Where'd You Go?

Hide and Seek

"hey, Tyler wanna play hide and seek?"

"heck yeah man! I wanna hide first!"

"okaaayy fine"

I faced the tall birch tree in the front lawn to count.

"20, 19,18,17,16... uh.. 15"

I could hear rustling in the leaves behind me and what sounded like Tyler whining to wiggle his way into a hiding spot.

"10,9,8"

I heard what I thought was the neighbor's car door close

"5,4,3"

the sound of tires turning of the street and the leaves blowing around

"2,1"

"Ready or not here I come, Tyler!"

I took my face off of the tree and looked at the pile of raked up leaves that was a few feet away.

it looked like he tried to hide there and then abandoned the idea because it was partially dug out then it was all spread out on one side.

I turned and looked at the house, everything looked the same. maybe he hid in the backyard?

I peeked under the back porch, nothing.

Tyler was known to be a good climber, maybe he climbed up the trees?

I looked up all of the trees in the area, nothing.

"okay Tyler, I give up! where are you?"

no answer

"dangit Tyler it's been two hours already where are you?"

I sat down on the front cement steps and put my head in my hands. and waited.

next thing I knew was my mom knocking at the glass door behind me.

"Joshy dear its been four hours, its time to come inside and eat"

I looked everywhere! I even said I gave up! why hadn't he come out yet?

"mommy, I still havent found Tyler yet!"

"it's alright dear, come inside and Tyler will come out eventually"

she closed the door, leaving me out on the front steps.

"Tyler!". still no answer.

"I'm going inside to eat! come inside!"

I gave up and went inside to eat.

mom was at the island cutting carrots for salads.

"why won't Tyler come out dear?"

"I have no idea! but he won't come out" I whined.

"it's okay honey, you can get him back when you see him at school tomorrow," she said while putting some chicken on my plate.

but Tyler didn't show up to school the next day

he didn't show up for the rest of the 1st-grade year

he didn't show up in middle school.

"where'd you go, Tyler?"