As the kids shuffled to their cubbies to get their belongings, i still sat there refusing to move, not knowing what was going on. Mrs.meryweather came up beside me and told me that it was time to go home. I rushed out of my chair and marched in line with the rest of the students.
They walked us out to the front driveway of the school and and walked us each onto our assigned busses. Once on my bus i looked around for my uncle Corey and my cousins. None of whom were on. I told the teacher that i was on the wrong bus. She looked down at her paper and told me that i was mistaken. I pushed past her and ran off of the bus looking around frantically for my uncle in the crowd of kids. My teacher fallowed me off and tried to console me. She tried telling me that Kindergardeners got out earlier than the other kids so that they could go home and eat lunch with their mommies and daddies. but it was to no avail. I was crying and screaming for my uncle corey. My mother had given me strict instructions that morning to wait for corey before getting on the bus and to not get off of the bus until he did
so that i wouldn't get lost.
One of the teachers aids went into the school to look for him. She pulled him out of class and brought him to come and console me. By the time they got back all of the other busses had already gone, and the kids on bus 435A were all staring out of the window.
Corey was a bit embarrassed, but he told me that he would get out at 3 and that if I didnt get on the bus, then he couldnt meet me at aunt charlenes house after school cause i'd get in trouble. He hugged me and told me to stop being such a cry baby.
I got on the bus, and sat down in the front seat opposite the bus driver. The girl behind me kicked my seat and grunted "took you long enough crybaby"
I sat there staring out the window as i watched corey go back into the school. I waved at him, until he got inside of the doors, and then i turned around and sat their singing to myself, trying to ignore the laughs of the girls behind me who were still kicking my seat.
I got off the bus at where i thought was my great aunts apartment complex. As the other kids ran off to their homes, i looked around and realized i had no clue where i was. I didnt want to be a baby and ask for help, so i started walking. With no real direction in site. I must have walked several hours, because by the time i reached a familiar neighborhood and found my way to my Grama Jackies house, the other kids were all out of school.
I opened the door and instantly heard the echo of "oooo you're gonna get it and someone shoting "grandma Quay-ana's here." My Grampa lamb came rushing to the door with my grandmother walking behind him with her arms crossed disapprovingly. Grampa picked me up and huged me and checked to make sure i was ok. While my grandma went to call Charlene and my mother. I explained to my grampa that i got off at the wrong stop and didnt know where i was. He just said "its ok baby girl, i'm glad your safe" and told me that i could go out and play with my cousins till he got ready to take me home.
When grampa brought me to Charlene's, my mother wasnt home. Charlene sent to me to my room, and my grandfather explained to her the situation. I sat in the room for the rest of the evening. No one bothered me. Eventually, i got hungry, I had only had a bowl of cold cereal for breakfast that morning, and spent what would have been my lunch time wandering aimlessly across the city trying to get home. By the time i heard the other kids getting ready for their baths, my stomach was grawling and i was beginning to feel nauseous. I opted to force myself to fall asleep rather than tempt reminding my aunt of my existence. I was young, but i wasnt stupid. I knew that my grandfathers presence, both at my grandmothers house and at my aunt Charlene's house had protected me from getting spanked and there was no point tempting fate.
