121027 ¡Perdido!

That was the title of an episode in a telenovela I once watched. I thought the characters had exaggerated their panic. I don't know how I looked on the outside last night, but believe me, the inside panic was all there.

Have I told anyone lately that I live in the 7th largest city in the United States? Yep. It covers a bit of territory, and people are everywhere in it. At lunchtime, I left my 14yo in Hemisphere Park, which had been the site of the 1968 World's Fair. (I was there!) It still includes the Tower of the Americas, green spaces, and many pavilions. The park sits a few blocks from the Alamo and near the center of downtown with all its one-way streets and confusing traffic patterns. I gave her strict instructions to meet me at 8pm at the bus stop in front of the Henry B. Gonzalas Convention Center and to send me regular text messages.

The text messages consisted of one. After which, she didn't answer her phone. I circled the park several times. The young people had picked the wrong place and time to have their little costume party. Oktoberfest happened right next to the little gazebo they were using for the cosplay. On the plus side, she was dressed head to toe in bright red. After praying on the phone with my minister. he told me to contact the police. I did. A bicycle officer found me at the entrance, and three patrol cars circled the park.

I was shaking and could barely talk. This whole ordeal lasted two hours. It seemed like all night.

Her phone had died. Instead of calling me on another phone, she just waited. She went to the Convention Center and sat on the steps instead of at the bus stop, where I could have seen her. Because of the typical San Antonio nighttime activities, not to mention Oktoberfest, there was no parking. I had to keep circling Hemisphere Plaza. I put about 40 miles on my car just driving around the block!

Now, I feel as if I had overreacted. She was OK, and thought she was doing what I told her to do. Now what? I grounded her for not keeping her phone charged. She finds this all quite amusing. Moon and I cried our eyes out. *sigh* Teens.