Thai woman lost for 25 years!
By Sawsen
@Sawsen (793)
United States
February 9, 2007 1:10am CST
"A Thai mother who was lost for 25 years after catching the wrong bus home has spoken of her ordeal after being reunited with her family...The last time Jaeyaena saw her family was in 1982 when she left south Thailand on one of her regular shopping trips across the border to Malaysia.
She never returned, and police later told her family that she had been killed in a traffic accident.
In fact, Jaeyaena had simply taken the wrong bus home-an error that would have been easy to fix except that she only speaks the local dialect of Malay known as Yawi, according to officals at the homeless shelter where the 76 year old has lived for the for two decades. " Story continues at yahoo.com
I thought this was a really interesting story. Especially since such a little thing changed the entire course of her life. I think it goes to show how important communication is. What do you all think of this story?
4 people like this
6 responses
@western_valleygirl (1363)
• United States
9 Feb 07
I think it is sad, and scary. For something like that to happen, is really odd...there must have been some way for her to get out, if she just said the name of her town, they could probably have taken her there. How could there not be anyone who understood her in all that time? Perhaps, she did not want to be found...that is the only thing that I could think. It is unbelievable that she would not be able to get home, in say at the most, a year. Years, wasted....
3 people like this
@Sawsen (793)
• United States
9 Feb 07
Well, if you read the entire story, it will explain how she sang in her language and someone understood her and asked her about her past. I would have pasted the entire story on here, but unfortunately, I still have 150 more posts to go before I can paste. I agree with you though that it's really a sad waste of years gone by. But her family was all very happy to have her back! And they were crying for two days because they still couldn't believe she was back..
2 people like this
@poohandchocolate (348)
• United States
9 Feb 07
That's so sad being lost for 25 years. During all that time she should have tried to find her way back on a bus. That's too long and sad to be stuck in a foreign place all alone. Atleast she's back now. If it were me, I'd try anything to get back and not give up.
2 people like this
@western_valleygirl (1363)
• United States
9 Feb 07
Exactly, I would have gotten on a bus and tried to back track. I just feel like she was hiding out or something. Or maybe she has a disability or something...it just seems too long to not be able to get home. Unbelievable.
1 person likes this
@simplysue (631)
• United States
9 Feb 07
If it wasn't possible to backtrack I would have been learning enough of the local dialect or begging the police or something to help me find my way home. Who knows what must have been going through her mind. It's great that she is back with her family though.
@sunshinecup (7871)
•
9 Feb 07
That is amazing the bus route went so far she never came accross anyone else that spoke her language. It makes me wonder if that is the whole truth or maybe she had a new life there and it is now over and she wanted to come home without shame. Sounds just as strange, I know, but she never came across no one else that spoke her native tongue? Ever in 24 years?
2 people like this
@pebbles_cubbie (3789)
• United States
12 Feb 07
that is seriously outrageous. i don't think she was lost. i think she wanted to be lost. wouldn't you contact police or make a phone call to someone you know. especially if she just went on a regular shopping trip and taken a wrong bus. if you were truly lost i'm sure you would find your way back home. i'm sure she could find someone that spoke the Yawi language. if she would have gone to the police station then they could find someone that speaks Yawi and she would be back home in no time.
@shywolf (4514)
• United States
9 Feb 07
That is an amazing story! To think that she was lost for that long! I can't imagine how much joy she must have felt to have finally been reunited with her family after 25 yeas. Wow!
You're right, communication is incredibly important. This story, although my story is really not like it at all, reminds me of the one time that I got on the wrong bus on the first day of school, and rode to nearly the end of the line before of course realizing for sure that this bus was not going to get me home *laugh* Thankfully, I was able to explain to the driver and he was able to find my street, so eventually I got home, if maybe 45 minutes late. It wasn't all that scary, but it was a shock at first when i realized what had happened.
