Jack Journal - 2

 Andrea had returned home to greet the kids getting off of the school bus.  She had a couple of minutes to let the dog out and to pick up an Amazon package on the front stoop.  As she turned from picking up the package the school bus sped by their house without ever slowing down.  She watched as the bus proceeded down the street, waiting to see the brake lights that never appeared.  She went in the house and called the neighbor across the street asking if her son was expected off the bus.  The other mother affirmed that her son too was supposed to be on the bus.  They both hung up with the intent to contact the bus garage.

As Andrea was looking up the phone number for the bus garage, the bus came down the street again - this time stopping at her driveway and the three kids exited and then headed off to their houses.  The bus proceeded on the route as if all of the recent happenings were normal for a Wednesday afternoon.

As the kids came into the house, it made the most sense to start with the oldest, the fourth grader, to get the story of the missed stop.  When asked, the response was "Well, I don't know what happened.  I was just sitting, looking out the window, and then I saw you on the step, and he never stopped.  Next thing I knew, Jack was walking up to the front of the bus. I didn't know what he was doing either."

Andrea looked at Jack who easily recounted his version, "Well, he didn't stop and I thought - what the heck?  So, I got up and walked to the front of the bus, sat down behind him, leaned in, and asked him 'What are you doing?'  He didn't like that.  He got a little mad that I asked that.  He said 'what do you mean? I'm driving the bus.'  I said 'well, you missed our stop.'  Then he said 'oh, shit."  He went around the block and brought us back."  

As Andrea was processing that fact that her older child was oblivious to dealing with the missed stop and trying to imagine the calm, logical approach of a 7 yr old just trying to get to the bottom of the situation (did it really happen this way?), the phone rang.  It was the neighbor mom and all she said when Andrea answered was "Thank god for Jack!"

Yes, thank god for Jack, who was already searching the cupboard for an after-school snack.  So many unanswered questions will remain that way - Jack is moving on.