Hide and Scream

Yesterday I hunted down The Ginger Prince to investigate a suspicious silence, and found him in my room very carefully applying blusher to his bare bottom using my only make up brush.

     That is how my Saturday began.

Later, in the early evening, we lit a small Braii out on our balcony and then AA left for the shops. I often play a basic version of Hide and Seek that TGP enjoys so I ran into an obvious hiding place- inside a tiny space in his wardrobe with the door open so he could spot me.

 As normal he came giggling in and then I heard ‘’BYEEEE Mummy!!....’’ and with a sickening click he pushed the wardrobe door shut. There was no handle on the inside and the space was about five foot high and perhaps two foot wide. As time passed and I accepted that I was totally trapped I felt panic begin to rise, mostly panic on behalf of TGP who was crying and howling and banging the other side of the door and who was also in a flat with a lit Braii, but also panic for myself. Within the confines of what is essentially the dimensions of a small coffin I briefly tried to kick my way out but realised that nothing makes you panic faster than trying to get out and not being able to.

Instead I ran through all the possibilities of what might happen when AA eventually returned. I knew he didn’t have keys and hoped desperately that he would hear TGP crying and realise that something was wrong and try to get a spare set from somewhere, rather than just think we had gone to the pool or for a wander and sit and wait for us on the steps. A long time seemed to pass and poor TGP’s crying turned to whimpering as he lay outside the door. Finally, I heard AA knock gently for a while and then more urgently. I shouted to him but knew that he couldn’t hear me so then I shouted to TGP ‘’go to door and shout Daddy!! Shout Daddy!!’’ but of course he cried more and pressed against the outside of my door. More minutes passed and the landline rang ‘’Get the phone!!’’ I said to TGP through the door. I had no idea what he would say given that his repertoire of single words including ‘’star’’,‘’bubble’’ and ‘’cat’’ were unlikely to convey the information that his Mum was locked in the cupboard and his Dad was going to have to find a spare key this side of Monday, or break down the door, or get the fire brigade. Besides this would be the phone that he is usually in trouble for touching. He just cried more and more and more. And AA’s knocking stopped. The phone rang and rang, then stopped, then more knocking, then rang again. I thought that he must realise at this point something was not right but I also had the sickening knowledge that anyone within the University Accommodation who had a spare key to the flat, the cleaning people and caretakers, would not be working until Monday morning. Knocking resumed and I started shouting again, really shouting as much as I could, and again TGP redoubled his crying and then to my massive relief I heard AA’s voice inside the flat and he opened the wardrobe door.

     Of course AA had heard TGP, but not me, and had eventually gone to get one of the security guards who look after the vehicle entrance. As I suspected no one had a key but amid general panic AA  went to the next door flat and shimmied round the wall that separates our two balconies.

     I have never considered myself to be claustrophobic but it took me a while to get my breath and calm down, and it felt like I was trapped for hours, even though it can’t have been much more than 35 minutes. TGP, who had been by far the most upset I have ever heard him, was absolutely fine. He sat happily eating popcorn in front of The Night Garden as if nothing had happened.