Flag

Yesterday, Calder returned home late by 2 hours. He was dismissed from work around 5pm. At 6pm, location showed he was still at the bus stop. I called him on his tracker watch, reminding him to flag for the bus. Also asked his job coach whether there was any staff around to check on him. Turned out most teachers were on leave due to the school holidays. At 7pm, I decided to take a cab to the bus stop to fetch him home. I packed his dinner, intending to let him eat and go toilet before bringing him home by train. I saw the sky turn dark as I travelled in the cab and wondered if Calder felt afraid sitting at the dark bus stop. But when I arrived, he was not at the bus stop. Location informed me that he had just gotten up a bus. I took the train, hoping to reach home before him to give him his dinner. The Dad collected him at the home bus stop. Fortunately I was home earlier, by a few minutes. It was nearly 9pm. Calder seemed subdued. He ate dinner with a small piece of pandan cake as supper. Showered. Typed his journal (I asked him to insert the line: I must flag for the bus) before going to bed. The job coach said she would train him again to flag for the bus. Meanwhile, maybe I can write in to ask bus drivers to slow down at that bus stop? 

Wait

Calder had no work this afternoon so I brought him for lunch with a retiree friend. We went to Serangoon Garden Way. After lunch, as usual, Calder was walking way ahead of us. The retiree friend wanted to show me the new church he's attending. But when we turned back towards the bus stop, Calder had disappeared. My instinct was to check the back row of departing buses. (Calder likes to sit at the last row of buses.) Sure enough, he was on one of them! We had come to Serangoon Garden on Bus 73 and Calder probably assumed we would board the same bus number home. But the one he got on was heading the wrong direction, towards Toa Payoh interchange. I ran after the bus as it slowly made a turn. Should I tap to make it stop? Calder was looking at Mommy who should be on the bus with him but wasn't. But then I thought I needed to tell my friend to stop searching. By then, the bus had sped off. I quickly looked for a taxi. No available ones around. Booked Grab and was informed the driver would arrive in 8 min. Meanwhile, Family Link location showed Calder to be on the expressway. I was hoping a cab could bring me to the interchange before Calder (so I could catch him easily when he arrived at the berth) but the retiree friend told me Bus 73 would reach Toa Payoh interchange soon after the expressway. I called Calder on his tracker watch (which functions like walkie talkie) and relayed that I would meet him at Toa Payoh interchange. Cab arrived. My retiree friend apologized for the trouble. I waved it off but asked him to pray. Got in the cab and started my chase. In the cab, I called Calder's watch again and asked him to meet me at Bus 88 stop in the interchange. As usual, there's no reply from him. It's indeed only a short way to the interchange. Went to Bus 88 stop. No sign of him. Went to Bus 73 stop. No Calder either. Toa Payoh interchange is very big. Should I call out his name? Location showed him to be around HDB hub but the security guard stopped me from venturing into HDB office area. I asked if he'd seen a tall boy. He said no. But then I turned my head and tall boy was walking toward me. Thank you, God, for bringing Calder to Mommy! I updated my retiree friend and also the family that Calder had been found. Brought him to the toilet before we took Bus 88 home. I reminded Calder to wait and not to board buses first. After all, he couldn't ask bus drivers to wait for Mommy. Then I asked him: "Calder, just now were you scared or calm?" He said, "Scared." (He sure looked tensed when I found him.) Thank you, God, for taking care of Calder! Let's hope Calder has learned his lesson - wait before boarding.