Getting Lost

Our parents or drivers would drop us off at some point in a business strip, and we would walk (miles some times) to our meeting destination. One time, I believe I was 3rd or 4th grade--my mom dropped me off at a strip there in St. Joseph, MI (I think this was before "territories" were established---so don't yell at me for selling in your spot ). Well, I did a few stores, and when I came out of one, I panicked because I didn't know where she went. I ended up at a pay phone in a restaurant vestibule, afraid to dial the "0". I didn't want to involve the police--they were mostly "after us", you know. BUT I was lost. So I called the operator. I was choking back tears and asked her "Do you have a thing where you look for people?" I laugh now when I think of how I asked that! "Honey, we're looking for a lot of people; is there something you need to tell me?", she asked. I burst out in tears "I CAN'T FIND MY MOM!!!" She talked me through the name of the restaurant, did I see a street sign?, and just talk to her until an officer arrived to help me. I was FREAKING OUT! AN OFFICER??!!! Oh, man, they're going to arrest me or my mom---maybe I should just bolt and take my chances on the street!I hung on to the phone anyway and waited for my doom,er, the policeman. I remembered we had parked in the parking lot of a mall, so I took the officer to where we had parked. He pulled up behind our car and read our license plate numbers over his radio. I panicked again---Oh, no! The plates are EXPIRED!! I knew he could catch me if I jumped out his door. I was trapped and going to prison now; I just knew it. Well, sometime after that, my mom walks out of the mall, looking around like she doesn't see the police car (expired plates, you know!) I crack up to this day seeing her face looking so innocent Well, it all worked out okay; no jail time for either of us. And then we drove off to sell candy in a different spot.