A bad memory

Have you ever been lost in a city a thousand of miles away from your home with no one there to comfort you, protect you or help you find your way to safety? It is the worst feeling in the world. When I was eight, I went to visit my cousins in New Jersey, which I did every summer. I got lost in Margate, their hometown. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was at the beach, two blocks away from my cousin’s house, and I overheard my aunt, mom, and my aunt’s friend talking about how my cousins went back to their house. I got the idea into my head that I would try and catch up with them. I walked for about fifteen minutes. I started to feel that I had missed their house and started to get scared. I kept walking. I’m not really sure why I didn’t turn around and go back to the beach. I ran into an old man watering his lawn. I asked him if he knew where my cousins lived. When he didn’t answer me and then just went back into his house. Then I started to get really scared and lonely. Looking back on it, I’m not sure if there was a man there or if I just envisioned person that looked like my grandfather, who is a very warm and comforting presence for me. I decided that it was time to turn around and go back toward the beach. I didn’t want to pass by the old man’s house again so I went a couple blocks to the right then back toward the beach. When I got closer there, I realized that even if I got to the beach I wouldn’t know which section of the beach we were at. I was about to go to the lifeguard of the beach section I was on, but I heard someone calling my name. As I turned around, I saw my aunt’s friend and I suddenly burst into tears and all the loneliness I was feeling suddenly vanished as I embraced her. Even though now I don’t even remember her name, I still think about what would’ve happen if she hadn’t have missed her bus home to try and find me. She must have called my parents, but I was so happy I don’t remember what was going on, but all I saw was my mom running towards me. I gave her and my dad a huge hug. I got into my aunt’s car and they took me to her house. I heard my mom say to me, “I’m never letting you out of my sight again.”