He probably didn't expect to find a little boy sitting alone in such a remote rest stop restroom.
He looked me over from head to toe, then asked gently, "Hey, kid, are you here by yourself? Where are your parents?"
At the word "parents", my nose tingled. I fought back the tears welling in my eyes and rasped, "Sir, my mom and dad left me here. Can I borrow your phone to call them?"
At my words, a look of concern crossed his face. He quickly pulled out his phone from his pocket and handed it to me, urging, "Go on, call them quick. It's so cold out here, so don't freeze yourself."
I took the phone. Since my fingers were stiff from the cold, I fumbled over the buttons and misdialed several times. At last, I got the home number right, drew in a sharp breath, and hit the dial button.
The busy signal pulsed in my ear, sending waves of anxious hope through me. When it ended, there was still no answer.
My hand holding the phone trembled slightly, and the small thread of hope inside me grew colder.
The man watched me quietly and said, "Don't worry. Maybe the signal's bad. Try again."
I nodded and hit the redial button once more. I pressed the phone to my ear and prayed that this time, I would hear my parents' voices.
The waiting tone dragged on endlessly, and my breathing rose and fell in time with it.
On the seventh beep, someone finally answered. My mother's voice came through, muffled by the wind and music from the car, "Hello?"
All the fear and hurt I had held back now choked my throat. My voice came out hoarse and shaky. "Mom, I didn't get in the car. You forgot me at the rest stop."
Before I could get another word out, Mom's impatient voice came crashing over me. "No way! I made sure everyone was good to go before we left. Your brother and sister confirmed it. How could we have left you behind?"
A brief silence followed on the other end of the line. I imagined Mom glancing back at the seats. Those few seconds of quiet cut deeper than the cold wind ever could. I had expected fear, guilt, or any hint that she realized her mistake, yet what came instead was a cutting reprimand.
"Why didn't you say something earlier? Didn't you think to shout for us? Why wait until the car is already gone to call and cause trouble?"
Her cold words pierced the last thread of hope I had.
I bit my lip hard, forcing back the tears threatening to spill. Still, my voice quivered despite myself. "I did! I ran and shouted, but you didn't hear me. The car just turned and drove away."
My protest seemed to catch Mom off guard. The silence was brief before she found another reason to scold me. "That's just because you were slow! We told you to hurry, and you dawdled.
"We've passed the toll station now. We can't just turn around on the highway. How are we supposed to pick you up?"
Then, Joe's teasing and indifferent voice came through the line, "Well, whose fault is it that he's slow? I even tried to hurry him, but he dragged his feet. Serves him right."
I clenched the phone until my knuckles went white, feeling both anger and hurt overwhelm me. Joe had stolen my spot in line, leaving me to start again, and now he was shifting the blame onto me.
Lyra's childish yet sharp voice came next, dripping with spoiled insistence. "Mom, Dad, I don't want to go back! I want to rush to Grandma's and eat a drumstick!"
Just as I was about to burst into tears, Dad's deep voice came through the phone.
There was no warmth in it, only a detached sense of order. "Enough. Stop making a fuss. Your uncle is driving back to Grandma's house today, and he's taking the same route as us. Stay at that rest stop, and don't wander off. When he gets there, ride back with him."
