The Big First Day Part Two

I have never been late to pick up The Fiend from school.  Not once.  Never. 

Except for yesterday, her first day of kindergarten.  Yes that’s right folks, I was late picking up my daughter from her first day of kindergarten.  Worst mom ever.

Here’s the story.  I had a four o’clock appointment and had to pick The Fiend up before 5:30.  My appointment was scheduled to last an hour leaving a full thirty minutes to make it from one end of town to the other.  No big deal.

How wrong I was.  I was running behind at the office and was therefore late for my appointment.  Then the appointment ran long.  Then I hit every red light and automotively impaired individual between my appointment and the school. 

While waiting in a line of cars inexplicably stopped at a green light my phone rang.  I saw an unfamiliar number and knew instantly that it was the after school program calling to see if this was indeed a case of child abandonment.  I immediately began to plead my case.  “I got caught up!  I’m stuck in traffic! I never learned to read!”

The young woman on the other end kindly told me not to worry and take my time to get there safely.  I apologized and told her I would get there as fast as I could.  She reiterated that I should get there safely.  I apologized again and hung up.

Perhaps I had a minor stroke or had sustained temporary brain damage after beating my own head with my cell phone.  That could be the only explanation for why I drove right by the giant sign at the top of the school’s driveway.  I pulled onto a side street and raced through the neighborhood to get to the school.  In one of the more brilliant maneuvers of the afternoon I turned onto the out side of the driveway.  I backed up and tried again.

Finally I was throwing the car into park and flying through the front doors.  The Fiend was the last child by about twenty minutes.  I sheepishly apologized again and again.  The two young ladies who were cleaning up were incredibly gracious.  They explained that the typical charge for being late is $1 a minute, but that the charge might be waived because it was my first offense.  I thanked them, assured them that this would be the last time and ushered The Fiend toward the car. 

There goes the Mom of the Year Award.   And it only cost me $20.