Abram has a late bus; he doesn’t usually step off of the bus until about 4:45 PM. If the bus is running late, he could get off at 4:50 PM but he has never really been any later than that. When the clock struck 5:00 with no sign of Abram, I started to get worried.
Because Abram is in fifth grade now, we don’t wait for him at the bus stop anymore- he gets off the bus and walks home on his own every day. The bus stop is our driveway. 😜
Usually if the bus is running late I get a call from school or transportation, but I have not received any calls. I keep looking out the window and still, no sign of Abram or the bus. By 5:05 PM I am worried.
I decide to call my neighbor down the street. Unfortunately, her daughter did not take the bus home and she wasn’t aware of any bus delays.
I called the school but was not surprised when no one answered- it was late and most likely, all of the staff has left for the day.
Starting to feel a little panic, I called the parent of one of Abrams friends whom I know rides the same bus.
“Hi N. Has L gotten off of the bus? Abram isn’t home yet and I am a little worried.”
“Yes, L got off the bus on time today.”
N asked her son if she saw Abram get on the bus after school and he said yes but… he thinks Abram might have fallen asleep.
😳
I thank her for her time, hang up and call the school again. Unsurprisingly, no answer. So… I quickly find the school counselors phone number that is stored in my phone (AD & school refusal) and give her a call.
“Hi Janet! What’s up?!”
“Hi Ms. S. I am so sorry to bother you right now but… Abram hasn’t gotten off of the bus yet and I am not really sure what to do. I tried to call the school but there was no answer.”
She asked me a few questions and then hung up to call the Principle. She promised to call me right back but seven minutes feels like a really long time when your son is missing…
The Assistant Principle called Transportation to alert them of the situation and they will call me as soon as they hear something.
T i c k. T i c k. T i c k.
“Hello, Mrs. Price? Well, it turns out that Abram fell asleep on the bus and the bus driver found him when she was doing her final rounds. She is on her way back with Abram and will drop him off at home.”
To clarify, she got all the way to the bus lot before she found him sleeping on her bus.
I have to leave to take Lucy to softball, we are already 15 minutes late but since we now know that Abram safe and is on his way home, I can leave Ryan to wait for him.
A few minutes later, I get a text from Ryan: “Home.”
💙
The Story According to Abram
Me: “So Abram, What happened? Why did you fall asleep, were you car sick?”
Abram: “No, I was just tired.”
Me: “What happened when you woke up?”
Abram: “Well, I heard a click when the bus turned off and I woke up. I was really nervous. Mrs. S started walking down the aisle towards the back of the bus and when she got close to me and I said: Um. Mrs. S, I am still here.”
Me: “What did she say?!”
Abram: “I don’t remember but she was NOT happy!”
If you knew Mrs. S, you would hear this story and laugh to yourself knowing exactly how she responded.
Should she have realized that he got on the bus but didn’t get off? Probably. It is possible that he got on the bus with a group of friends and didn’t notice him? Absolutely.
One thing is for sure- she probably won’t drive by our house again without making sure he is awake!
=)
On another note: I am so grateful that I had a staff members personal phone number. What would I have done if I didn’t? I guess I would have had to call the police? 🤷♀️
janetsplanetblog.com 