Recently we started having Monkey ride the bus to and from school. The bus stop is one short block to the south and two long blocks to the east. On day one of riding the bus, Bear walked Monkey down to the bus stop. She realized that she had friends from the neighborhood to ride the bus with. Everything went well. She got on the bus went to school and had a great day.
Bear had finals that Monday and couldn't get home in time to pick her up from the bus stop. I took a half day so that I could make sure to be at the bus stop to pick her up after school. Bug and I walked down the street and waited. The bus came. The bus went. Monkey didn't get off at our stop. When she didn't get off I asked the bus driver, he said he thought she got off at the last stop. Bug and I walked down the street.... No Monkey.
I grabbed Bug and booked it back home. I jumped in the car and sped down the street. I crawled up and down streets looking for her. There was not a single child on the street anywhere. Instantly, my mind went to the deep dark basements, and the ditches on the side of the freeway. I called Bear, but he didn't answer. I called my mom. She offered to come help look. I didn't know what else to do. In case of emergency... Call Your Mommy.
After 20 minutes of panic and tears driving around my neighborhood, I got a phone call from the school. They had Monkey. I raced over to the school as fast as I could drive safely. Monkey, and an old man were walking up to the office as I got there. It took everything I had to thank the gentleman without bursting into tears. I gathered her and Bug up and whisked them away home. Safe and sound. Thank goodness.
What had happen was....
Monkey got off at the wrong stop. She was walking around the wrong little pocket neighborhood. A man saw her and asked her if she was lost. She said she couldn't find me or her house. The man went to another neighbor and asked him (the elderly man) to help her since he was in the middle of a landscaping job and couldn't help. The old man asked her where her house was. She told him the house number, but didn't know her street. They drove around a little bit looking for "a house with candy canes" that is near our house. The man asked her what school she went to, and he called the school, told them he had her, and drove her back to school. That's when I got the call.
That 20-30 minutes was the most terrifying time of my life. I think I aged 20 years. There are no words to describe the fear, relief and the gratitude I felt that day.
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