We had stopped by for a quick lunch at McD's (the outlet adjacent to the departure lounge) and Erica had inadvertently left behind her two cherished soft toys, still in the luggage trolley just outside the McD entrance. The two toys, a small dog named Pegasus (she'd insisted on bestowing the name of the mighty mythical winged horse upon this comical bug-eyed dog) and her most, most, most, cherished, beloved teddy bear, Mr Weatherbee. She had had Mr Weatherbee almost since birth, sharing her closest secrets and life experiences with him, cradling him lovingly in her arms every night.
Realisation dawned mid-flight, proceeding with a silent yet unstoppable steady flow of innocent tears. Upon disembarking, we'd immediately established contact with a McD staff, one Mr Lim Chuah Eng Chew, who was gracious enough to drop what he was doing to rush across to try and locate the soft toys. He successfully managed to locate the toy dog but sadly, the teddy bear was nowhere in sight. Upon hearing my desperate request, he had made checks with airport personnel and went on walkabouts personally. I'd offered a reward for the finder which he duly cascaded to airport officials and maintenance personnel in the vicinity. My assurance of his strong effort was when he shared that he understood only too well the strong bond between child and cherished toy, himself having a daughter around Erica's age. Sadly, despite all his efforts, Mr Weatherbee remains elusive.
Lim was kind enough to courier across the remaining toy (of which I offered delivery reimbursement but he brushed this aside). The toy was subsequently returned to an excited child, who clutched it tightly like a long-lost friend.
Our prayers and hugs over the last two weeks however failed to dilute her pain though. This was evident as today, exactly 14 days since that fateful day, as I was skimming through some old photographs on my notebook, she had quietly remarked that she didn't wish to see our recent Penang Trip photos. Furthermore, she had confided yesterday to my wife that she was secretly hoping that Mr Weatherbee was lying somewhere around on the floor of the airport, just waiting to be found and returned…..
It is indeed a painful lesson of life for a young, innocent child, but nonetheless we hope there would be learnings here, not just for her but her parents as well.
I wish to share my deepest gratitude to Lim, who I’m indeed blest to have had made first contact with, and who showed a commendable sense of responsibility, empathy and care towards a total stranger - and a child.
Lim, as an employee of McDonalds in Malaysia, you have certainly lived up to the aspiration of your company.
I thank you.
Regards, A Father.
Rohan Talalla
Hi Eng Chew,
The story brings a touching tear to my eyes...on your understanding of how the child felt, and hence making your utmost effort to retrieve the toys.
I am sure Erica will be very touched by your effort, and will surely remember your lovingly care shown, which I believe will have soften the impact on her lost.
Cheers,
Nancy
