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This happened to my son many moons ago on his first day at school. He was to be bussed in the morning, but go to daycare in the afternoon so I could pick him up.
At the time, he was the only child (on my street) going to that school and getting off at the busstop. To make a long story short - I was at work and got this horrible feeling in my gut and for some reason, I called the school's daycare to make sure my son was there. It was like I was talking in tongues - they had no idea what/who I was talking about, until they had a 'OMG He was put on the bus'. I worked about 15 minutes away but I blew every light like a maniac - called all my neighbours to check for my son outside - nobody could see him or noticed him. I was living in the same building as my mother but she wasn't home - my grandmother was, but she had alzeheimer's which is why I didn't want to burden anyone with having to care for my son after school.
It's an older neighbourhood so although everyone on my street is home/retired, nobody noticed the schoolbus or if my son was on it/came off it. I got home and all the neighbours were searching bushes, backyards, everyone was in tears. After about 10 minutes of searching - everyone is in a panic - the school kept calling my to see if he was home/if I found him/keeping me updated on tracking the busdriver. I'm going in the house to call the cops & my ex-husband and I see my son with a HUGE friggen smile on his face, PROUD as a peacock telling me: MOMMY, I'm a big boy now, I can walk home from the bus and let myself in the house, too!
After restoring the position of my heart, my son explained that when the busdriver saw that nobody 'claimed' him - he continued his route but came back 2 times to see if anyone was waiting for him. After the final child got off the bus, the driver drove around the block so my son wouldn't have to cross the street - asked him where he lived and dropped him off in front of the house and since my grandmother hadn't locked the door, he got in the house, waved to the busdriver and went to get himself a snack.
I was pissed at the school but glad the busdriver had enough of a braincell to follow the procedures he did.
On my frantic drive home - all I could think about is my son being scared, running into the street, into the bushes or whatever for fear of abandonment. Like 'she doesn't care about me' she's left me... Worst fucking feeling around.
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