Grade One, Day One
Posted by Ben Stevens on
Some of you may know this story, but if not enjoy the ride. My mom, Marilyn, was a stay at home mom when I was young, until I went off to school when she started working as a secretary at the church we attended. So, the first six years of my life I was always with my mom. And as a result I was absolutely undoubtedly a mamas boy. The truth of how much of a mamas boy is revealed in my first day of school when she dropped me off at Valley View School.
My mother dropped me off in the driveway where the other kids were playing and yelling as kids do when they play. She bent down hugged and kissed me and said "I'll se you after school sweetie". She then turned and walked away up the sidewalk on the hilly road in front of the school. And at the top of the road she turned left toward our house and walked out of sight. I immediately felt the storm go from brewing to a full force hurricane and this force of nature was just too much to handle. Her visible absence was the breaking point, when the storm won a well fought victory and sent a message to empty the contents of my stomach containing my recently eaten breakfast.
I am not the first, nor the last, kid to throw up on their first day of school but mine had a unique twist in that there was an innocent bystander unsuspectingly playing dinky cars (Hot Wheels) in the gravel driveway directly below where I was standing. I will never forget the image of my classmate turning to look and see who had thrown up all over him, because one lens of his glasses was completely filled with my breakfast, while the other eye gazed at me.
Both my classmate and I were sent home to deal with the mess and for one more day I was home again with my mom, exactly where I wanted to be. Thankfully I got over my fear and was able to attend school, mind you, I missed more time than your average kid due to "Illness". The story doesn't quite end here though because as all stories go we tend to be sceptical of their truth and if it actually happened. My friends questioned the validity of the story for many years, till one sunny summer day. We were walking towards Five O's, the local corner convenience store, to buy penny candy and other cheap snacks. A group of boys walking on the other side of the road were laughing and talking when suddenly one of them hollered and pointed directly at me. "That's the kid who throw up on my head in grade 1" was the comment heard. My friends turned to me and said, "I guess you were telling the truth". That was my first day of school. I would love to hear your stories about your first day.
Our walk to school I felt there might be a storm brewing in the depths of belly, a storm of worry and terror. The school was literally two white bungalow houses side by side with a wide driveway running down between the two buildings in the backyards, which were mostly gravel. The kids played down the driveway and all the way into the backyards, it was our playground.
I am not the first, nor the last, kid to throw up on their first day of school but mine had a unique twist in that there was an innocent bystander unsuspectingly playing dinky cars (Hot Wheels) in the gravel driveway directly below where I was standing. I will never forget the image of my classmate turning to look and see who had thrown up all over him, because one lens of his glasses was completely filled with my breakfast, while the other eye gazed at me.
