If you’ve read any of my true life stories you know that I was a free range child. I was the the middle child and my parents often lost track of me.

That isn’t always a bad thing. I was also a bit hyper active and I can remember being sent off to my grandparents and other relatives so my parents could have a break. That’s my thought, anyway.

When my older brother bought a new car it was an exciting time for me. I have always been a “car nut” and he had just bought a new Chevrolet Nova. Does anyone out there know the meaning of Chevrolet by the way? It is an interesting choice of a name for a car company.

The car came home and was parked in the garage under the bright light that made it shine like a fine jewel. It quickly caught my eye. I was about nine or ten years old at the time.

The entire family looked the car over with approval and were soon all back in the house except me. I had settled into the low bucket sets and fastened myself into the seat with the seat belt. I suppose I was invisible below the dashboard and couldn’t be seen.

The light went out all of sudden and as I looked up, fear gripped me and I realized that I was sitting in the dark garage all alone and couldn’t figure out for the life of me how to release the set belt. It was a clever design and beyond my understanding for a few terrifying moments. When I finally accidentally freed myself, I was trapped alone in the garage.

I knocked on the now locked door into the house from the garage and waited for someone to come and rescue me. No one came.

Some time had passed and my family were now settled in their warm beds and asleep.

I searched the cloths hamper sitting next to the washer and dryer for something to keep me warm and spent the cold night in the garage under a very small, furry rug. It took sometime to fall asleep in that cold garage, but I finally did and survived the night.

We lived near the beach and I remember it being cold and damp out there.

I suppose it was a situation of my own creation, but I sure wished that I also was in my nice warm bed.

The back seat of a Chevy Nova is a small space and I wouldn’t want to spend another night there again as an adult or a child under any circumstances.

Why my parents didn’t check on me is a mystery of sorts. I know they were very busy with work and had issues of their own marriage to work out for a long time, but what the heck.

I also understand that they did the best they could under the circumstances so I hold no grudges about my upbringing. It made me who I am.

By the way, do you know where all of your children are right now?

Remember to look over the first chapters of my novels here on my site.

Remember to come to The New Zealand Dream Blog by Elise Brooke to see more stories by myself and others.

Thanks and stay safe.