The end of the month was busy for me. I left for work very early one morning and offered The Fish a ride to the (very close) bus stop.
It was a chilly morning and I thought she might want to sit in the slightly warmer car.
She didn't want to.
"I'll stand" (in the cold) "with my friends - thanks", she told me as she climbed out of the car.
Drat.
So she stood there with her friends and I sat in my car.
She stared at me and I smiled widely back at her. I am obnoxious like that...
"You can go" she told me plainly.
"Nope. I'll stay." I said, tapping my fingers on the steering wheel. You see, It's still kind of not really daylight when they get on the bus and I know, although few and far between, people DO, in fact, take innocent and beautiful, unsuspecting children from bus stops. I have SEEN the news reports.
I waited. I looked back at The Fish. Her eyes got BIG and she motioned for me to GO.
I held my ground...
"Mommy!" she said, kind of urgently, "Puh-lease GO. I AM FINNNNNNEEEuhhh!"
"Fine" I said. Then I gave her the Mommy-Death-Stare and, contrary to my intuition, I drove away.
And let me just say that: after I left the bus picked up my child it promptly broke down and they had to sit there until someone came to fix whatever-the-hell was broken and I could have just driven her to school except NOOOO, I was told to leave...
Fast forward to Friday:
When...
The Fish's bus was hit by an oncoming vehicle that ran a red light. I was in the shower when the phone calls came from frantic neighbors. My Mother-of-the-Year award IS COMING NON-BELIEVERS! It is! How was I supposed to know that I am NOT ALLOWED TO SHOWER AT 7AM FOR FEAR THAT A SCHOOL BUS ACCIDENT WILL OCCUR!
The Fish is fine after her ordeal. It was MUCH less traumatic than when my friends sons bus FLIPPED OVER on the way to school last year. MUCH LESS TRAUMATIC...
Note to all. The school bus is not always the way, it is not always safe and you do not have to leave when told.
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