A Bus Ride

Today was a big day at our house. 

A yellow school bus stopped at the end of our driveway at 3:30. 

It delivered a sweet girl to me and she was beaming. 

I've always driven my kids to school and I've always picked them up from school. 

Actually, my husband drives to and I pick up. 

They go to school in a rural area. 

Ten minutes down the highway for the primary school. 

Another ten minutes or so for the intermediate school. 

The primary school houses pre-school through 2nd grade. 

While the intermediate teaches grades 3-5.  

I will stand firm with my assertion that primary school is too young to ride the bus. 

Then there was Zoe's cancer. 

And the fear of germs while she was immune suppressed for two years. 

We live so far out that a bus ride to school would be close to an hour event. 

Ten minutes in the car or an hour on the bus?  

Car. 

There's a shuttle between these two schools, dropping kids from the intermediate off at the primary school which is closest to us. 

So, Zoe has been riding the shuttle since 3rd grade in the morning and after school. 

Her dad drives her and her sister Gigi to the primary school and they arrive by 7:30. 

Z jumps on the 7:30 shuttle to her school and dad takes Gigi into her school. 

Then he high tails it home for a hot cup of coffee. 

But lately, things haven't been so peachy on that shuttle bus. 

Now, I've written past posts about bullies my daughter has dealt with. 

Girls who scream in her face. 

Girls who think it's up to them to decide who can be friends with whom. 

But this bully is different. 

She's bigger. 

And meaner. 

And older. 

She's the bus driver. 

I've learned that some people just don't like children. 

And don't want to hear children. 

They forget that the children they are in charge of are loved by someone. 

That these children have rights. 

But they don't care. 

And their boss doesn't care. 

Because of.... I'm not sure why. 

But I do know one thing, I won't stand for my daughter being screamed at by someone. 

Someone who just does her job for the paycheck. 

So, we pulled Zoe off that bus.  

And told the principal why. 

And the principal called the bus barn to air our complaint.  

The principal informed me that the bus barn already knows about the situation from previous complaints.

And my husband called the bus barn to air his complaint. 

The bus barn didn't seem to care. 

We checked into a different bus and driver. 

The bus that would bring her home. 

A 40 minute ride. 

We were told that the #6 bus was a good bus. 

Not too crowded. 

A kind, non-screaming male driver would deliver our precious goods 5 days a week. 

So, today at 3:30 I waited in our driveway. 

With sister and grandma in tow. 

Not too close to the road. 

I didn't want to embarrass my 4th grader.

We waited. 

And waited. 

When is this bus coming?

Then my excitement level went beyond the treetops when the bus stopped at the end of our drive and the door opened. 

My girl. 

My girl was home. 

Out she bounded. 

The girl who has survived sickness and so much turmoil in her young life. 

She did it. 

She rode the bus all the way home from school. 

Like everyone else.