If It Were My Grandson

Then I thought about my own grandson, who is about the same age. If it were him, Heaven forbid, wouldn’t I want everyone out there searching? Shouldn’t I at least try to find Yosef Shapiro?

I did go, and I walked and searched and called out “Yosef” for over an hour. I went into places I’d never been, even along the beach under the Belt Parkway at the Paerdergat Basin in Canarsie Park, Brooklyn. Lightning and thunder signaled a big storm on the way. The light display and crashing sounds became stronger as the sun set. The area is not well lit, and I had to rely on the two flashlights I’d brought.

Then the rain came down. It was heavy, and I was tired, so I began to head back. One must guard his own health first. But then I noticed a dirt path I hadn’t seen before. Although I was alone, I chose to explore it.

I had been walking for only a few minutes when I heard a child’s voice utter one syllable.