A mother's pain, Baby Ralston's mom just wants him back
Published:Saturday | January 15, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Anastasia Cunningham, Senior Gleaner Writer
DANNA EMMANUEL sits at home every day hoping to see her baby walk down the steep, rocky path to their small, humble home.
On Tuesday evening, she fried some fish for the family and left four pieces for her beloved son. She was hoping with all her heart that he would find his way home that evening.
It has been 10 days since two-year-old Augustus Neville Mitchell went missing, and there is still no sign of him.
In fact, parents Neville Mitchell and Danna don't want to imagine that after more than a week he is still lost in the heavily vegetated terrain of Albion Mountains, in deep rural St Thomas that they call home.
"Out there is very cold at nights," said mom.
"And the doctor says with the sickle cell, we must keep him warm all the time," added dad.
The search in the community is no longer under way. The parents said the police advised them to call it off because they are now convinced that Baby Ralston, as they call him, was taken by someone.
"The police say searching don't mek any sense because someone have di baby in dem arms," said Neville.
That is not much comfort to them. They just want their son back.
"I just asking anyone who have him to just take him to the nearest point or police station and leave him. I won't ask any question or say anything, just return my boy," he said.
After a pause, he said, "I hope they have the heart to just bring him back."
He shook his head. "This one just really, really strange," said Neville, who is still not able to fathom what really happened.
"It a kill me slowly but surely," said mom.
"When a eating, it come een like a just eating for eating sake. When a sleeping, every minute a jump out of mi sleep. It bad. A just want him back," she said sadly.
Lively, active, talkative
Danna described Baby Ralston as a lively, active, talkative child who never left her side. She wished she had kept him that morning.
"Him just loving and lively. When you sad, him mek you glad," she said.
She left home that morning with Baby Ralston for their farm, some four miles away, to pick gungo.
On her way, he said to her, "Mommy, how much phone you have?"
"Two," she told him.
"All right, gi me one."
She smiled and pushed the Claro phone into his pocket.
On nearing her neighbour's house, she realised he was growing weary and was not able to make the journey, so she asked the neighbour, who is also an old classmate, to let him stay with her until she got back from the farm.
Danna said she knew it was Baby Ralston crying, and after seeing the direction in which she went, he decided to go after her. He hasn't been seen since.
Whatever happened to Baby Ralston remains a mystery. For now, mom and dad just sit and wait, hoping and praying to see their baby son once again.