Running Away From Home.
By Jabo
@jaboUK (64354)
United Kingdom
April 18, 2016 7:29am CST
I was 12 years old and I can't even remember what I'd done to upset my father, but he had punished me by banning me from doing what I loved the most.
.
I thought - right, I'll show him! I would just disappear from his life for ever! (Kids eh?). So when school finished that afternoon, I took my bike and made my way to a haybarn a couple of miles away.
I made a nest for myself in the hay - now what? There was nothing to do, so I explored the surrounding fields until it started to get dark.
I returned to the barn and buoyed myself up by thinking that NOW my father would be sorry! I couldn't sleep, and was bored, cold and hungry, so eventually I decided to go home. I had no watch but thought it must be nearly morning.
When I reached home I was aghast to see a police car outside the house! I hung around a while hoping it would go, but as it didn't I thought I could perhaps sneak up to my room without anyone noticing. Wrong. They heard me, and I got a stern lecture from the policeman about wasting police time, as my parents had reported me missing.
Then of course I got a real ear-bashing from my Dad, and he grounded me for a month.
By the way, it was only just after 11pm when I got home!
Did you ever run away from home when you were a kid?
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Picture from Pixabay
89 people like this
97 responses
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
18 Apr 16
Actually, I was more like 17 when I did it - my friend and I and our two boyfriends took off and were gone two days. My parents had a three state alarm out for us....I don't go into details, but let's say going home wasn't pleasant....
9 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
18 Apr 16
@jaboUK Yes, and I can guaranty my punishment stuck with me forever.
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
18 Apr 16
@AbbyGreenhill Oh my - your's was a much more serious running away than mine!
3 people like this
@Bluedoll (16773)
• Canada
18 Apr 16
@jaboUK It wasn't. It was from a child's perspective and I really liked that. However I bet Dad and Mom before you arrived were in a poor state holding back the tears. How you could incorporate that into the story without ruining the funny side is beyond me. Perhaps one of those things that people think about but is not written? I don't know I'm not a writer. ha ha
3 people like this
@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
18 Apr 16
I ran away when I was about 6 or 7 and tried to join the army. The recruiting office phoned my parents who brought me home.
8 people like this
@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
18 Apr 16
@jaboUK I was quite precocious
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
18 Apr 16
@arthurchappell Oh how sweet you must have been!
2 people like this
@miniam (9154)
• Bern, Switzerland
18 Apr 16
Now i call that patriotic@arthurchappell
3 people like this
@balraj789 (12)
• Visakhapatnam, India
20 Apr 16
@marlina it is funny dont you feel
1 person likes this
@dpk262006 (58676)
• Delhi, India
19 Apr 16
I had no such occasion, when I thought of running away from house. I used to think that even if I am upset I should not leave the house and make my parents worried about me.
3 people like this
PS - I am still a nicer child for my mother.
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
19 Apr 16
@dpk262006 That's great - cherish your mother while you still have her.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
19 Apr 16
@dpk262006 You were obviously a much nicer child than me
1 person likes this
@41CombedaleRoad (5952)
• Greece
18 Apr 16
When I was 17 I ran away from home because my parents banned me from seeing my boyfriend. I ran to him of course! His mother let me stay but I didn't like it very much and after a few days the pastor from the church came and took me home!
3 people like this
@41CombedaleRoad (5952)
• Greece
18 Apr 16
@jaboUK I married him a year later but it ended in divorce 11 years after that.
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
18 Apr 16
@41CombedaleRoad Your running away was a bit different from mine - no boys involved. What happened to your romance?
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
18 Apr 16
@41CombedaleRoad Oh dear, so your parents were right!
1 person likes this
@GreatMartin (23672)
• Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
19 Apr 16
I ran away at least once a week until I was 13--nobody ever came looking for me or missed me!! So I stopped--what was the use??? LOL
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
19 Apr 16
@GreatMartin Oh Martin - that is so sad
. You exaggerate of course.
. You exaggerate of course.2 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
19 Apr 16
@GreatMartin So your love of movies started when you were very young.
1 person likes this
@GreatMartin (23672)
• Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
19 Apr 16
@jaboUK Actually I think they really knew that I ran away to the movies as soon as I could reach the window to buy my ticket!! LOL
1 person likes this
@KnehKnah (3584)
• Philippines
19 Apr 16
I was already smiling, just reading your title, my dear Momma!
