One City One Story 2016 Writing Contest: \u201cA Vivid Memory\u201d<\/p>\n
1st<\/sup> place<\/p>\n Category 2: Grades 6-8<\/p>\n \u201cLost and Found\u201d<\/p>\n by Kaitlyn Chiu<\/p>\n Grade 7<\/p>\n Oak Avenue Intermediate School<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I walk leisurely down the street, taking my time. The vibrant flowers around me catch my attention as if they are calling me over to admire their beauty. I smile and marvel at what a lovely day it is with the sky clear and blue. I kneel down in front of the flowerbeds and take out my phone to focus on a bumble bee sipping nectar from a bubblegum pink camellia. After capturing a few more photos, I suddenly remember that my first day of work starts in fifteen minutes! I groan and shove my phone back into my pocket. Instead of the stress free stroll I was planning on, I have to jog to the Santa Anita Mall a few minutes away from my house.<\/p>\n I\u2019m out of breath when I finally arrive. The back of my shirt is stained with sweat and my cheeks are flushed. I grab my name tag and walk into a room that\u2019s labeled: Employees Only. I remember walking into this same store as a child. Now, here I am working at my first part-time job.<\/p>\n A few hours pass by and I look down at my watch. Twelve more minutes until my break. Just as my shift ends, I notice a little girl who looks about five years old wandering down an aisle. Her eyes are wide and red, and she looks as if she\u2019s about to cry. As I walk up to her, she stares back at me, petrified.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry,\u201d I say. \u201cAre you lost?\u201d<\/p>\n She nods and rubs her eyes as if she\u2019s tired. \u201cWhere\u2019s my mommy?\u201d she whimpers.<\/p>\n Taking her hand, I lead her to the front of the store. She reminds me of one of the best (yet scariest) vacations of my life.<\/p>\n In the summer of 2008, my family took a trip to San Francisco, CA. Starting with the six-hour drive; I was stoked to explore new places. As we passed through Southern and Central California, I marveled at the endless hills that seemed to go on into the horizon. When we finally arrived, I couldn\u2019t help but stop to check out everything. Even on the side of the road, I would pause and admire the simplest things. I would bend down and look at the pictures on the newspapers that were stacked on the sidewalk, and then run to catch up with my family. I felt safe knowing that my mom would stay in sight.<\/p>\n The next day, we headed to Muir Woods National Monument, a national forest in San Francisco, CA. Even before we got into the forest, I had already taken many pictures of smiling ants, the traffic lights, and even my own shoes with the small camera I was given. My mom\u2019s siblings\u2019 families joined us that day. All twelve of us happily explored the national forest. The younger kids followed our college-age cousins everywhere while the parents casually strolled a few steps behind. The redwood trees towered over us like a thick canopy. The trees were so dense and tall, that they hardly let any sunlight through. Our hands barely connected when we put our arms out, trying to have a group hug around the trunk.<\/p>\n On our way out of the park, we all stopped by the gift shop to look for some souvenirs. I spent a long time debating which would be the best choice because I wanted it to be special and meaningful. I finally narrowed down my choices to two items. I brought my choices to my mom and asked for her opinion. She told me to decide on one thing I really liked because everyone was almost done. After I had made my decision, I walked around the store to look for my mom. \u201cMommy?\u201d I mouthed. I stood on the tip of my toes trying to see over the display cases. After searching the whole store, I could not find anyone! I felt my heart sink. In disbelief I thought to myself, They couldn\u2019t have left me here. <\/em>I wandered around, hoping that they would come back.<\/p>\n I ended up waiting for what seemed like hours before I finally gave up. I started to think of all the things that could go wrong. My eyes watered at the thought of being left alone without my family.<\/p>\n I continued walking around the small gift shop, pretending to be looking for a specific item that I wanted so that no one would question why I was alone. My heart was racing out of my chest. I finally decided to go ask for help from one of the employees. While I was waiting for her to finish with another customer, I stared at the door, praying that my parents would come in looking for me. Just as I felt that I couldn\u2019t hold in my tears any longer, my dad stormed into the shop with my mom and uncle following behind him. My dad scooped me up without a word and held me tight. I started bawling. I couldn\u2019t hold my tears any longer, tears of relief, too. I knew the feeling of being left behind and alone, and I never wanted to experience it again.<\/p>\n The little girl tugs at my shirt as I call for my manager. \u201cWhere\u2019s my mommy?\u201d she whispers again in between hiccups.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to call her, don\u2019t worry,\u201d I reply.<\/p>\n She nods and looks around the store longingly. I see her eyes widen as she starts running towards the woman approaching our way. Her smile was as if her Christmas wish came true.<\/p>\n Lost, but found.<\/p>\n Be sure to also view Kaitlyn’s award winning artwork by the same title<\/a>!<\/p>\n
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