Gone, gone, gone

When my son was around one, many items of his clothing began to inexplicably disappear. I can’t overemphasise the inexplicable nature of what occurred – all the items unquestionably disappeared in my house. The house is always secure, and there is no possibility of them being stolen or falling down the back of the sofa. The first item to disappear was his large padded duffle coat. It was a cold January afternoon; I had taken him to the park, brought him home, and removed his coat on the sofa. This is the last time I saw it, for when I next went to put it on, it was gone. A few weeks later, his new shoes, a pair of navy trainers with flashing lights, also disappeared, again from the house, as a pair. Again a few weeks later, his huge padded bobble hat with ear flaps went, and beyond doubt this was also from the house. Other items belonging to him also disappeared around this time, including a jumper his grandmother had knitted. None of my two-year-old daughter’s clothes disappeared, and no one at any point entered the house who could have had either the opportunity or motivation to steal them.

One other bizarre event happened. One afternoon I was changing his clothes. He had a brand-new sailor’s outfit, which was at the bottom of a box of clothes. I laid it out, and moments later, went to put it on. It was now soaking wet, drenched in some colourless and odourless liquid. The box was dry, the floor was dry, and no, he hadn’t piddled on it as he was wearing a nappy. There was absolutely no rational explanation. He is now six and every so often his clothes still disappear from the house. It only happens to him.

I wonder if any readers have experienced such a phenomenon relating to one member of the household? I attach a few photos, one of my son in the disappearing coat and hat, and another, taken from an old photographic slide found in the Victorian darkroom at the bottom of my garden. It shows a few children standing next to the darkroom. It is an utter mystery what happened to my son’s stuff, but we enjoy the idea that there are Victorian children running around the house adorned with his clothes. They would have great fun with the flashing trainers!

Olivia Thatcher

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