In retrospect I know that this was around the time of the home invasions that were taking place in our region by Russell Williams - who was doing a series of home invasions on single women and assaulting them, eventually progressing to killing two women. Fortunately the sick bastard is rotting in jail now. But back then, I don't even think we knew that it was going on or that there was a sicko in the community preying on single women - the police did but they hadn't made that info public yet. Regardless, my mother was beside herself with worry that night...because she couldn't reach her then 40 year old daughter....Yes, this is true...this actually happened. I can laugh about it now but at the time, not so much. Perhaps I can finally top this story with the incident that happened last night.
So I need to give a bit of background info to explain the scenario.
Once a year I teach a professional development course for the Ontario Museum Association. They send me to a different location each time. This year I was in Toronto.
Since I was going west I booked a few days extra off my regular job and took the opportunity to visit my family . My parents/family all live past Toronto in Niagara region. This is about an 1.5 hour drive south west of Toronto so I was able visit them and leave my dog with them to care for while I was in the city for the course. Before I left them for Toronto I had a brief visit with my sister, who I really don't get to see often enough. We made arrangements to met up at the Niagara Chapters Bookstore and Starbucks on my way back to my parents after my course had wrapped on Friday night. I told my parents these plans on Monday night, before I left to go to the city.
The course ended Friday at 5 pm. I spent about an hour chatting with colleagues, packing up my supplies and loading my car. By 6 pm I was ready to get on the road but really didn't want to face the rush hour on the highways. I told my parents this timing before I left and indicated that I would grab a bite to eat and wait a bit before getting on the roads.
I went to IKEA, had a nice little shopping experience in their housewares section (always my favourite part). We don't have an IKEA in Belleville so it was an enjoyable way to pass a bit of time. I had dinner in their restaurant, paid for my purchase and went back to my car. I texted my sister my estimated time of arrival at chapters/starbucks and got on the highway.
I met up with my sister about 8:45, we browsed the bookstore and then sat out on the patio sipping chai lattes and chatting. We lost track of time and before we knew it it was 11:30 pm . We got in our cars and started to drive away when suddenly my sister pulled over her car and flagged me down. Her partner, Sam, had called her as she was pulling out of the parking lot. She said "Call mom immediately... they've been looking for you. They've called the POLICE."
WTF?
Somehow a giant miscommunication happened. Either that or my mother is completely losing her mind. My mother did not remember me telling her I was going out with my sister after my course. She says I was to have been home at 6:30 for dinner. I can honestly tell you we never discussed dinner - it was physically impossible for me to be home at that time.
When I didn't arrive home they called the hotel I was staying at. I checked out at 8:36 this morning - the last record anybody had of me. They tried my cell phone - it just said the customer is not available - they must of had the wrong number - I have to look into this still - as my phone was on and never rang once and furthermore, I have voice mail. My mother decided, against my father's wishes, to call the Police.
The Ontario Provincial police looked up my license plate to see if I'd been involved in a traffic accident and when they found nothing they told her to call the Toronto Police. The Toronto Police had nothing. They told her to call the Niagara Police - they decided that they would come out and take a MISSING PERSONS report on me.
That was when my mother called my sister's house - because she couldn't bear to file a missing person's report without somebody else with her - since in my mother's words later "Your Father was being an asshole and telling me I was being paranoid." she was in HYSTERICS by this point. Of course, my BIL new exactly where I was and contacted my sister immediately.
So at 11:45 last night I was on my cell phone on the side of a busy road talking to my mother who was freaking out, sobbing and unable to even communicate. I was home 15 minutes later. By then my Dad had called off the police - they still did a report - I had to tell them exactly where I was so they could finish it off.
When I got home Mother was still sobbing. At first she clutched me to her, hugging me. Then she pushed me away and actually turned her back on me and faced the corner by the door, resting her head against the wall and sobbing even more. She couldn't look at me. She was overwrought but also I think a trifle embarrassed. I was up with her until 2:30 am trying to calm her down.
I said to her "Mom, when I can't find you for 4 or 5 hours I don't call the police." She said that this was different. Why? Because she had a bad feeling. Because she thought I was coming home for dinner and then didn't. Because that was not at all like me to do something like that and not be where I said I would be. Because I am precious to her and she couldn't bear it if something had happened to me. Because the traffic in toronto is insane and you always hear about terrible accidents. I could go on and on and on with her rationale.
I am still reeling from it all.
