Where is my Son?

Where is my son? These four words made my world stopped yesterday. My son has been riding school service since last year. It was our decision so my son would learn how to be independent. That he would understand that time will come that I can’t accompany him in school and I can’t stay in school until his dismissal.

I did not have any problems until yesterday. Every day, at 2:30PM I will just stay in the living room waiting for the school service. The service stopped in front of our house, I opened our gate and waited for my son to get off. I was waiting for a few minutes and I find it unusual. I was already nervous because the assistant and the kids were just staring at me without saying a word.

I called my son “Ethan”, I was wondering bakit ayaw bumaba. Then the driver came to me and asked. Driver: Ma’m pumasok po ba si Ethan?
Me: Oo
Driver: Sabi po kasi ni (insert name) absent daw po.
Me: Ha? E paano naman niya malalaman na absent hindi naman sila magclassmate.
Driver: Ganun po ba.
Me: Wala classmate si Ethan na kaservice niya ngayon.
Driver: Pasyensya na po ma’m. Tawagan ko na po si (insert name), mga 3:15 nandito na po si Ethan.

I said ok then the service left. My world suddenly stopped and there were so many things running in my head. Where is my son? Nakarating ba siya sa school kanina? Hindi na nila nakita sa school? Nakuha ba nila pero di nila naisakay sa service? Nakalimutan nila sunduin?

If the driver knew that my son was absent, why bother to go to our house. They knew that I always text them if my son is absent or if I will fetch my son in school.

Yes, I’m a paranoid mom but you can’t blame me because Ethan is my only son and I’m not prepared to lose him just because someone forgot to pick him up. I called my husband to inform him and texted all the drivers of school service to check my son in school. My husband asked me kung pupuntahan na ba niya sa school, it just so happened that he was in their Cavite office so it was just one tolgate away from my son’s school.

I felt relieved when the driver replied “dito na po sa kin si Ethan” and “on the way na po sila, late kasi pinalabas ng teacher”. I texted my husband na nakita na si Ethan so wag na siya punta school.

When the service came, the operator of the service said sorry. “Pasyensya na po ma’m, bago po pahinante ko, pinagalitan ko na na po. Kasi may list naman sila ng mga bata kaya dapat wag aalis hanggat di kumpleto.”

I just told her, “wag na sana mauulit ito, aatakihin ko sa puso”. I wanted to get angry with them because of what happened, I entrusted my only son to them and ito lang mangyayari. But I know it is useless na magalit pa, my son was home.

After we talked, I went inside the house and saw my son crying. I asked him why are you crying?

Ethan: Iwan ako sa school. No more kids and no service. I’m alone.

He was just crying and crying and all I can do is to comfort him and I told him, if mangyari ulit yan. Do not go out, stay inside the school. Baka kunin ka ng bad guys.

Ethan: I did not go out. I just sit on the floor. I’m alone, no more kids and service.
Me: Don’t cry na, I have pasalubong for you. I bought you a donut. He smiled and ate the donut.

Nang mahismasmasan na, I asked him.

Me: Did you see (insert name of his friend)?
Ethan: Yes, I saw (insert name) kuha siya service.
Me: After nun, bumalik pa service?
Ethan: No, no more kids and service na. I cried.
Me: Why are you alone? where is your teacher?
Ethan: Wala teacher.
Me: Wala si (name of teacher)? Eh kanino mo binigay class number.
Ethan: Wala class number kanina.

Hmm, if my son saw his friend bakit sasabihin ng service na late pinalabas. Nakita nga niya na kinuha ng service so nakalimutan talaga na balikan. It really saddened me to know that he was really alone and it seems that he is waiting for nothing. Naawa talaga ko sa kanya. So I wrote a letter to his teacher to notify her of what happened yesterday. I don't know what is their SOP pero dapat hindi iniiwan ang bata ng wala pa sundo, e paano na lang kung iba sumundo sa anak ko, wala makakapagsabi kung sino kumuha. I drew a picture of their lobby and I asked him, can you show me where you stayed? Then he wrote the word floor and drew a stick figure.

I told him, next time talk to guard and tell him na wala pa service or sundo mo so he/she can inform me, may number naman ko sa ID mo. His daddy told him that he will give him a cellphone so he can text or call us but he said, no cellphone sa school.

I can hardly sleep last night because of what happened. I guess I will always be a paranoid mom. Dati, paranoid na ko pagnalelate ng dating ang service and now kahit nandyan na service, kakabahan pa rin ako, iisipin ko kung nasa loob na ng service anak ko.

I really hope that this won’t happen again. My son is so precious to me and I hope teacher and school service will take care of him. They are also parents so they will understand my feeling.

I would like to end this post with a quote, Elizabeth Stone said, “Making the decision to have a child - it’s momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.”