A Little Salt on my JELLO Part 2

I never took a class on Parenting 101.
 If I did though, I'm guessing the first lesson would be:

 "DON'T LOSE YOUR KID"

That would mean I had just failed the first lesson of Parenting.  I had lost one of my kids! He wasn't in sight.  Add on top of that the fact that it was night time.  He was somewhere roaming around at night in an angry stupor.  Where would I go if I was him?  I looked around and noticed a Dollar Tree nearby.  Also, there was a grocery store and a good will store.  He might be in one of those.  It is dark and chilly.  He might have stepped in one of those to escape the cold

We looked in the stores, couldn't find him.  I called the agency's number to report a runaway child.  They told me to just wait at the restaraunt and hope he returns.  So, we did.

Twenty minutes later, I saw him walking out the front door of the dollar tree.  Another guy in the house and I went to talk to him.  He got in a loud verbal argument with the other guy.  This runaway thought everyone was against him.  I tried to talk with him.

"Get away from me.  I don't want to talk to anyone."
 (said angrily as he begins to walk back into the dollar tree)\

(I follow him) "I know your angry and want to be alone.  How about you and Emily head home all alone in her car.  It will be just the two of you."

"No.  Don't talk to me."  (He quickly darts down an aisle in an attempt to get away from me.)

I sigh and follow behind him.  I really want to just leave him and say see ya.  Have fun without anywhere to sleep or anything to eat and no money.  Hope you enjoy being angry in the cold with no food and no bed.

Instead, I tell him we have to go home.

"I'll walk home"

"You know it took us forty minutes to drive here.  How long do you think it will take to walk home?"

"Don't talk to me.  Get beepin' away from me."  He darts down another aisle.  People in the store are beginning to look at us.  My runaway is talking very loud.  This is getting ridiculous.

I go outside and find Emily.  Maybe this is a matter that requires a little feminine finesse.
 "Can you go and talk to him about going home just the two of you in your car?  He won't listen to me.  Maybe he'll listen to you."

Emily goes and suggests getting some candy and going home just the two of them.  Ahh, bribery...

it didn't work.  She got the same response.

  "Get away from me.  Don't talk to me."

I sent Emily and the guys home in the van.  I was going to wait for my angry runaway to calm down and get in the car.

I waited in the car in the parking lot.  I could see him in the store wandering around.  Periodically he would come out and look around.

Finally, he thought he was alone.  I saw him looking around outside the dollar store.  He actually looked worried.  He talked a big game, but now that he thought he was alone, he was scared.

I turned the car on and pulled up next to him.

"You ready to go?"

His face showed relief and then in a flash it switched to angry.

"Get away from me."

Really, again?

In total, I waited for an hour and a half outside waiting for him to calm down.  Eventually, I had to call the police to come and talk with him.  It was very frustrating because my natural response was to play hard ball and leave him.  You don't want to get in the car and go home?  Well, you're eighteen.  Ok, have fun.

The next time the guys were planning to go somewhere, he asked if he could go.  My response, "Nope.  I don't know if I can take you out in public.  I don't want to have a repeat of this weekend.  What happens if you get angry again and refuse to go home?"

He got huffy and puffy and went to watch Spongebob.  He is learning that if you don't act right out in the community, I just won't take you out anywhere.  Simple as that.