A Child
While out shopping in Sheffield centre not too long ago I was awakened from my half-conscious state by someone poking me in the small of my back. Turning round to deliver severe admonishment to the scoundrel who was harrassing me I was surprised to find a tear-stained little lad in an England Shirt who can't have been more than about five years old. It transpired that his name was Christopher and he had managed to rid himself of his parental types so was now wandering up and down Fargate in a bit of a panic.

Now if any of you have been down Fargate on a Saturday you'll know that it's rammed with people all milling about, stopping to watch street performers and generally causing congestion so it was nigh on impossible to find this kid's mum, especially 'cause the description he gave me wasn't the most helpful..."she's called mummy and she has a dress on and a coat" but having two younger brothers myself I felt like I should keep an eye on him; plus he was a pretty funny kid, kept gettin' excited at really odd things like the O2 shop or a stall selling scarves and chasing the pidgeons.

Having failed to locate a "mummy in a dress and coat" I figured I would ask one of the supposedly helpful city centre ambassadors (or some other pretentious title) what I should do and was basically told that they didn't have a clue.

Having been on the lookout for this kid's mum for about two hours now; all the while expecting the police to clap me on the shoulder and cart me off for stealing a child who was crying for his mum, I figured he would probably be hungry. As we went into Greggs for a pasty his eyes lit up, stood by the front entrance of the shop was a rather attractive looking lady who looked like she had been crying. "Is this yours?" I said as Chris ran towards her. Much laughter, rejoicing and no accusations of paedophila ensued and I was given £20...sure it wasted about 2 hours of my shopping time but seeing the look on his mums face when we walked up made my day. I suppose it was more of a case of him finding me really but there you go.

*Edit*

Whilst relaying this story to my bemused housemates...who couldn't believe someone like me would wander round for hours trying to find the lads mum, i said the words "If £20 is the going rate I'm gonna hang out with little kids more often"...soon after this I decided it wouldn't be the wisest business venture in the world
(Freak on a Leash is jerking off to centre himself on, Thu 6 Nov 2008, 13:24, 22 replies)

Nicely done!

( LemonEntryMyDearWatson This time, Moriarty, the hand is on the other foot, Thu 6 Nov 2008, 13:28, closed)

did you
do his mum?
(frankspencer, Thu 6 Nov 2008, 13:30, closed)

Did the England shirt
make you think Chav...

therefore his Mum will be Greggs?
(Fuckarma was masturbating into your handbag, Thu 6 Nov 2008, 13:31, closed)

I find...
that most little kids tend to like sausage rolls, pastys and the like and Greggs seemed like the sensible option! was pure coincidence although the football shirt definitly made me think Chav. They wern't though
(Freak on a Leash is jerking off to centre himself on, Thu 6 Nov 2008, 13:34, closed)

aaww
I love a happy ending, have misplaced both of my kids in huge crowds, and it's terrifying!

Have a click for that
(Beer Elf Thought this was like a campfire, anyhow, on, Thu 6 Nov 2008, 13:36, closed)

Im surprised they let you have a second one
after you lost the first :)
(bazmorningstar efil4nat3b, Thu 6 Nov 2008, 13:51, closed)

OOh you naughty Baz..
yeah me too! Blissful ignorance I reckon...

We soon taught them to look for police/lifeguard/shop assistant type people though just to be on the safe side. Only now I can't seem to get rid of 'em!
(Beer Elf Thought this was like a campfire, anyhow, on, Thu 6 Nov 2008, 14:31, closed)

I was always taught...
...to leave things where I found them.

I tend to reserve this method for situations like this.

But £20 - could be a money spinner.
(FunOnABun Smears lard on you!, Thu 6 Nov 2008, 13:52, closed)

Yes but...
as I was relaying this story to my bemused housemates...who couldn't believe someone like me would wander round for hours trying to find the lads mum, i said the words "If £20 is the going rate I'm gonna hang out with little kids more often"...soon after this I decided it wouldn't be the wisest business venture in the world
(Freak on a Leash is jerking off to centre himself on, Thu 6 Nov 2008, 13:55, closed)

You
really should edit your story with that line! it deserves more clicks with that epilogue...

