Tragedy struck this past weekend for parents Gene and Sophie Wanderson while shopping at a busy mall for last minute holiday gifts. “I looked down and he was just gone,” cried Sophie speaking of their young bespectacled son, Waldo, who Gene swore was just with them a second ago. The parents began retracing their steps in efforts to find the usually unmistakable boy given his less-than-trendy red & white striped sweater and hat combo.
After searching what they believed to be every corner of the mall, Gene and Sophie grew so worried they started yelling Waldo’s name and asking the other mall goers for help. “There were people who just started laughing,” stated a rather annoyed Gene after he had spent precious time describing his son to others and asking if anyone had seen Waldo. Tension built as several times they stopped thinking they had found their lost son, only to have been fooled by others who seemed to share their son’s previously unique clothing style.
Luckily the Wandersons eventually received several tips that led the parents to check the bookstore. There Gene and Sophie were finally reunited with their son, Waldo. The store cheered “There’s Waldo!” while the family shared a warm embrace. The relief the parents felt was only rivaled by the times they had found their son after he got lost at the beach, theme park, ski lodge, and space station.
