Antalya vs The Escalator

I've just found a great speech therapy group that meets every Friday down in the city. That means every Friday I've got to take the girls on the tube to the appointment. Today was my first experience getting there with both girls. We managed pretty well on the tube, and even managed to get the stroller, plus all three of us up two flights of stairs.

Then came the escalator. Antalya LOVES escalators. I knew I didn't stand a chance convincing her to sit this one out in the stroller, so I explained that she needed to hold my hand. So with one hand pushing Victoria in the stroller and the other coaxing Antalya along we got to the bottom step of the escalator. I pushed the wheels of the stroller on, the stairs rose up and we were on our way.

Well, part of us were. At the last minute Antalya had broken away from my hand. She wanted to do it all by herself. And it was too late for me to do anything but just watch. I feebly tried to pull the stroller down the steps, but I knew there was no way I would reach the bottom - we were going up quicker than I could pull us down.

So I watched, and panicked as Antalya, with a big grin on her face, took a step onto the escalator with no one to help correct her step. Then I watched as her foot landed right on top of the crack where the stairs would soon be splitting. Sure enough, the stairs rose, Antalya lost her balance. In very slow motion I watched as she fell back, then the next stair tipped her back even more, and I knew the next stair would tip her back all the way and she would somersault backwards down the staircase.

It was an awful moment. Knowing exactly what was going to happen and not being able to do anything to stop it.

Then suddenly out of nowhere a man appeared and caught her fault and carried my crying, kicking little girl up to where we were.

I think the stranger carrying her was the scariest part of the ordeal. He set her down next to me. I held out my hand and said, "will you please hold my hand?" She quickly grasped it, and didn't let go.

I'm pretty sure next time we come face to face with an escalator and I ask her to hold my hand, I won't get any protests.