Sequin Boy and Cindy - Lost Child Excerpt

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0085M3BZ6
The Sheriff says, "The good news is we've dredged the river up and down stream for half a mile and no sign of little Timmy." The bad news is that a black bear and her two little ones have been spotted in the area. It's going to start to get dark soon. If we don't find Timmy in the next few hours, we are going to have to call off the search until daylight and I don't know what the hell we are going to do with all the volunteers that keep piling in to join the search, some from as far away as upstate. There must be a thousand people here. They have no camping gear and no food and we have no accommodations for them except I can house about ten in our jail, which is empty because I let the drunks out to help search for Timmy.

When Cindy hears about the black bears she starts to sob again. She says, "I can't keep Amy out in this mess any longer-a light drizzle has started to fall-she's tired and hungry. I'm going home. Billy, don't you come back without my Timmy, do you hear me?"

I just nod wearily. This thing is really starting to take a toll on me.
When Cindy gets home she goes to the kitchen to make Amy something to eat. Then she hears the front door open and she runs into the living room thinking its Billy. Standing in the hall looking a little bedraggled and dirty is Timmy. She runs over to him and picks him up and hugs him.

"Timmy where were you? We were so worried. We have everyone out searching for you."

"Sorry Mommy. I woke up early because I had to pee. That hot chocolate you made us was great. Dad and I finished all of it while he told me stories about the White Buffalo and my Ancestors. When I went outside I saw a deer. I started to follow it. Then I got a little lost. Then I got sleepy so I lay down to take a nap. I had a dream that the White Buffalo came to visit me. An Ancestor on a White Horse rode over on a big cloud and said, `go home,' and pointed the way so I did. My Ancestor has different colored sequins on his bow and arrow. Why is that, Mommy? Walking home I saw the cutest little black bear. He yelped at me, but I didn't stop because you told me never to talk to strange people or animals. Looked just like the brown stuffed bear that Daddy got me. Can I try to catch it tomorrow and make the bear into a pet?"

The nanny says that's when Cindy really lost it. Took her five minutes to calm down enough to call me to come home because Timmy has miraculously appeared. I come back with the sheriff who said we should keep that kid on a leash. I agree. After seeing that Timmy is all right I go outside to thank the crowd of volunteers who have gathered holding Timmy in my arms, but not before Cindy cleans up Timmy's dirty cheeks and skinned knees. The volunteers give him a big cheer and start on their way home, or out to dinner if they can find anything left to eat in town, but not before I make a short speech about how grateful I am that so many people cared enough to come out and search for my son. Then I start to cry.
When we come back inside, Cindy says, "If you ever tell Timmy or Amy any more stories about your Ancestors I'm going to give you a White Buffalo that you will never forget." Then she punches me in the stomach as hard as she can with her good hand.

After I stop coughing I say, "Think what you want. The White Buffalo and my Ancestors showed Timmy the way home. Can I have some dinner? I'm starving."

Cindy says, "No."

It takes Cindy the better part of a week before she speaks to me again in more than one word sentences, which for the most part are "no" or "dummy" or "idiot." She refuses to let Timmy out of the house for the entire time, and when he finally does go out it is with Cindy holding his hand.

Timmy says, "What did I do?"

Like father, like son, I guess.

I feel like an idiot standing here scratching my head and looking at my son in wonderment, but in the final analysis I guess it's all about friends and family and even strangers banding together to help you find yourself when you're lost. If that includes White Buffalos and Ancestors riding on White Horses with colorful sequin feathers on their bows and arrows pointing the way home so be it. The real question in my mind is how did little Timmy have the intuition to recognize his Ancestors? Must be something in the genes, some instinct that God instills us with, that helps us find our way home to the people we love. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0085M3BZ6