Morning all. My sore throat is getting worse so it is cough drops and water for me throughout the day. Lets see if we can start the day off with a morning prompt. I’m sure I will fee better once I am in motion.
It is rare I write in present tense so this was kind of hard for me. It felt very choppy. I think I need to practice more with the present tense though.
Thursday, February 5th: I am waiting for my ride.
I am waiting for my ride. I do this every Tuesday afternoon. No matter how many times we go over the schedule Oliver is always late. I tried telling him that I could ride with someone else. That they could drop me off,, but he always rejects the option.
I’m not entirely certain why. I think at it’s core he believes that picking children up from places is a parental duty. Ever since he married my mother he seems to have added parental duties to his task lists. I’m not sure what list he is working from as it isn’t one my mom gave him. She has never picked me up from any event, always happy to pay gas money to whoever is willing to take me as long as she doesn’t have to think about it.
In her mind it is the same as paying a housekeeper to come in and clean the house once a week. Picking me up from places would mean adding my events and activities to her schedule and she would much rather pay someone else to do it. There have even been times where she paid the houekeeping service to pick me up when no one else was available.
So I know the notion for picking me up from my Tuesday afternoon piano lesson did not originate from her. But when he learned of it, he volunteered. And he kept volunteering.
Unfortunately, he also kept forgetting. He always eventually shows up but he is usually about an hour late. I compensate by using the time to do my homework so that by the time I do get home I don’t have to think about it. It isn’t a hard wait. My piano teacher works out of the back of a store that sells and repairs all sorts of instruments. There are soundproofed rooms that teachers use for their students. Next door is a diner. After class, I go over to the diner, order a milkshake and do my homework while waiting for Oliver. By the time the milkshake is gone and my books are back in my bag, Oliver is usually gliding up to the curb, unaware that he is once again very late.
I tried asking if he knew what time he was supposed to be there, and he did know the correct time. I often wonder if his watch is set wrong as he never realizes he is late.
Today he is extra late. I have finished my milkshake and my homework. Oliver has not appeared. I was told that I needed to wait for him. The time ticks past so I order French fries. I generally avoid fried foods as they make me break out, but I feel dumb sitting at the table alone with nothing to do. And the fries are delicious.
I eat them all.
Oliver still doesn’t appear.
I decide I am done waiting. I call an Uber on the account my mom set up for me as a back up in case any of my arranged rides fell through. They are there soon enough and I am heading home. They drop me off at the house and I see that the cars are gone. Both my mom’s and Olivers. Neither of them are home. I let myself in. The house is dark and silent.
I go to the kitchen to look on the fridge dor. This is where messages are always left. There is nothing pinned to the fridge with a magnet. I look around on the floor in case it slipped. There is no missing note anywhere I can see and I look everywhere.
I go to my room and drop off my school bag. I change out of my school uniform and decide to go into my Mom’s home office to see if anything is written on the calendar.
Ten til Midnight 