mga pagmumuni ni carmen

“Can I go upstairs now?”

My four-year-old niece tugged my hand and looked up at me pleadingly.

I thought it strange that she wanted to go up when all her cousins were in the living room with us. Nevertheless, I took her hand and helped her go up the stairs.

“I wonder where he is,” Stacy said, her eyes bright with excitement as she peeked into the gameroom. There was nobody there since the boys had temporarily traded Guitar Hero for dessert so she pulled me towards the bedroom of one of my nephews.

“Who?” I asked curiously.

“The little boy!” she said, her face falling when she saw that the room was empty.

My hair stood and my heart suddenly beat a little faster. “Um..which little boy?” I asked casually, not wanting to betray the fear I felt. “Javi? Mio?”

“No, not Javi,” she said impatiently. “You know…the little boy!”

I briefly considered leaving her in the middle of the empty room and running downstairs towards the company–and safety!–of other adults but in the end my conscience won out. I prayed that when we entered the next bedroom, she wouldn’t say “hello” and start playing with someone I couldn’t see. Or would it be worse if I could also see her newfound playmate?! :O

*cue “Twilight Zone” theme*