I would learn a new way to travel to The Mall when Laurie, Duion, Jennifer and one-year-old Kelsey came to Louisville. The knowledge would benefit me in later years when my older vehicles were not able to manage acceleration enough to safely use Louisille’s expressways.
We drove out Taylorsville Road turned beside Bowman Field onto Dutchman’s Lane to cross Breckinridge Lane and follow Browns Lane and Bowling Boulevard to Sherborn Lane and reach the rear end of The Saint Mathews Mall. I had not known of this shortcut and was glad to tuck it into my mind for future trips when art classes took me beyond the Westport Road area.
Once parked, Laurie wondered if Kelsey would be comfortable with me staying in the car with her while her parents and sister completed a shopping errand in the busy Mall. Kelsey had just met me as a Grandmother and so far, trusting approval of me had not yet been granted.
Sitting in her car seat beside me in the rear of the car, Kelsey had pointed to letters on billboards and large signs as we passed by them. She would point and name the letters and I was amazed by her ability to distinguish correct letters at such a young age.
I was confident in my own ability to both comfort and amuse this wise child in her parent’s absence and assured them I was up to the task.
They were gone a few minutes during which I happily chatted with Kelsey while she eyed me with a curious air of patience.
When a pause in my one-sided conversation ensued, she turned her head and squinted out the window in the direction where her parents and sister had recently disappeared.
Turning back to me she uttered words that have haunted me through many years of wondering where on earth Duion and his older brother might be.
She said with obvious concern, “Where’s Papa?”