He's never done it before

I was only distracted for a second, chatting to our farm host.
It was only a second. And he was gone from view.
I called his name, no answer. I called again, louder, still no answer.
I looked under and around the farm buildings. Scanned the paddock toward the creek.
Nothing.
I ran back to our farmhouse, heart going a million. I slid open the door and there he was.
He was standing in front of the television.
It had been a long couple of minutes.

He's never done it before, He has never run off from us and disappeared from view.
At this country oasis, he was, in my most rational mind, safe from too much harm.
He had run across the driveway and straight into the farmhouse. Not much could have happened.

But he's never done it before.

He told me why he did it, when I asked him later.
"I ran because I was scared of the big truck (golf buggy used around the farm). I was scared it would run over me".

And now we must work to teach him how to tell us when he is scared.
How to speak up and get help.
We must teach him to tell us when he is worried or wants to leave.
We must teach him not to walk out the primary school gate next year.

He's never done it before.