From Mexico

I had a scary day that taught my family a lesson and left us with an unforgettable memory. One day, when my son, Hakeem, was three years old, my husband planned a trip to the Netherlands, and we invited my aunt to go with us because she is my favorite aunt and is very funny. We arrived in the Netherlands and enjoyed our stay very much because it was a small place without traffic or annoying noise. There were many canals and small but very pretty houses, all with green grass and full of colorful flowers. After a few days in town, we planned to go to another city. The next day, we arrived very early at the train station. The weather was nice, and we had no problem waiting for the train to arrive, so we sat down. Suddenly we saw a modern yellow train coming and as soon as it stopped and opened its doors, we got on. The seats were blue, comfortable, and roomy. During the trip, we were looking out the window and quietly observing the landscape, which was mostly green trees and grass. After a while, we heard something on the loudspeaker, but we didn't understand anything since we didn't know how to speak Dutch; however, we assumed it was an unimportant announcement. The train continued its journey, and as we approached the next stop, I began to see that most people were getting ready to get off. At that moment, I felt that something was not right, and I told my husband, "Please ask the conductor what is happening," but he said, "I think it's a very busy stop, and that's why almost everyone will get off." When we arrived at the stop and everyone got off, my husband got off the train and asked a conductor what was going on. Minutes later, my husband came back to tell us that there was a bad track ahead, so we had to get off and take the waiting yellow articulated bus.

So we got off, but my aunt had problems with her leg and couldn't do it quickly, so my husband told me, "Please run, take Hakeem and this suitcase with you, and tell the driver to wait for us." Immediately, I grabbed my son with one hand and the suitcase with the other hand and ran toward the bus and got in, and then I tried to explain to the bus driver, in English, that my husband and my aunt were on their way, and we had to wait for them, but the driver closed the doors and drove the bus forward without caring what I was saying to him. I felt very scared and I yelled at him, "Please stop, please stop, please stop!" but he didn't do anything and continued his trip. Meanwhile, my husband was helping my aunt get off the train and down the stairs to go to the bus, but he noticed that the bus was not stopping. I saw them go further and further away. At that moment, I realized that my husband and my aunt were staying behind without a phone or money because I had brought those things with me. I was really scared because I didn't know how to speak Dutch. After a while, I lost hope that the bus would stop; however, minutes later the driver received a radio call and stopped the bus. Fortunately, the bus came back for my husband and my aunt, and when we were all together, my husband told me that he had told the conductor who stayed at the station that he hadn't been able to take the bus because my aunt couldn't walk fast. Since then, we have made sure to have a plan in case something wrong happens, and everyone must carry their own phone and money on trips.