I knew how you made your Dad sorry for what he did that made you run away from home (well...maybe he did not say anything about it).
Did I run away from home? That's why I was smiling. I did.
Mama reprimanded me when I made my Manay Bebeth cry (for the nth time), due to my usual acts that annoyed her.
I got mad! So I took some clothes, wrapped them in a big cloth & tied it to a sturdy branch I saw at the pile of firewood. That I carried down the stairs.
I was on my way out our property when I heard huffing & puffing. It was my Manay. She tearfully asked where I was going. I said out of her & Mama's lives!
3 people like this
@KnehKnah (3584)
• Philippines
19 Apr 16
@jaboUK It was so cold here during those nights, my dear Momma. I had no sweater nor jacket. I can't bring our bedsheet because we only had one. So, I thought I can just use some clothes to keep me warm wherever I stopped for the night.
Silly me!
Did I actually leave our property that night? Luckily my Manay begged me not to. She cried while hugging me so tightly. She said even if I amnoy her again she will not tell Mama. That solved the case!
She got my pack & branch & off we went back to the house.
Then, a heavy rain suddenly poured!
1 person likes this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
19 Apr 16
not as a little kid but as about 14 yrs, my step dad had punched me for taking up for my mom and cops came and got me from the preachers house, and my mom actually lied and let the step get away with it. they didn't believe me
2 people like this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
19 Apr 16
@jaboUK yes my mom wasn't exactly caring of me as I was her
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
19 Apr 16
@bunnybon7 You mean you ran away to the preacher's house? I should think you found it hard to forgive your Mom for lying. Poor you.
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
19 Apr 16
@bunnybon7 I'm really sorry to hear that Bonnie - you haven't had the best of lives have you?
2 people like this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
21 Apr 16
@jaboUK Yes, the police has to be informed.
But they may not take any action now except to enter it into the record and alert all patrol guys.
Other than that, the police will call the mobile to try to contact the kid.
Many children today just go out without informing anyone, and they may stay out late too.
Anyway 12 years old is not that young, and that is the rebellious age.
It is a different era now.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
20 Apr 16
@scheng1 I'm not sure what the rule is now, but I would have thought that if it was a child that the police would need to be informed immediately. In my case, I hadn't left a note or given anyone an inkling of what I was going to do, so it seemed to my parents that I had just disappeared.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (136364)
• India
18 Apr 16
Oh no Janet. Little girls never do that. Boys I know have done that - my brothers for example 
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
18 Apr 16
@allknowing Rebellious naughty little girls did!
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
18 Apr 16
@allknowing You think? You may be surprised!
2 people like this
@quantum2020 (12041)
• Ciudad De Mexico, Mexico
18 Apr 16
One year earlier than you. I was 11 years old when I packed my things and run away from home. I was away from home for about three months when I decided to come back home.
On my return, I stayed for a month at home; then, I left home again with the permission of my parents.
@quantum2020 (12041)
• Ciudad De Mexico, Mexico
18 Apr 16
@jaboUK I stayed at hostal houses in different cities. Since my father showed me how to work at a very early age, I was always getting some work at varied working places, such as painting, shoe shine, the kitchen, in restaurants, the fields, washing cars, and others.
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
18 Apr 16
@quantum2020 My goodness, wherever did you go? Surely an11 year old couldn't go unnoticed for that amount of time?
And the second time - did you have a proper place to stay?
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
18 Apr 16
@quantum2020 You must have been very resourceful, but you wouldn't have been allowed to work like that in this country.
2 people like this
@Hate2Iron (15727)
• Canada
18 Apr 16
Now there is definitely a story to add to your family tree... Now that was a sad/scary story for all involved and I'm glad that it turned out well. As for me... never occurred to me lol. I was the first born! Need I say more ;)
2 people like this
@Hate2Iron (15727)
• Canada
18 Apr 16
@jaboUK I guess that would apply to me as well, not that I come to think about it. I was also spoiled somewhat ;)
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
18 Apr 16
@Hate2Iron It would be interesting if there was a survey to see if where you come in the family affects your personality.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
18 Apr 16
@Hate2Iron Does being the first born make you more responsible? I ask because my oldest sister never put a foot wrong, we used to call her goody-two-shoes.
2 people like this
