This happened pre-online days. There were 5 of us in the car going to a fish market in a nearby port. Got there safe. Did some chit-chatting and hag-haggling with the locals. And got what we wanted. After loading our catch, we took off. Halfway on the road back, it was noticed that only 4 of us were in the car, not counting the fish. I was the one driving and hence, absolved from the guilt of neglect. Or was it my duty to ask, "All in?" before driving off? What happened next is what you usually see in movies in fast-forward: car pulling over, passengers getting out, opening the trunk, checking the fish container (just in case), looking at each other mouthing OMG, going back in, speeding back in the opposite direction.

We got back faster than a sailfish in the open sea. And there he was, no doubt with his self-esteem lowered by the abandonment. Spotting the car, he immediately jumped in, relieved to have been given importance, delayed despite. Before driving off, I looked at the rearview mirror in front of me and bellowed, "Count off!"

How would you feel playing Kevin (Home Alone) in real life? Forgotten, disregarded, overlooked, neglected. There were only 5 of us -not 50, not 500. Not too easy to process in the mind of the one dismissed, albeit unintentionally. I guess if you take what others think of you more seriously than what you take yourself for, then that’s tough.

It could be an entirely different perspective if you’re the one left out. But, if ever, I’ll give myself more credit and sulk less.

Cheers! #MyCafeNotes