Andrew came home without Robert. Andrew doesn't stay after every day, but a lot of them. When he came in without his brother I asked where he was. Andrew said he didn't see him get on the bus. He also said he thought he saw him from the bus, walking with a friend of his down the road from school. I tried to let it go. Maybe it wasn't Robert he saw. Maybe Robert needed to stay after and would be calling me to pick him up. Maybe he would just take the late bus home. But it felt wrong. Robert wouldn't not tell me he was staying right? There had to be a good reason. Maybe he needed to stay to finish a test like Andrew had a week or so before. Maybe.
Like I said I tried to let it go. Then, I thought to ask Andrew if Robert knew he'd be coming home. If Robert knew Andrew would be home for his sister that would explain the not calling or hanging out with a friend afterschool. Andrew said, "No. He never asked me about it." My twins aren't exactly the closest of brothers. I think they're too opposite of each other. They don't really look out for each other, much less talk to each other at all in school. Once when they were in the same class they got in trouble for poking and fighting with each other during class since the teacher had sat them in alphabetical order. They have never been in the same class again.
So, I was watching the clock and waiting, thinking he'd call shortly before three when afterschool extra help sessions are over. No call. I was peeling potatoes for dinner trying not to think about where he could be. What he was doing. And who was this "friend" Andrew thinks he saw him with? I don't really know any of their friends. They hang out at school but don't make many plans with anyone outside of school. Maybe he wasn't a good kid. Maybe he led my gullible Robert off somewhere and 'Oh My God' did I even know what he was wearing that day? Needless to say it was quite hard to keep my thoughts in check. I was about to go ask Andrew what he knew of the kid Robert may have been walking with when my sister showed up and about two minutes later Robert walked through the door.
The first question out of my mouth was, "How did you get here?" I didn't hear or see a car and knew the bus drop off time was still a ways away. He said he walked home with his friend. I looked out the window but his friend was already gone. My sister confirmed he was with someone, saying she had seen him walking with some kid on a bike next to him. I kicked Robert upstairs to his room, and had my emotional moment, thankful he was home and fine after all the crazy things that had gone through my head. My sister left and later I got the rest of the story from my son.
Roberts story: He missed the bus. Though I never asked how or why, plain and simple he missed his bus. Not sure what to do yet, his friend saw him and asked if he wanted to walk home with him. He lived in the same neighborhood and walked home all the time, according to Robert. So he went with him. Granted they had to walk up Rt 112 and cross both the north and south service roads of the expressway, but I'd done plenty of walking around when I was his age and younger my mother still doesn't know about. And I walked home from school every time I stayed after instead of waiting around for a late bus to show up. So they stopped at his friends house for him to get his bike because he was getting tired. And his friend wanted to see where he lived and make sure he knew how to get there. They came all the way back to our house together.
It took a little bit for me to settle down but it was all good. He'd made it home. He'd made a good choice in a friend that would make sure he got home. He made sure he was home for his sister even though it stressed me out a bit. No, he never called. And I was ok with that. I guess because it worked out well. He is growing up and needs to make good choices for himself. He proved that he could to me that day. There isn't always a phone to use anyway. I felt good about it. My husband not so much. He was adamant he should have called either before he left the school or when they reached his friends house. Sure, that would have been nice but it wasn't something I was going to stress over.
Yes, we are living in an age of constant contact but you've got to let go sometime and somehow. Yes if something had happened we wouldn't have known it was him until way too late because we'd had no idea where he was. Now if he wants to walk home I know his route. I walked home from school way too many times to remember. Did my mother know I did? Nope. Did she know which route I took? No way. I was a girl and I was alone. Different times though right? But now I've learned I can trust he's making good choices. He managed to get himself home in one piece without help from me. I have to let him grow up. I have no choice in that. It was just yet another fun filled, stress out lesson as mom I have to learn, sometimes the hard way, and a growing up test I'd say my son passed pretty well.
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| Too bad we can't always kept safety harness' on them! |
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