"You be good,'' she said, as tears rolled down her pale cheeks.

"Yes Momma,'' Carmen said.'' but ...'' "Good-bye then.'' She flung her purse over her shoulder and walked away. Soon she disappeared into the Saturday morning crowd.

Carmen, puzzled by the previous event, slowly got out of the taxi and walked to a nearby mall.

She sat patiently outside for her mother to return because she was anticipating the bus ride to the airport which her mother promised.

Time ticked away, and she still had no doubt in her mind that her mother was to return at any moment.

As the day progressed, her mind began telling her that something was wrong.

Carmen quickly reacted to those thoughts.

There was a little suitcase that her mother had packed for her, which she took with her while searching for her mother.

She stationed herself in the central part of the mall so she could get a good view of all the people coming in and out.

Across the mall she spotted a woman in faded jeans, an oversized sweater and sandals that made her walk with an uneven stride because of broken thongs.

Carmen's face began to glitter as the woman walked towards her, but soon she came to realise that it was, in fact, not who she thought it was. Carmen's heart took a sudden plunge, and she slowly began to cry.

She was only seven years of age, and she would have never thought that her mother would do something like this.

Masses of people bustled past her, and never once did anyone stop and ask if she was in trouble or if she needed help.

Carmen would have thought that it was pretty evident that she was in trouble, but she figured that they were too engaged in their shopping activities to care if a little girl was just abandoned by her mother and was crying her eyes out.

The people passed by without expression. It was almost like they were in a world of their own.

As the time passed, the flow of people became heavier, and Carmen grew even more worried, for her mother still had not returned.

Suddenly, Carmen became overwhelmingly tired and started to sing. As she drifted off to sleep she mumbled the words her mother sang to her.

"Hush little baby don't say a word, Momma's gonna buy you a mockin' bird.'' She finally drifted off to sleep.

Suddenly she heard footsteps.

"Wake up Carmen dear. We are going to miss the bus.'' CHANIKA DARRELL Year 4, Warwick Academy