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“Hoseokie did you have fun today?” the petite woman asked the beaming seven-year-old beside her. She watched with growing amusement as his eyes roamed, focusing on everything and anything he could see, trying to commit the memory in his young mind. The small child nodded his head eagerly, almost bouncing in his steps as they walked around the amusement park.

Even back then, young Hoseok already had a vague idea of their struggling financial situation. He couldn’t get as many toys as the other kids in kindergarten or pack all the yummy snacks his friends seemed to always have, but that was okay. His mom was always there to pick him up from school, and although she was starting to look a bit more tired and worn-out, they always finished the day together. A hug and a kiss good night that Hoseok would always look forward to.

Which then brought him to this very much appreciated and surprising trip to the amusement park. It was completely unexpected, a seemingly spontaneous outing that little Hoseok couldn’t for the life of him want to question why, but rather enjoy to the fullest instead.

It was a busy and jam-packed schedule they planned on sticking to. Starting from one end of the amusement park to circle back around and fully cover their bases. The mother and son pair were on a mission and they were determined to see it through.

They rode all sorts of rides together – small roller coasters, bumper cars, even the ginormous water slide ride that Hoseok barely cleared the minimum height requirement for.  It was definitely worth it, as proven by the few, still drying wet spots on his shirt, even an hour after the ride. A temporary memento that served as a reminder that he rode the ride front and center despite his mother’s (and the park employee’s) initial concerns.

“Hmm. I think we’re starting to tire out, how about a quick snack and a last ride at the merry-go-round before we head home?” his mom asked as she lifted him off the ground and placed him on her hip. Hoseok instinctively wound his arms over her shoulders and around her neck, trying to find that one comfy spot in between the junction of her neck and collar bones.

“I’m not really that hungry though Mama,” Hoseok nuzzled, a little bit sad and pouty that the super fun day just might be reaching its end.

Seeing the pout on her son’s face elicited a small chuckle from her, “Alright, alright. Let me just grab something really quick and we’ll keep going.” They walked to the candy store, conveniently located near the food court they were passing by – where other parents were struggling to persuade their own kids to take a couple more bites of the less than substantial park food before diving into their sugary confections.

Hoseok watched as his mom paid for the king-sized chocolate bar, already getting a little bit more excited when he realized it was his favorite one. No doubt about it, she was definitely going to share it with him later, his mom didn’t even like Snickers all that much.

With candy in one hand and Hoseok in the other, his mom guided them through the slowly diminishing crowd and to their last hoorah. The merry-go-round was their last ride in the self-proclaimed amusement park itinerary simply because it was one of the first rides to be seen when entering the park, and one of the last as they were leaving.

Hoseok waited for his mom to set her stuff down and was surprised that they weren’t going in line for the ride just yet.

“Hoseokie, mommy is feeling a little dizzy right now. I might just fly off that horse if I get on the ride right now,” his mom exaggerated, hand rising to her forehead as she imitated the dramatic faints Hoseok usually sees in the evening dramas they watch together. The comical display earned her a few well-deserved giggles from her son as he eventually relented to resting for a bit before going on the ride.

The woman observed her son as he began to play with her hands, kneading and massaging her palm in the way he knew she loved after particularly long days at work. She smiled sadly at the sweet child before her, praying that whatever god has turned its back on her, would turn to Hoseok instead.

“Do you want to play a game sweetheart?” she asked the loving boy, astoundingly mature for his age and so incredibly considerate at times that it made her eyes water thinking about it.

“Yeah!” Hoseok cheered, but the grin on his face faded slowly as he stared up at his mom. Tilting his head in the most endearing manner with concern evident on his face, “Is everything okay?”

His mom stuttered, breath hitching at for a moment before she nodded and managed another smile. “I’m okay sweetheart, just worried that you might be getting bored while waiting here.”

“I’m okay as long as I’m with you mama,” Hoseok responded and gave a little nod at the end for extra affirmation.

“Aww, what did I do to deserve such an adorable son,” she cooed at him, unable to resist the urge to cup his cheeks and planted a wet kiss to his forehead. The innocent laughter that followed resonated in her ears to the confines of her buried conscience, and disarmed her more than she thought it would.

“How about a game of hide and seek?” she suggested.

Hoseok perked up and nodded enthusiastically, “I wanna play!”

“Perfect, we can take turns. I’ll go first, but can you count to ten for me, honey?” she asked, not yet letting go of the child in her arms.

“Yeah, I’ll find you mama” he grinned, cheeks puffed with a small dimple on one cheek. This is going to be easy, he thought to himself as he reached up and covered his eyes with the palms of his hand.

Hoseok didn’t start counting until he felt his mom give him one last squeeze and another kiss on the forehead before letting him go. “One… Two… Three… Four… Five… Six… Seven… Eight… Nine………. Ten! Ready or not here I come!”

Hoseok dropped his arms and set out on a mission to find his mom, only to pause when he saw that she left her chocolate bar behind. Reaching out to grab the candy, Hoseok made a mental note to tell his mom to be careful about leaving stuff behind. He should know, he’d gotten in trouble for it before.

The little boy searched high and low, stood on benches, crouched behind bushes, even considered asking one of the park mascots for help – but that’d be cheating and decided against it. Hoseok didn’t realize how long he was searching for, but evidently long enough for one of the park attendees to ask him if he was lost.

“Mama and I are playing hide and seek right now, but you can come play too if you want,” Hoseok offered, not wanting anyone to feel left out. The employee was a bit skeptical at the boy but decided to join him, at least until he was reunited with his mother.

The search proved to be fruitless, with roughly 15 minutes that flew by and still no mom found. It took some prodding, but the attendee was eventually able to convince Hoseok to admit defeat in his conquest and head over to the lost child PA system.

The other employees were used to seeing lost children every once in a while and were later met with equally distraught and relieved parents by the end of it. However, to their alarming realization, there was no worried parent that came rushing through the grounds after multiple announcements, and it was slowly becoming apparent what harsh reality the small child was about to face.

After an hour or so of waiting, roughly 30 minutes after the park closing, a police officer made his way to the office. He briefly glanced at the child, curled into a ball, far too small and quiet in the large chair that threatened to swallow him whole.

The manager told the officer everything the attendee told him, how the game of hide and seek likely went wrong but there was still no one to claim the lost child. The officer got the gist of the situation and was hoping that the heavy feeling in his gut was wrong for once in his life.

The officer watched silently as the boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a candy bar. He didn’t eat it like the officer thought he would, but just stared at it for a while before silent tears fell from the child’s face.

The policeman walked over and knelt down in front of the boy, “Eating that might help make you feel better. Do you need help opening it?”

The boy shook his head and gingerly wiped the accumulating tears, “Mama and I will share it. Can you help me find her?” The officer felt his heart break at the question, the hope pouring from his eyes were jarring in its purity and more than enough to squash down the already developing worries regarding the child’s familial situation.

The officer gave a stiff nod and held the now trembling child closer to his chest, “I’ll try my best.”

Hoseok buried his head into the collar of the man he just met, thinking that maybe if he just kept counting, maybe Mama will stop hiding.

 

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