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Thursday 11 October 2007

Running away from home.....

This week's question from David (Authorblog) is:

As a child, did you ever consider running away from home?

If you want to join in here's David's instructions.
Please answer today's question on your own blog, any time until next weekend. Just link to this bog (or to this post) so I can follow the progress of the discussion.



I remember vividly when I was about 10 my mum sending me on an errand. She gave me a pound note (ah those were the days!) to go and get some items from the local shop. My middle brother (aged 5) wanted to come with me so I got out the 'guider' (which probably most of you will call a soapbox car) that Dad had made for us out of a couple of crates and some wheels off an old pram and sat brother in it to pull him to the shop.


We had great fun on the way, I took the long way round so we could hurtle down some steep hills together and took much longer than I should have . When we arrived at the shop I tied the guider up to the drainpipe, lifted brother out and took him by the hand into the shop. I took the shopping list out of my pocket but I couldn't find the £1 note!


Oh I can't tell you how sick I felt - I'd lost it, a whole pound. My heart was racing, I was sweating and crying. I quickly put brother back in the guider and retraced my journey but I didn't find the pound. That was when I considered running away from home, it had to be preferable to going home and telling Mum I'd lost the money. A pound was a lot of money and Mum and Dad couldn't afford to lose it - I may as well be dead! I soon realised that running away wasn't really an option, I had brother with me and I had to take him home. I cried all the way home and was in such a state when I arrived that Mum thought I'd been molested or something.


I explained through coughing sobs with tears and snot running down my face that I'd lost the money. Mum was upset but she was just thankful that was the reason I was crying and not that I'd been hurt. It was a while before I was trusted with so much money again but I was ever careful after that and kept the money in my hand.

27 comments:

Cindy said...

hmmm, I still occasionally consider running away...

Pam said...

i was too much of a 'good girl' to even THINK about running away lol but then i never really had a reason to...my life was much easier back then *sigh*

great story though!

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

oh what a sweet little story honey! i can just see you all snotty and sobbing...

smiles, bee

Flowerpot said...

I don't remember runing away but my youngest brother was always disappearing - usually ended up in the police station!

buffalodick said...

I never considered running away from home when I was a kid. In fact, the only time I ever thought about running away from home was when my first houses' morgage payment was due.....:)

TopChamp said...

I ran away loads of times when I was little but only once at all seriously... I might do this one at the weekend.

I can imagine how scared you were. At least you owned up. I was a real little liar.

Akelamalu said...

Oh Cindy m'dear. x

I had a happy childhood Ciara but I was so scared when I lost that money!

Not a pretty sight Bee!

LOL was your brother a bit of a 'one' flowerpot?

Mortgage payments can make you think of packing your bags Buffalodickdy.

Can't wait to read yours topchamp.

Gledwood said...

There was a little girl I used to walk to school with... last I saw of her was on the BBC 9 o'clock news ... she was in prison! On a special programme for addicts...

Anyhow, I remember another girl in our class lost £5 and this other girl (who turned into the addict) was "helping her look"...

Only years later did I twig this 2nd girl had almost certainly taken the £ in the 1st place! (That was her down to a tee.)

As for running away from home, I was going to run away from my Mum's house once as I didn't get on with my stepdad but the welfare officer said I didn't have to see them before it came to that...

Gledwood said...

I haven't gone near any tobacco tins...

someone sent me a link of what that stuff does to you in excess

it's at the bottom of my today's post, you just pass the mouse over the pictures they magically transform

THAT is why i don't touch that stuff unless it's free!

CG said...

Like Cindy; I sometimes still think of running away! But your troubles go with you...! I can identify with your awful feeling when you lost that money sweetie!

Lo Kelween said...

if i were in such case, Aunty Lucy might as well disown me...LOL! :)

Linda said...

Once when I was a little girl in Florida I told my mother that I was going to walk back to Connecticut to be with my grandfather because I missed him and didn't like it where we were.

It was dark out but I still packed a small suitcase and headed out the door. I think my mother let me get a little ways up the road before I decided to turn around and come home! Being only four years old or so I had no idea what a walk to Connecticut from Florida would have been like.

That's the only time I can remember ever wanting to run away, though I now I want to run away all the time!!

Mimi Lenox said...

What a tender story. You told it well.

david mcmahon said...

You have the gift of communication. That was beautifully told. We felt it all.

Hmmmm, a pound lost in an afternoon - isn't that what diets promise?

Linda said...

Once you've found your way back home, I've left you an award over on my page! Hope you enjoy it!

Lo Kelween said...

btw, i thought you will be in Rome? :) have a wonderful vacation! :)

CS said...

Good story - glad your mother wasn't too mad at you. I still consder running away from home. Actually, what I'd prefer is for everyone else in the house to run away!

RUTH said...

Such memories, soap box cars and £1 NOTES! Used to be able to buy so much with a £1. When Manda was a teenager and was going into town Mick gave her a tenner and said to get a quarter of a pound of garlic roule...he explained that it would be 4 ounces. When she came she had no change....she'd bought 4lbs!!!
Rx

Catch said...

good post Sweety, and Im sure Mum was just glad you were ok....the only place I ever considered running to was my Grandmas! lol..there are times now though when I consider running away! lol

Elaine Denning said...

I don't think I ever considered running away when I was little, but that changed when I became an adult. There are still times I feel like packing a bag and getting on a train to anywhere but here!

Akelamalu said...

That must have been a shock Gleds seeing that girl on the telly in prison! Glad to hear you're not picking up any stray tobacco tins!

Ah yes CG it's not easy to escape your troubles when you get older.

I don't think Aunt Lucy would ever disown you Elween. Me, Rome? I wish! Whatever gave you that idea?

I can just see you dragging that suitcase up the road Linda. Another award for moi? I'll be right over! :)

Thanks Mimi

Thankyou David. I wouldn't mind losing a few pounds in an afternoon, I just wish it was that easy! :(

Ah but you know you'd miss them CS. :)

4lbs of Garlic Roule? No chance of any vampires getting in your house then Ruth! :)

Yes Mum was relieved I wasn't hurt Catch, but it was a while before she trusted me to do any errands!

It's interesting how many people want to run away as they get older isn't it Miss U?

the rotten correspondent said...

You know, when you're afraid to go home it doesn't get much worse than that.

Smalltown RN said...

I love reading your stories....they remind me of stories my mum would tell us...it brings back such wonderful memories for me thinking of my mum's time growing up in England. I love some of the words you use...again my mum use to use some of your phrases which of course if I use them here people think I am daft...it's to funny....my mum was full of saying and one liners and nursery rhyhmes....great story thankyou for sharing...

katie eggeman said...

Once I decided to run away from home and got as far as packing some toys in a little dolly trunk, but since not much would fit I decided not to do it and stay with my toys.

Akelamalu said...

You're right there correspondent!

I'm glad my stories bring back nice memories for you smalltown rn x

LOL, no point in running away if you can't take all your toys with you is there bankerchick? :)

TopChamp said...

decided against posting as I'd be bound to upset my parents. Sorry x

Akelamalu said...

No point in upsetting anyone Topchamp x