the dark haired girl helps out...

 

This is the second post in a series from Mommy's Piggy Tales blog challenge. We are asked to write about our lives for our children to read... It started with our birth and today's installment is our first day of Kindergarten. You can read other great stories at www.mommyspiggytales.com


It was a day in September. The air was hot and heavy. I looked out my bedroom window from my canopy bed and pushed aside my quilt. I was starting Kindergarten today.

I got dressed and went into the kitchen. My grandmother had fruit and yogurt waiting for me. I looked out the window to see a mother doe and her fawn. It's funny now, I think I never even thought, where is my mother on the monumental day? My grandmother brushed my long black hair. She never braided it, just brushed and put a barrette or two in it. (When I grew up I wanted a girl  child, so I could braid and do fun hair styles with my daughters hair. I have a boy, but I realized I am not that great of a hair stylist, so it's for the best.)

In our rural area walking down my driveway to the bus stop was a big job, My grandmother said I could do it alone when I was a bit bigger.  Our driveway was 1/2 mile long. I remember going down to the bus stop in her Volvo and bumping up and down on the bumpy not paved driveway. We waited outside the card to hear the bus coming down the road.
My grandmother was not very demonstrative growing up, she did many things to show her love but was not a kissy, huggy kind of lady. She did kiss me and hug me, but it was special occasions or to quell a sadness. Today she began the first in a little tradition I call the "Bee Kiss". She wound up her head, round and round while making a buzzing sound and slowly weaved her head closer and closer to my face, until she was face to face with me. Then she gave me a big kiss on the lips, while keeping her buzzing sound so it vibrated my lips. So silly and fun. The big yellow bus came and disturbed our fun, and I got on.
While on the bus I looked out the window at the familiar roads my grandmother told me I would be following to get to school.
I remember being a little bit bus sick, I think my grandmother had told me this might happen. I get car sick too.
The bus stopped on a familiar road at a long driveway where a girl and her mom stood. The girl got on the bus and sat across from me. She began to cry. Her crying got louder and louder. I asked her,"What is the matter?" " You will like school, it's fun." She interrupted me and said.. " I am never going to get home, I will never see my mom again." She spoke through her tears and continued..." This bus driver won't remember where I live?" I told her that my grandmother told me, it is the bus drivers job to remember where you live, so he or she can bring you home from school. There were only a handful of people on the bus, so far so I moved up carefully and told the bus driver that the girl was afraid he would not find her house later.
He laughed kindly and said out loud," I am like an elephant I remember everything, I will get you back home to your mama."
I moved back carefully to her seat and sat next to her. She stopped crying. She smiled. She said," My name is Lori." I said," My name is Lisa." Thus began my first friend and experience in kindergarten.


****incidentally I remember only one other thing during my life in Kindergarten and that is it. The only memory of that year that is vivid, is this memory here.