mom! My heart started to beat like it is going to explode. I could feel my heartbeat in my throat. I got goose bumps, my hands started to tremble. I tried to find her everywhere. I couldn’t stop the tears coming from my eyes. Then a black woman realized me, a lonely child who was sobbing in Zara. She was short, a little bit plump. She was trying to tell me something in Dutch. She touched me softly in a very caring way. My mouth was opened, looking her like she was my last hope to find my mom. My inside voice said to me: “Who is she? Who is she! You are just 4 years old. Don’t talk to the strangers. She could kidnap you and want ransom from your lost mom!” but I didn’t listen to my inside voice because the woman was my last hope. Then a sound started to came from speakers. I thought God was talking to me! Actually it was my mom saying in Turkish “Sarp I am at upstairs! Where are you? Then a death silence came to the store. My chest was going to explode. My heart started to beat like a dog after running in the park. I shouted “I am at the basement! Where are you?” My trembling voice was covered all over the shop. After that I walked to the stairs with the black woman. Then I saw her standing on the stairs. I saw my mom! I found her finally! I hugged her roughly, not allowing her to go. I hugged her again and again. I was the happiest child in the world. Then we left the shop, together.
After this event, I always walked next to my mom. It was a big lesson for me. I have never scared that much before. I am announcing to the little kids: “Don’t leave your mom or dad when you are outside especially when you’re in a foreign country!”
Sarp Kaptan