It Takes A Village (or at least one observant neighbor)

Gosh, I love having neighbors!

Adam got in the car after school today and announced, "the bus never came this morning". I asked him how he got to school, and he said he walked. (Seven miles ... yeah, right!)

He laughed and admitted, "Not really". Our neighbor, Trisha ended up taking him. Adam was waiting at the bus stop at the bottom of the hill along with Trisha's daughter and another neighborhood girl when Trisha happened by on her way to take her younger son to the middle school and saw them standing there.

The bus normally arrives at 7:40 and it was 8:20 by that time. Forty minutes after the fact and all three kids were still down there waiting for the bus to arrive.

Apparently, there was suppose to be a substitute driver and they didn't show up to work. Hence, no bus service to our neck of the woods.

That's odd enough but the great mystery lies herein. Why would the kids just wait down there, almost within shouting distance of their houses no less, a full forty minutes (and counting) after the normal scheduled arrival time?

Adam said they were discussing just hanging out all day and not going to school at all.

Now THAT, I believe!

But all's well that ends well. Trisha blew their little scheme and transported them all to the high school in her SUV. On the way, Adam mentioned that the school would count them "tardy" anyway, to which Trisha announced, "Hail, no they won't!" She escorted the three of them into the front office and informed the person behind the desk that the bus had not shown up. She went on to explain that not only were our neighborhood kids left standing by the street, the road that runs between ours and the highway was also lined with youngsters who were waiting on the same elusive bus.

I saw Trisha out in her yard this evening and thanked her for taking charge of the situation. She and I were both shaking our heads, wondering exactly how long our little angels actually would have stayed down there had she not driven by and intervened.

In Adam's case, he would have had to fess up eventually, since I pick him up after school, but Trisha's daughter and the other girl ride the bus to and from school every day. Their plan might have actually worked for them.

I'd been contemplating having Adam ride the bus home from school two or three afternoons a week. Needless to say, I'm reconsidering that option. I'd hate to get all the way to the end of the school year only to discover that my son hadn't been to school since early in the first semester.

Hey! It could happen if it weren't for my awesome neighbors.