Boy Meets Ai

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Then

A five year old Seiko sat in a plastic chair. His feet dangled above the linoleum of the security office. He'd been there for a few hours now, holding his stuffed stegosaurus, waiting for a grownup to come back into the room. They had stopped calling his name over the PA system in the Supermarket at this point. The security guard shuffled back into the office sighing heavily.

"Nothing yet kiddo but don't worry. Your mom is probably trying her hardest to find you right now."

Seiko didn't respond. She said she would be back in just a second, but the little boy hadn't seen his mother for so long now. Fear gripped hold of his little heart. Did something happen? Did he do something wrong?

Another hour passed and Seiko watched as the last of the customers shuffled out of the store.

His stomach grumbled as he rubbed the sleepiness out of his eyes. He hadn't eaten since breakfast. The guard was making phone calls at his desk, every once in a while, glancing up at Seiko and shaking his head.

"Yeah... same one from last week. Ok, I'll let him know. Thanks." The man whispered.

He finished up the phone call then walked over to the little boy. Crouching down to be eye level with him, the guard had a painful smile on his face.

"So, we think your mom may not be coming back today kiddo. I'm really sorry, but there are some nice people that are going to come and take you to get some food."

Just as he said that, the office door swung open, slamming into the wall. Seiko jumped. It was his mother. She had a strange look on her face. It was somewhere between anger and embarrassment. The small room was quickly filled with shouting between the two adults. Accusations and threats flew around the space, echoing off the walls. It scared Seiko and hurt his ears. His mom quickly picked him up. She patted his head and hurried out of the store. They walked for quite some time, his mother holding him tightly. It was warm and he was so tired from a long day. Seiko felt himself drifting off.

When he woke, he wasn't home in his bed. Instead, he found himself in a booth. It was dark outside. The diner his mother had taken him to smelled like syrup and bacon. He could see her at the counter, seated next to a scruffy looking man. She was laughing. Seiko slid out of the booth and walked over to his mom. She scooped him up into her lap and the warm smell of her wool sweater comforted him.

"Hey there sleepy head. Want some pancakes?" Seiko nodded, eyeing the stranger.

"I met a new friend. Come say hi."

The man waved at Seiko, but the boy was wary of him. He hid his face in his mother's arms.

"Don't be shy kiddo. We can all be friends. It's good to meet new people, right?" His mother cooed as she kissed his forehead. He just smiled and nodded. Seiko came to dislike the taste of pancakes.