It was the end of the day, and I had stayed late to help with the ratio. We’d had to send a couple of teachers home unexpectedly that were scheduled to stay until closing. Both Linda and I had had to stay to cover for them. She was down at one end of the school in the closing room with the children and Marcie. (We consolidate all of the children into one room as the numbers dwindle.) I had stayed in the office to cover the phones and the front door.
Linda came running into the office shouting, “Quick! Get me the non-emergency number of the Netherville police!” I desperately wanted to know why, but I didn’t detain her with my questions, just ran to her as soon as I had the number. She dialed on her cell phone as she charged back down to the closing room. I had to wait until everyone was picked up before I found out what was going on.
The front doorbell rang. There was an officer there. I ushered him into the school and went to get Linda for him. They chatted for a few moments, then Linda returned to the office.
“What happened?”
“Varner.”
“Did he try something with you?”
“No more than usual. No, I can’t be sure, but I think he’s drunk. I didn’t want to give him his kids, but I didn’t have much of a choice. Marcie and I tried to stall him and get him to call his wife to pick them up, but he started getting suspicious and irritated. I didn’t want to agitate him any more than he already was, so I had to let the kids go, but I just couldn’t live with it on my conscience, so I called the police and asked them to tail him. Marcie ran to the window and took down his license plate number, and they were able to find him pretty quickly and follow him home. He wasn’t driving erratically, so they didn’t have any reason to pull him over, but I’m grateful to know the kids made it home safely.”
“That was really smart of you, and brave.”
“Yeah. Please don’t tell anybody, though. If Cate or Beverly gets wind of this, I’ll be in big trouble.”
“Okay, but you did the right thing, you know.”
“Yeah, that’s what the officer said, too, although he told me if it happens again to try to give them a call before Varner leaves the building.”
How do you save children from their own parents? And, what’s more, why should you have to?