A day that will not be forgotten in our life for as long as we shall live. A day where we felt so helpless and drained, a day that we felt losing. My day start as usual woke up at 5.50am to boil water for my son to prepare him for school. At 6 am, I went to Norman's room only to find him not there, I thought he was in the toilet, but also not there, checked with Nikki, he was not there. Ran over to my inlaws house also was not there. A dreadful feeling shook me, he is missing. He left us or somebody took him away. My wife woke up to her disbelief and starting to break up but I consoled her to be strong. Checked his room, his school bag,headlamp and wallet was not there. His shoes was all in the shoe's rack, what?! he got no shoes or slippers on?? I drove to the tamu ground to look,none, to his school which is only about 5 minutes drive away, school children was just arriving, it was 6.30am, went to his classroom and asked Max if he've seen Norman, negative. Drove around Donggongon town, looking at every vehicle tha passed by, every bus that stationed at the bus station, nil. I was growing anxious, praying and aching to think of his well being. All thoughts came to my mind. God please protect my boy, bring him back safely to us. every few minutes my wife will check on me, I worry about my son and my wife's condition. God, please help us. Went back to the tamu ground and met my father in law as he was just coming down from the church after the morning mass, he knew it because somebody from the house called him already. He went back to house to search the sorrounding area, I head towards the Police Station to check and report enroute I stopped to ask Jenny if his son got any project with Norman in the school, she said none because its Test week, told her that Norman is missing and staright away left for the station. After spending few minutes, headed back home and check the room again before heading to the mountain range with my wife. a long emotional drive for both of us, even stopped at one point as we were approaching a boy limping same age and built as Norman but it was not him. drove well pass Babagon uphill, and we decided to head back to his school, at the school I briefly spoke his class teacher and spoke to one of his close friend Aaron, he relate to us that Norman has been talking about going out for camping theday before but has not mention a specific place. Reaching home, relatives start pouring in, search parties combing the area, the riverside and sorrounding bushes. My sister Jocelyn and brother in law was there too. Spoke to them about of what the friend told me at school and Nikki also told my wife of what Norman asked her about camping at Kinabalu park, camping? passed his passport size photo to my sister and my wife's cousin to asssit on the search. Atos came and we head up the hill in front of our house, followed by my wife and Jenny's husband. After combing the area we went down to the house, more people start coming. We left the house to search the Sarapung and Kolopis area, now it already 3 hours passed and we starting to feel so emotionally aching. but we pushed on, drove out the area, nothing and headed towards kibabaig by pass to Minintod, we head over the hill to bukit padang, down and decided to go through bundusan. I feel my wife's anguish, so helpless, thoughts of what he was going through, the fear and uncertainty he was going through.. almost 5 hours has passed by, where are you was all can utter.. where are you, Lord please help us. Jenny called saying that a van driver seen a boy around 3-4am passes by our neighbours house with red shorts or red t-shirt, the details of what the boy wore was not clear, he was heading towards donggongon. But the night before Norman was wearing a yellow t- shirts with blue and red sleeves and New Balance wording, so we said it might not be him but it could be him too.. from Bundusan we headed back towards donggongon via kDCA road. A few minutes before Yue Min, my sister Jocelyn called and spoke to my wife, she found him walking limping from Millenium going to donggongon direction, my wife and I wept painfully and joyfully, thanking God for his grace. My wife spoke to Norman emtionally but tenderly. We felt of losing him for 5 hours or so, that 5 hours was so painful for us all, was so draining, it was as if the end and no words can really describe of our feelings. And with God's grace and the prayers the people pour our to our God Almighty, our beloved Son Norman Enrique Bugay is safe with us with just a blister on his feet. He was clueless himself of what had happened and why he was there. What matter to us now, he is safe God delivered him back to us, God answered our prayers.. Thank you Lord , Thank you.
