July 2007
I can't believe I forgot to add this to my posts about travelling back to the UK with Rhiannon.
At the Passport Control in Narita airport, Rhiannon and I were delayed for some considerable time while the officer looked very carefully at Rhiannon's passport, his computer, some papers and back again. He looked deep into Rhiannon's eyes, asking her to move closer to his cubicle. Eventually he allowed us through.
Then it hit me. I've been told several times that Rhiannon bears a resemblence to Madeleine McCann. Certainly when she was younger, the similarity was very strong.
It was good to know that officials on this side of the world were very actively looking for Madeleine. I hope they still are.
Until this point, Rhiannon didn't know anything about Maddie's disappearence - news here is pretty localised and Rhiannon is extremely sensitive to things like this (as we all are, of course). But on our return journey through Heathrow posters of Madeleine were everywhere which naturally prompted questions from my 5 year old. I told her what had happened: it gave me a chance to give her a lecture on "stranger danger".
However, while I was buying some duty free, she suddenly disappeared! This isn't something Rhiannon ever did - she was never a "runner", always stayed close... until that moment.
My heart stopped. With all the horror still very fresh in my mind... well, any mother reading this will understand the rapidity of scenarios that flash through your brain at this point.
Five very long minutes later I found her. She'd gone to look at the fish tanks surrounding the Creme de la Mer stand and several lady shop assistants were anxiously keeping one eye on Rhiannon and the other looking out for a frantic mother - me.
My heart started beating again.
As a terrifying coincidence, we'd all been on holiday near Praia da Luz six months before Madeleine's disappearence.
Please keep looking for this beautiful girl.
http://www.findmadeleine.com/home.html
