Flying Glasses

Surprises. I like certain surprises, but for most things I like to have things planned out. I like knowing all the details.

Imagine my surprise, when I get a call from Mr. Mark’s After School Director on Wednesday afternoon at 2 PM. She started out the call by letting me know that Mark was fine. Super. Mark showed up to the program without his eye glasses.

I thought, how unusual.

She said let me put him on the phone . . . .and the next thing I hear is Mark’s voice, except it is a smaller version of his voice. It was very quiet and squeaky. I am then speaking to the director. She is explaining that Mark’s glasses fell out the window of the school bus on the way to After School.

Let me pause for a moment.

Yes, my son’s $300 eye glasses fell out the window of a school bus.

How is that even possible???? Of course, I am creating lots of stories in my head, but push comes to shove, the kid needs eyeglasses, and I am going to have to pay for a new pair. (Side note, he has had these glasses since November, 2007, so they have lasted a long time.) Now I am pondering, what was he doing on the bus?

I am steaming mad. Plus, I also am thinking that he has to pony up some money for these new glasses. He has $86 saved in his bank account. He is saving for a DS system. I am not about to drain his whole bank account, that has taken over a year of saving, however, I want him to know that this is going to be painful to our bank account also.

I try to get back to my work.

Finally 5 PM is here. I rush out of work and to After School. Mark is standing next to the director, finishing his homework (a sigh of relief from mommy). We gather his stuff, and out the door we go, on our way to Weston Optical.

I calmly ask “What happened on the bus today?”

His response “I was sitting in the back of the bus (the second to last row), and I was explaining to E (name of friend) how the Weight Loss Machine that Rube Goldberg designed worked. I was rubbing my hands against my checks, and the glasses flipped off, and out the window.”

I ask “What happened next?”

Mark – “I was very upset.”

I ask “What did you do?”

Mark “I cried alot.”

I ask “Then what.”

Mark “The bus driver could hear me, so he sent T and A back to me. They are fifth grade boys who are the bus monitors. They tried to make me feel better, but they were telling me that glasses cost a lot of money and how made you and daddy would be.”

Pause

Mark “Then we got to Rec Place and K asked where my glasses went.”

Back to the beginning of the story.

It was not malicious.

Funny, if it did not cost me $300+.