Being Lost

“Are you sure we’re going the right way?” Alex asked. “I’m positive!” Kelvin assured him. Alex and Sam were in the heart of a foreign country. The two friends had ventured from their hotel in search of a renowned restaurant known for its delectable cuisine. Armed with the address and a sense of adventure, they set off into the cool evening and took a train to a small town.

As Alex and Sam walked along unfamiliar roads, their optimism began to wane. The road signs taunted the duo with their cryptic symbols and characters, an indecipherable puzzle in a foreign language. They found themselves walking down several streets with dead ends and got entangled in a maze of alleyways. Communication with the locals had not been successful either, with both parties signing wildly at each other before giving up in embarrassment and frustration. Soon, the sky turned dark and their stomachs began to growl.

“Excuse me, do you need help?” came a heaven-sent voice. Alex and Sam turned around to see a middle-aged lady standing in front them. “Do you understand English?” they asked immediately. Alex and Sam thanked their lucky stars as they asked for directions to the restaurant. The lady offered to take them there as it was round the corner.

To their dismay, the group was greeted by an empty restaurant with its shutters down. Reading the sign on the door, the lady announced that the restaurant had closed for the day. They had been too late. “You know, I actually own a small restaurant down the street,” the lady suggested shyly. “Why not give it a try?”

Following the lady, Alex and Sam found themselves in front of a small local eatery that was brimming with life and laughter. They pushed open the door and were greeted by a symphony of aromas and a warm, inviting atmosphere. Seated at a table, their frustration slowly melted away as they engaged in conversations with the lady who acted as a translator between them and the locals. As they ate and drank the night away, Alex and Sam smiled. Being lost had led them to a better dining experience than they had hoped for!

A week had passed since the family’s adventurous road trip. Marcus found himself lost in a wave of nostalgia as he lounged lazily on the living room sofa, flicking through photographs of the trip on his mobile phone. He stopped at a particular image that captured the essence of their journey — a snapshot of his family standing before a cascading waterfall. He could not help but chuckle at the looks of relief and weariness on their faces as he recalled the events of that day.

The family of four had been on their way to visit a famous tourist spot. Straying off the beaten path, Marcus and his wife, Emma, decided to forgo a tour package and instead, make their way there by car. They rented a small car in the city and set off early in the morning with their two children, Lily and Jack.

The first signs of trouble started when the signal on their Global Positioning System (GPS) mysteriously vanished at the outskirts of the city. Panic gripped them as they realised they were without any form of navigation. They were on their own in the vast unknown, kilometres away from the nearest city.

The couple kept their eyes peeled for road signs, following them as diligently as they could. However, the signs became fewer as they ventured further away from the city. The family drove for hours and hours, but their elusive destination remained out of sight.

The journey became an unexpected adventure as they ventured through picturesque countryside roads and quaint villages. They stopped to ask locals for directions and ate a delicious lunch at a small drive-through. After countless wrong turns, they finally stumbled upon the majestic waterfall. The sight took their breath away, erasing all traces of exhaustion and frustration. They basked in the beauty which nature had to offer with wide smiles on their face, snapping a photograph as a keepsake.

Marcus and Emma had learnt their lesson. On the journey back, they made a pit stop at the tourist centre near the waterfall. Remembering their earlier struggle, they purchased a detailed map, making sure that they would not be lost in the maze of unfamiliar roads again. The map became their guiding light, offering a sense of security as they embarked on their return journey.