Edit

*Click*
(Fuckarma was masturbating into your handbag, Thu 6 Nov 2008, 14:07, closed)

This is lovely!
It gets a well-deserved click from me.
Good work.
( Cawl, Thu 6 Nov 2008, 14:50, closed)

You..
Are a hero. Well done.

*clicks*
(ice9, Thu 6 Nov 2008, 15:38, closed)

i cant believe you actually took 20 quid
from some poor woman who thought her child had been Bulgered

maybe you could have haggled a bit

or threatened to slap the kid for an extra fiver

you say you didnt know what to do...

*belms*

maybe calling the police might have been a start - the mother probably did so about 1 hour and 50 previously

idiots as they are they might well have got the kid back to her slightly quicker than 2 hours plus

muppet
( spimf ™ is whoever you want him to be, Thu 6 Nov 2008, 17:04, closed)

To be honest mate...
I didn't really get much choice, I said no (about five times infact) because she pretty much forced it into my hand.

As far as calling the police is concerned I didn't have a mobile on me and the nearest phoneboxes are off fargate so that was out of the question because the kid had obviously got lost on the fargate so his mother would still be around. Busy pedestrianised shopping street, usually police about but oddly for a Saturday there were none so I just walked up and down with him until we found her.

I don't even know why I'm justifying myself to be honest. It hardly seems worth it

*Edit*

And at what point did I say that I didn't know what to do? After I realised that his mum wasn't in the near vicinity (sp?) I went over to the city centre ambassadors...or jumped up security guards with radios but they were completely disinterested
(Freak on a Leash is jerking off to centre himself on, Thu 6 Nov 2008, 19:49, closed)

hairy muff
*retracts vitriol*
( spimf ™ is whoever you want him to be, Thu 6 Nov 2008, 22:16, closed)

I thought
that this story was going to end along the lines of "I found that juries tend not to believe stories like this and I spent 2 years on a segregated nonce wing, after the hysterical mother suddenly appeared flanked by 2 burly rozzers who thought they had foiled Ian Brady Mk2."

Glad that it didn't though, I would hate to be put in the position you were, for the reason above, but then I wouldn't be able to walk away and leave the nipper there. I'd have definitely been more scared than his mother!

If you spent the £20 on Werthers Originals - unleash the mob!
(Rsoles, Thu 6 Nov 2008, 21:47, closed)

That...
is exactly was what was going through my head the entire time. You can't just refuse to help a lil kid whose come up to you but at the same time I was absolutely shitting myself thinking of how it could look.I blame the press, unfortunately there are some scum in the world but I hardly think theres a nonce on every corner.

Oh and for the record the money went on booze and cigarettes!
(Freak on a Leash is jerking off to centre himself on, Thu 6 Nov 2008, 21:57, closed)

A lovely tale.
The only bit I can't understand is why your housemates would be bemused. What would they expect you to do? say "find her yourself kid, i'm off to HMV"?
(Prof. Moriarty put his foot in it on, Thu 6 Nov 2008, 21:54, closed)

It's because...
I'm really not the most approachable of people. I'm perfectly friendly but I'm a metal fan and my clothes reflect this so I tend to look a bit intimidating. They were bemused that it was me that he'd come up to. I think they just liked the mental image of me in my new rocks trudging up and down the high street with a kid in tow
(Freak on a Leash is jerking off to centre himself on, Thu 6 Nov 2008, 22:00, closed)

I ...
... like this mental image too. It amuses me ^_^
(Meya, Sat 8 Nov 2008, 18:41, closed)

Nice.
It's always wonderful to know there are good people out there. I know the majority of people are good, but it doesn't hurt to hear about them once in a while.

*click*
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Fri 7 Nov 2008, 9:11, closed)

God Bless You!
I've lost Destructo-Boy several times and it's always the scariest thing in the world. She must have cried with relief.
(TDub Nunc id vides, nunc ne vides on, Wed 12 Nov 2008, 8:23, closed)