Lost in Franklin Mills : 31st August 2006

-
Today there was a trip organized for Wharton international students to go shopping at one of the malls out of town called "Franklin Mills". I'd been there once before with Sam but since I was nothing doing I thought I would go again. Franklin Mills is a maze, really really huge, like five times Game Store and some, so the time I went with Sam we didn't quite go all round. Of course I went with Mich, I happened to be the only black person and non student but it was okay.

We were told we had four hours to walk around or shop. It went well until five minutes to the time we were scheduled to get back to the bus. Mich had wondered off, at the start I thought he was in the Jessy Penny store, we had walked in earlier and played a little hide and seek among the rack of clothes. I walked around once, then twice, by the third time I was getting freaked, I couldn't see him. At this point I decided to let the guy at the counter know I was looking for my little boy. The shop was really huge I thought he could have run into an office or something. The guy asks for Mich's name and makes an announcement hoping that he would hear and come out, wa!. 
He then talks to one of the lady shop owners who helps make another search, now I'm thinking "just wait till I get my hands of you little boy". Anyway, Mich is nowhere and so she decided to alert police/ security who asked me to "describe what he was wearing", I couldn't believe I had to do that, never imagined I would have to be in such a situation.
At some point I had to call the guys in charge of the group to tell them I was running late because my son had wondered off, they said they'd wait twenty minutes, after twenty minutes there is no Mich. I call again and tell them they might have to go cause it looked like I was going to be much longer. They say they would have one person stay behind and help me get back, I appreciated that. Well forty five minutes later we get a call from security saying they found him just walking around but quite far away. They managed to track him using the video cameras' thank God for advanced tech and the efficiency and helpfulness of the security. That was a relief. I didn't know whether to slap him or hug him, but his smile when he saw me got the better of me, and everyone was so happy. 
I head out and guess what?! I find the whole team had decided to wait for me, that was awesome, and more to that some of the guys had gone to help with the search.

Phew!!!!!!!!! and I thought my stories were over.

Comments

Post a Comment

Hey! Thanks for dropping by :-)

Popular posts from this blog

Kitante Primary School Circa the 1980's

-
Image
In memory of A.D Ssozi the former headmaster of Kitante Primary School who breathed his last on March 19th 2014 at 5:45pm in Texas. He was 81 years old. May his soul rest in eternal peace. Kitante Primary School Emblem: Child between two parents Kitante Primary School anthem: "There's a school near the museum by the road side,   Oh come to the school of the world  No school is so dear to your child   Kitante is the best in the world.  Oh come come come come  Come to the school by the road side  Oh come to the school of the world  No school is so dear to your child  Kitante is the best in the world " The children sang loud when it came to the chorus:  "Oh come come come come COME to the school by the road side " - even those who didn't know the song well knew this part. School prayer: "Look at me Oh God As my heart silent all To you all I turn For all the sins that I have committed I beg to be forgiven Where I have been good I ask to be encour
Read more

The Peeping Petticoat

-
Image
Petticoats! Remember them? If you landed on this planet after the 90's you'll probably wonder what I refer to and no! it is not some fancy coat worn on top of a boob tube. Petticoats or half-slips are little nylon skirts worn as undergarments. Sound like the dark ages? Yeah, like who would wear extra clothes in the African heat? Probably explains why they were made of nylon and light cotton material. It was an essential item on every school girls shopping list next to Always and Vaseline. These skirts were everywhere; in suitcases, hanging up on a bathroom peg, sometimes they showed up on the clothes line outside; black and white - the two most preferred colors. We giggled when girls in primary six and seven begun to wear them - they were mature, things we studied in biology were taking place in their bodies.  Woe unto you if the elastic around the waist came loose or the lace on the hem came undone. It wasn't any of our business but when those little skirts pe
Read more

A spin through Heathrow airport

-
Image
You guys’, Heathrow airport is huge like this. It is oba the size of Soroti city ? You haven’t been to Soroti city? What’s your excuse? I will wait. If you have friends from Soroti and you’ve not visited their home… You know where I’m going with that, in fact, let me go there. My absence shouldn’t be an excuse for you not to visit my home, to check on my people. In fact, you my Ugandan friend should make the trip to Serere - check on my zeyi’s give me updates. Whoosh!!! I went deep there and no, I’m not joking. Okay back to the size of Heathrow airport. The surface area is like a combination of Soroti flying school, Soroti airport, Soroti sports field, Soroti rock, Soroti Nurses’ quarters…you know?! As in if you clear everything; buildings, trees, petrol stations… then add Soroti market, yup! Large area like this. Era at Heathrow airport, if your flight is at gate No. 62, get ready. You’ll take the elevator, get to the underground terminal, then you’ll take a train (okay
Read more