The needle

The previous days off I had, I was trying to stitch and repair some of Matt’s PJs and shorts. (Yup, I do know how to sew, I even consider sewing as a form of relaxation, next to gardening). But because I ran out of time, I carefully stuck the needle through the remaining unpatched PJ, folded and stashed it in a corner in my sister’s room, with every intent to get back to the task as soon as I could smuggle some time (I always store things in my sis' room, esp. those which pose imminent danger to a very curious toddler).

Thursday night had me looking for the previously tucked garment. But it was nowhere in sight. Gone. Not on the table, the bed, no, it was not in all the four corners of her room. Panic slowly gripping me by the throat, I asked Mama if by any chance she’s seen it (knowing that she sometimes cleans my sis’ room when it gets too messy to the eyes). Said, she’s not sure but she must have found the garment (obviously without the needle) and laid it among Matt’s clothing. Maybe. In his cabinet!

I gritted my teeth. Try as I might, but I did blow my top, I snapped and said totally not cool things to my mother ( I know, I know. It’s so wrong and I’m sorry..). But all I could think of then was the possible harm it could bring to a one-year-old child.

So distressed was I that I examined my son’s sleeping form, head to toe, (took off his shirt and pajama) to see if there was a sign of puncture. All clear, thanks God. I also ransacked Matt’s cabinet and inspected all of his garments, piece by piece. Without much success, I hit the sack feeling defeated. Troubled. The next day’s search proved to be fruitless too. Fretful, I tried not to dwell much on the "could-have-beens" but instead hoped that it was anywhere else but in our room.

Saturday morning. I was preparing my son’s bag (because we’ll be bringing him to the barber later in the day) when I came across a neatly folded PJ inside it. Unfolding it revealed a very thin and tiny, silvery form of the needle still stuck through it, in the exact postion where I left it! So there it was all this time!

*Sigh* You cannot imagine how relieved I was. And you cannot imagine that a very tiny object, a little-over-an-inch in length, could cause me so much worry.