The group of Happy Holidays guides who are on a trip to the amusement park, with a group of forty children, must return to the facilities of the Food Company that hired them to coordinate the Vacation Plan, but when they go through the list to put them on the bus, they realize that a four year old girl is not in the group.

The Director, alarmed, asks the Guides Carola and Carlos, who are responsible for the group of younger children.

"What happened!, where is the girl?"

"We don't know!" answers Carola, "she was here a few seconds ago". But at that moment she remembers two little girls Luisa and Mariela, who tell her something she did not give importance to. They needed to go to the bathroom, to which she had replied that they should wait for her to take them later when they went to eat, that they were no longer babies, that they could hold on. Mariela had peed in her pants and she had scolded her, the girl had started to cry.

Carola calls Luisa, who she knows was with Mariela during the whole walk, since they had become friends, and asks her if she knows where the girl is. Luisa is very casual and confident and says things as she thinks them, as most children do.

"She was sorry, she wet her pants because you didn't want to take us to the bathroom before we went to eat. I think she wanted to go to the bathroom again, maybe she went by herself."

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"But how is it possible Carola that you treated the girls like that!, they are little, look at the consequences. I'm going to go to the park administration, Susana and José stay here with the children, the rest of us, let's go look for her quickly, we have to find her before she gets lost forever. This park is very big and there are a lot of people."

In the parking lot of the company the parents are waiting for the buses to arrive. They are already very late, Mariela's mother senses that something bad is happening. Mrs. Libia, the company's personnel manager, is calling to find out what has happened and when she gets through, the director of the group tells her about the loss of the girl.

Mrs. Libia tries to inform the parents without alarming them and especially Mariela's mother, who she knows has had many problems this year. Her husband died and she is left alone with two small children. She would like to wait a little while so she doesn't have to give her the news... maybe they will find her quickly. But she knows she can't do that and gathers the parents to inform them.

Mariela's mother is very worried, because her little girl has changed a lot since her father died. Withdrawn and lonely, she hardly speaks and the psychologist who is helping her told her that being with other children during these vacations would do her a lot of good. "Understand that your daughter has lost that connection with her father, which especially in females her age is very strong. She feels alone and helpless, the person who protected her is gone and she is not able to face the world without him."

"Please God help Mariela!, protect her, don't let her meet bad people". The other parents come to comfort her and give her the emotional support she needs at this time.

Mariela is very scared, she is lost and doesn't know how to get back to the bus and she thinks about hiding. She climbs into one of the carousel carts, which at that hour is already turned off. There she curls up and is so tired that she falls asleep.

In the park the police, the guards and the group of guides are looking for her. One hour has passed and they haven't found her. Some already think the worst... that someone has taken her.

Mariela wakes up because she hears a voice calling out to her.

"Mariela my child wake up you have to go back to the house, your mom and brother are waiting for you. There are many people looking for you in the park."

Mariela opens her eyes and looks in amazement at the person who was talking to her.

"Daddy thought you were dead!."

"And I am, or rather, I am no longer in this world, but in another one where someday we will meet. Remember that I will always love you and you should not be sad, go dry those tears, there are many things in this life that you will enjoy. Your mom and your brother, your friends, your school, and as you grow up others will open up that will make you happy."

Mariela gets out of the cart, her father takes her by the hand and leads her to where the guides are looking for her.

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Carola is the first to see her and runs to hug her. "I'm sorry Gabriela for what I did to you!, I didn't think of you but of my comfort, I was very cruel."

All the people who have been looking for her gather around the girl and applaud relieved and happy.

The Park Manager calls the company and tells them the good news. "Thank God a good person found her. And let me talk to her mother to reassure her."

"My child! How are you? How nice to hear your voice, here is your brother waiting for you too."

"Don't cry mommy, I'm fine, my daddy found me and took me to the guides, he told me he loved me and to be happy."

Mariela has gone through an experience that helped her overcome the death of her father and now she is no longer afraid and is a talkative girl who has many friends and among them Luisa.

Carola has learned a very important lesson for her life. Helping and caring for children is a great responsibility, understanding how they feel and what they need requires a great deal of love, tenderness and patience.

Thanks for reading

The image of the presentation was edited in Canva

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)