Hi! #ShortStory

A lazy Monday afternoon… Myra had just woken up from her afternoon nap. With a hot cup of tea she stood at the balcony of her home looking at the vehicles pass by. It was a pleasant weather… not too warm at 4.30pm. A slight breeze blew through her hair. Myra closed her eyes as the breeze tingled her face.

This time of the day was usually very silent. Very few people out on the roads. People would start pouring in on the streets mostly after 5.30-6pm. Myra was enjoying the afternoon with her cup of tea.

Suddenly she heard a “Hi!”. Myra’s eyes were still closed. There was no one at her home who would call out to her and out on the streets it could be anyone. She heard it again.. She realized it was a child’s voice. Myra opened her eyes and looked down from her balcony. She did not see anyone. “Probably a kid passing by…”she thought. She went back to looking out into the open sky.

She heard it again. This time it was a repeated “Hi… Hi!.. Hi!” Myra was pretty bewildered. She looked down from her balcony her eyes carefully scanning the road below her balcony. When she looked a little more carefully, she found a little child right below her balcony. She had to peep a little outside her balcony to figure out.

The little child figured out she was caught. She came out of her hiding and this time a bright smile and waving at Myra… “Hi!” was the only thing she kept saying. Myra realized, the girl was hardly 2-3 years old and all alone on the pavement by the road. There was no adult near her.

Myra started to feel worried. What if the child ran off to road between the traffic? Myra tried to signal the child to wait. But the child just kept happily waving at her just saying “Hi!” Myra decided she had to get the child to safety first and then fetch for her parents or family.

Just to keep the child’s attention intact to her balcony, Myra decided to keep her Tea cup standing on the balcony wall. She quickly left her house and ran down the stair case to get to the child.

Myra reached towards the entrance of her building all panting. To her relief, the child was still looking up at her balcony assuming Myra was playing peek a boo with her, she guessed. She immediately went towards the child. The child was elated to see her. She jumped clapping her hands. Myra immediately hugged her and took her in her arms.

“How could the parents be so irresponsible? The child was all alone on the roads. Any could kidnap her. Myra decided to take her to her home to safety first. She immediately called up the police and informed them.

In a matter of few minutes, the police had arrived together with the parents of the child. Turns out the parents and child were shopping at a nearby grocery store. The parents did not notice the child run out of the store and into the open. Luckily, Myra was the first person the child saw and started to play with her.

The parents of the child expressed their immense gratefulness to Myra for bringing their child to safety and informing the police. Myra bid the child good bye with a big chocolate bar and a kiss on her cheeks. Even then, all the child did was, wave back and say “Hi!” Myra couldn’t stop smiling looking at her.