Prosaic Poppy 2005-2006

All in Day

Today was shaping up to be a nice, busy, yet normal day. I had come to work prepared, which says a lot.

I remembered to bring with me the cool red stapler I had ordered.
My clothes matched, and I had somehow received the "memo" on today's colors. Everyone was wearing black and white, including myself.
I had a nice cup of Irish Creme coffee, freshly brewed.
I brought my breakfast and lunch.
I was settled to get to work, and nothing was going to stop me.

Nothing could go wrong.

I decided at about 9:40 AM to give Caleb a quick call to find out how his morning was going. I half didn't expect him to pick up the phone, because Snoog was due to be at school in 20 minutes.

He did pick up.

And that is when my world went black.

I was met with his panic-stricken voice with the words that struck fear in my heart the moment they made sense: I can't find Kimi.

Mind you...I have heard and experienced this before. Kimi has a habit of finding the most inopportune time to hide, and she remains very very quiet.

But today was different. Today I was 30 miles away, with no control, no ability, and no way to rationalize. All of my fears about going back to work came tumbling down on me...I had abandoned my baby, and she is gone, and she needs me, and I'm far away...

So I did the only thing I could do, and I called 911.

It was probably the most infuriating and desperate 2 minutes of my life...I had to be transferred, lost connection, and then called again...pleading for the dispatch to just get it right...to hurry...to send help because my husband was literally falling apart and my daughter was missing.

Every scenario that could possibly occur was running through my head like and IMAX theatre gone terribly wrong. Around and around the nightmare continued and intensified my feeling of helplessness.

My co-workers, bless them, were very kind...understanding. Immediately I was ushered away and informed that I was being driven home by one of my bosses. Good thing, because my hands were shaking so bad...I'm sure I'd have broken every law possible to get home, ending me up in the hospital.

It was in my bosses car that I started praying. And then I called Caleb again...to find out if the police had arrived. He, with much relief in his voice informed me that he had found her in the hall closet hiding behind the jackets and shoes.

I finally exhaled.

I was going to go to Sally's Beauty supply to buy some hair dye to either lighten or darken my hair...to hide the garden of white hairs that I have been cultivating over the past year...I think instead I'll just bleach my hair white and get it over with.

posted by Kassi Gilbert @ 5:56 PM