Our school bus recently had an unusual guest.
The morning was cold. And it was at a time when daylight savings time had not yet began so it was very dark.
The school bus pulled up to our regular stop on 15th street. There typically were about 15 students at the stop and this morning was no different. By this time we had already nearly filled the bus with approximately 40 middle school students. This was our last stop on our way to school and we were, as unusual, splitting at the seams. From a safety point of view, nearly 55 middle school students on the bus at one time put us at the very limits.
From the point of that last pickup location the ride to school was about 15 more minutes. As most school bus drivers experience the morning pickups can tend to be the quietest time of the day. This morning was no different.
Everything seemed to be normal … the school bus was loaded and fairly quiet. BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN …………………. the students in the rear of the school bus began to scream loudly. Not just one student but all of them. I needed to pull over to investigate. This was not the norm even for mischievous middle school students.
I turned the interior lights on, got out of my seat and began to walk to the rear of the bus. By then the students in the middle and front of the school bus were screaming as well. And most of the students in the rear of the bus were standing on the seats. I can’t tell you what a school bus load of screaming middle school students at 7 o’clock in the morning sounded like or felt like.
I finally get the students to calm down to find out what happened. Everyone started yelling and screaming they felt something furry brush up on their legs and feet. And by now many of the students in middle and front of the bus were standing on the seats. It was total chaos.
From outside of the bus this must have looked and sounded awfully comical.
After a few minutes in trying to get everyone to calm down someone from the front yelled out … “IT’S A RABBIT.” A sigh of relief sounded over the school bus. A student from the rear of the bus yelled out, “DON’T HURT HIM. HIS NAME IS HAROLD AND HE IS MINE.”
Everyone cleared a path down the center aisle so the student, backpack in hand, could go to the front to retrieve his rabbit. When his rabbit was cornered the owner grabbed him and put him in his backpack. I told the student to stay in the front of the bus until we get to school. I didn’t want the rabbit to escape again.
We finally arrived at school. Everyone, except for one, got off and entered the school. I asked the student to tell me what was going on. He said, “My parents told me I had to get rid of Harold. So I asked my science teacher if she wanted a rabbit for her classroom and she said yes. I am glad she said yes because I really like Harold and this way I would see him every day.”
“But what were you carrying him in,” I asked. He responded by saying, “I didn’t have anything to carry him in so I put him in my bookbag. I promise I didn’t let him out. I don’t know how he got out.”
The story sounded plausible to me. How about you? What do you think … ?
Write me and tell me your thoughts.
