I was Hiding

I had an experience with Lil Red this week that jogged a memory. In telling my mom about it she said I should write it down, so here it is.
When I was about 10, my grandparents who lived across the way from us often had charge over my brother and sisters and I. One such time my older sister was off when my Mom and Dad and my brother and I had been given chores to do. I had finished mine and was enjoying doing nothing when my brother came in and was whining about having to pick up the trash that strewn all over the lawn by the dogs which was his fault anyways for not having put the lid on the trash holder. Anyways, he has done NONE of it and comes in and says he needs help and so my push over grandparents ;) asked me to go out and help them. "I did my chores!".
"Just go out and help him! He's younger than you."
So I begrudgingly walked over to the closet to get my coat and go out help him. As I opened the closet door I looked back and realized that noone was watching me. I quickly slipped inside the closet and closed the door and hid behind the coats. After a long while, (or it seemed so to me), my brother came in and asked if I wasn't coming to help. That confused my grandparents since they KNEW I'd gone outside a while ago. Grandma came to the door and yelled for me. I didn't respond. Now we lived in the country on what seemed like alot of property back then and is compared to most these days. My grandfather got around on a tractor because he lost a leg in a freak log accident. When I didn't come after they did a cursory search and alot of yelling, Grandpa came to the closet and reached out to get his coat. I remember holding my breath because I knew he was going to discover me. But he didn't and went out on the tractor and started hunting for me. I was trying not to laugh as I heard all of the commotion, thinking of how I'd tricked them. At the same time a bit of anxiety started to seep in as I realized that I was good and trapped now. Because how could I come out and say what I'd done without getting a major spanking. As I set there pondering my situation I heard my Grandma say to Penny, a cousin staying with them at the time, " I sure hope Lester doesn't have a heart attack." She said some other things as well, but the point that sank in was that I was causing my Grandfather physical distress and I didn't want anything to happen to him even if it meant that I got in trouble. So I came out of the closet and walked into the kitchen which was right next to the closet. My Grandma, stunned face, said, "where have you been?".
Head down, in a mumble,"in the closet".
I don't think I got in trouble, they were to happy that I hadn't run away and gotten hurt. Which brings me back to present day.
I was trying to get out the door to run to Home Depot for Big Red and had loaded Lil Red into the car when I realized I didn't have my purse and I needed to pee really really bad. I ran insided and was back out in 2 minutes. Not kidding, I really can pee that fast. Anyways I come back to the car and no Lil Red. I knew I hadn't seen him inside as I ran through the house. All I could think of is that he'd decided to cross the road and go for a walk like he does with his Dad. And I start screaming for him, hoping he's hiding behind a tree. Big Red hears me yelling and says, "he isn't in the car?"
"No"
"Go check in the house"
He continued to look outside as I headed for the house. I walked back by the car as I was heading inside continuing to yell for him and now a couple of precious minutes have ticked by. And I hear his sweet voice from the back of the car, "I'm here Mom! I was hiding!" accompanied by a proud grin. I think it was karma. And I totally get how I didn't get in trouble the relief was way to great!