Where was Andrew? It had been twenty-four hours without a word. I got down on my hands and knees and prayed for a miracle.
"Please Lord send him a guardian angel to guide and protect him. Please bring him back home safely." For a few moments, I remained on the floor. I had to believe my autistic son was safe. Slowly, a warm sensation spread across the top of my shoulders. Was it an angel or just wishful thinking?
My two daughters, Laura and Kelley, began developing a plan to find Andrew. Laura had called the police department and completed a missing person's report, while Kelley decided to go online and visit Andrew's chat room.
When a police detective contacted me by telephone and asked questions concerning Andrew's handicap, I knew I would have a problem. Just because Andrew was autistic', did not mean he had a few loose screws.
The detective asked me to describe the clothing Andrew was wearing before his disappearance. It was hard to say, "I don't know."
"Wellwho was the last person to see him?" insisted the detective. "Don't you have someone keeping an eye on him?"
I answered both questions controlling my anger. Andrew, who was a college student, was quite capable of fixing his own breakfast, getting dressed and riding the city bus to college. The only information I had for the detective was Andrew had left a note on the piano stating he would be back in the late afternoon, due to taking a test in the computer lab. Since Andrew had a documented disability, he had been provided special accommodations, such as taking tests which were not timed. Unfortunately, he had to schedule his tests to be taken in the computer lab.
I did not want to answer any more of the detective's questions and gave the receiver to Laura. I left the living room. I walked into the kitchen. Kelly was sitting at the spare computer. She could not use the one in the den, because her father was taking a nap.
I stood behind watching, while she sent an online message. Someone replied back. Both Kelley and I jumped!
"I made contact," she said. "This person thinks I am Andrew and wants to know about my trip to Florida ."
" FLORIDA !" I screamed.
"Yeahthat's what he says," added Kelley turning around to look at me.
"That's impossible," I mumbled. "He doesn't know Andrew."
"Ohhe knows Andrewanime and all that," added Kelley.
My eyes were blurry. I felt sick and had to walk away. I mumbled, "Be careful!"
Was it possible?' I asked myself.
Did Andrew run away?' Holding onto the railing, I managed to climb the steps which led to his bedroom. I check his closet for any missing clothes. The only piece of clothing absent was his gray jacket. Slowly, I walked over to the dresser and pulled out the top drawer. It was almost empty, except for a few stray socks. Shocked! My heart raced! I checked the remaining drawers.
ANDREW HAD RUN AWAY FROM HOME
! "RONALDRONALD!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.
I did not care if he was sleeping or not. He had to see this.
After examining Andrew's bedroom, Ronald admitted having an argument with our son. He would have mentioned it earlier, but the argument had taken place a week ago. He did not think there was a connection.
Ronald had wanted Andrew to help out more. Laura and Kelley had part-time jobs, numerous friends, were working towards their career goals, and Andrew was not.
Sadly, I glanced at Ronald. I reached for his hand and held it. We sat together on Andrew's bed. It was too painful for us to admit we had made a mistake. I had sheltered Andrew, while Ronald was too firm.
In a desperate attempt, I decided to email Andrew. Every hour I kept checking for a reply. On the second day, more than forty-eight hours after his disappearance, I received an email from him.
Andrew was in Fort Lauderdale , Florida ! He had run away from home, because of the argument he had with his father. In his email, he explained he was safe. Andrew was supposed to meet someone from the chat group at the bus station, but when the person saw him, he took off. Andrew was alone in a strange city, when a homeless man approached him.
"Are you destitute like me?" asked a thin, gray-haired gentleman in his mid-fifties.
"Wellno," replied Andrew eyeing the man who was several inches shorter.
At first, Andrew believed the man might ask him for money. So, he picked up the two canvas bags full of clothes and began to walk away.
"It's going to get darksoon," replied the man following behind. "It's not safe. You're a walking target, especially at night."
Andrew turned around to take another look at the stranger. The man had bright blue eyes and did not resemble any homeless individuals he had met back in Norfolk , Virginia . The man seemed out of place. He seemed special and perhaps he was.
This friendly stranger described how dangerous it was on the street at night along with sharing a little of his personal life. He told Andrew how fortunate he was to have a family that cared about him. After all, he had no one.
Andrew had offered to buy the man a sandwich at a nearby Subway Restaurant. The man refused and waited outside, while Andrew went inside to purchase a sandwich and a drink. Believing the man had left, Andrew stayed inside and ate.
When he left the restaurant, Andrew hurried back to the bus station to purchase a ticket to go home. Stepping away from the counter after making his purchase, he nearly fainted when he saw the blue-eyed stranger smiling at him.
"When will the bus arrive?" he asked.
"I have two hours," mumbled Andrew.
"This is not the best place for you to stay," replied the stranger. "The safest place is the public library."
"The public library," echoed Andrew. "Is there one nearby?"
"Yesjust a block awayfollow me," answered the stranger leading Andrew out the exit.
There were accessible computers at the library for a nominal fee. The stranger led Andrew to one of the computers and left. He did not return.
Fourteen hours later, Andrew arrived home. It was a miracle! He was safe! Eventually, we discovered his real reason for leaving. He had dropped out of college. Andrew had trouble advocating for his accommodations. He was tired of being different. I really did not know how to help him. So, again I prayed for a second miracle.
Nearly, a year later, my prayer was answered. I came across an article on the internet about a particular green food and sound waves used to remove mercury imbedded in the soil underwater. I researched the green food to learn more and discovered it was a perfect' food. I added this food as a daily supplement along with removing certain foods from Andrew's diet, made a world of difference. Andrew's transformation was a gradual process, but worth it. Currently, he is a full-time college student making straight A's, without the need for accommodations. It is hard to believe, but true. A mother finding a cure for her son's autism!
Bio: Sharon E. Lane is an educator, author and mother of three. Her current book is,
Green is the Cure. Her website is:
http://www.geocities.com/greenisthecure/autism.html
tweet this!