1990 : Boy Went Missing

 If any one asked me what was the most frightening event that ever happened to me in any one year in my life I would say that it was in 1990 when my baby boy went missing for almost half a day.

It was normal in those days to have full trust in a baby sitter who had been working for many months and she had come with good references from two relatives of your husband. I had to work almost full day in the college, while attending to other family duties like shopping, cooking and cleaning of the house in Luak Bay.

My children were all below 14 then and my son was just 2 years old. I had left for work at 7 a.m. after making sure that my two girls had gone to school in a private van and my baby boy was taken care of by the young and pretty baby sitter at home. The college was only 5 minutes from my house.

At about 1.30 my second and third daughters had come home from school and they discovered the house in shambles. All drawers were pulled out as if a thief had gone through our stuff. Even the fridge was emptied. They called me at the college and I took leave from the Principal to return home : there was a break in and my son had disappeared.,

The whole college was shocked!

We thought the worst had occurred and immediately I took my two daughters to the Police Station to make a report. It was then almost 3 p.m.

It was nightmarish and my two daughters just could not stop crying. I had to put a stern face on and think clearly what to do next.

However relief came most unexpectedly!! It was as if God was planning to give me a second chance in life.

While already very afraid of the worst and all my nerves were numbed, I thought then I should seek the help of the Superintendent of the Police of Miri  then, Sebastian Gaong about my case informally. He was a class mate and was almost like a brother from school. I had politely waited to call him after office hours. Moreover, the police had also asked me to wait for a few hours more to see if any one asked for ransom.

You would never know that in the future your paths may cross and amazing things may happen.  Sebastian Gaong is the guy in the middle. I am far left. This photo was taken during a school day when Sibu was flooded and school was given a holiday. 1968.

He was not at all perturbed by the presence of my little boy in his house as he had been told by his uncle that a girl had dropped the boy in the house and the family would pick him up after office hours!!

Thus when I called Sebastian he was calm as ever and he told me that my baby boy was in his house and having noodles with his grand uncle!! He did not know what a nightmare my two girls and I had in the last four hours!

Apparently, the amah (I am not mentioning her name) had absconded with some of my valuables with her boyfriend who wanted to marry her and she had to pass the boy to some one. She was kind enough (as a distant relative) to pass the boy to the Tuan Police in the camp.

According to the AKI, she did not explain anything to him, just asking him to look after the boy and that the family would come and pick up the child after office hours!!

And she left in a taxi with her boy friend. It just happened that that day every one of the Gaong family was busy with some activities and only the AKI was at home. The Gaong children were at school the whole day and Mrs. Gertrude was attending a women's function in town. Aki being the stoical elder did not think of anything untoward.

Another question arose in my heart at that time, what if the old AKI was not in the house at that time? Where would the amah leave my boy?