Flexibility

I think I've mentioned before how dismissal is actually a tough time of the day. Remarkably, we have it down to somewhat of a science. In order for this system to work, there are some absolutes: all parents must get on a line to pick up their kid (yes, even you!); any change in a child's regular dismissal must have a note from home and no bus is allowed to leave until we give them the all clear that they have all of their students. One bus driver decided that he wanted to make a deal with the security guard at work, and they had this arrangement where he could leave early once he though he had everybody. As I'm sure you've imagined by now, he left before having one student on Friday. Over the walkie talkie, someone said, "there are no deals here!" As we are figuring out what happened, the little boy taps me, and we have this interaction:

Boy: (tapping me) Ms. F, I have an idea.
Me: What's that?
Boy: I can just get on another bus. My mom told me I need to be more flexible. Maybe it doesn't have to be that bus.
Me: It does have to be that bus, because those buses go to other places.
Boy: Yeah, but I just don't want to be HERE right now, and maybe one of those drivers will take me home.

Poor guy, I wanted to go home too! I don't think getting on a random bus was the kind of flexibility Mom was talking about though...