The police had to take care of a three-year-old girl who came walking alone in the Høyda area in Moss in the early hours of Thursday. Eventually, her father appeared.
According to Moss Avis, there was a man on his way to work who reported the case a little before 04:30am.
– “She didn’t seem to be scared, she showed no fear. She was simply not so talkative so early in the morning,” says Terje Marstad in the Eastern police district.
The child was only wearing shorts and a T-shirt, and was barefoot. The police tried to get her to show them to the house where she lives, but did not succeed. Fortunately, her father showed up after a while.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
On the bus going up the hill to the Rælingen rådhus/city hall, I saw a toddler walking down the hill alone some months ago. I should have gotten off the bus and checked on him. Another passenger had seen him and was also concerned, so on her cellphone we called the Politi and they said they would check. As far as I know, no child was reported missing, so I assume a parent realized he was gone and retrieved him, but I still wish I had gotten off the bus at that very next stop to make sure.
7 years ago, I had an apartment interview appointment in Rælingen, and I thought I could walk and it was looking like I was going to be late. As I walked past the supermarket up on the high road, here is this *little* girl maybe 2.5 alone out in the street!
So I invited her off the street and asked her to point to where her mamma lived. She didn’t trust me 🙂 and started in the direction of the supermarket which was closed, it being Sunday, but I got in her way so she wouldn’t stray farther which she didn’t like.
Down the hill about 3 houses, a front door suddenly flew open and a FRANTIC young mom rushed out, looked in all directions, came running, and effusively thanked me for detaining her little girl. 🙂
Back in Juneau Alaska now 40 years ago, I was baby-sitting my 1.5 year old older son while my first wife was off at symphony orchestra practice and his older sister was at a friend’s. I was watching TV and realized it was his bedtime, but he wasn’t in the living room so I went back in our 3-bedroom duplex to find him. NO little boy, and I checked EVERYWHERE, even the hatch to underneath the house which there was no way he could have raised and opened. He would have had to have gone past me to get out the front or kitchen doors … to go outside and play with the frequent BEARS/bjørner … but I COULD NOT find him.
The TOTAL INSTINCTIVE VISCERAL PANIC a parent feels when a child is missing cannot be described, and I was about to call the Alaska State Troopers! when I remembered that the new drawers under the kids’ beds didn’t go all the way back to the wall leaving about a foot/30cms space.
And there he was! SOUND asleep on the comfortable shag rug. And then I had to drag him out of there to change his diaper and put him to bed, and he was just as surly as a badger being dragged out of his burrow. :-/ 🙂
And about 7 years ago, I LOST my 2 year old younger daughter in the Billand airport after our wonderful trip to Legoland. She was right next to me, I paused to talk to a couple of people, and when I turned back toward her, she was GONE.
I went up and down the airport hallway looking in the waiting areas and everywhere, imagining her taken aboard a plane to … another country. I soon gave up and contacted the airport administration, and they said not to worry – it happened all the time – and went on the loudspeaker. A couple minutes later, they told me she was found and down the far hallway, and I RACED down there, but didn’t find her … but as I walked back someone motioned to me and there she was curled up on the hard bare floor, whimpering.
She doesn’t get lost so easily, now: she’s a Norwegian (girl) Scout … who has just been out on a major canoe trip which she enjoyed IMMENSELY. 🙂
So I feel for the father of that 3 year old and share his thanks to whomever found her.