I got to play Benevolent Big Sister today. I’d stayed over at Mr. W’s last nite, and he left earlier than usual this morning to work. This is finals week for Mr. W’s sophomore daughter so she didn’t have zero period, or she’d have normally left to school with her carpool before I was out of bed. Her older brother is a senior so school’s over for him. Just awaiting graduation, he was unconscious in his room.

I walked by Daughter’s bedroom as I was getting ready to leave and asked if she needed a ride to school. She said no, she was calling friends to come get her. But as I noticed she was calling and text messaging rather frantically, I said I’d stick around just to make sure she got her ride situation figured out before I left. Turned out that the girl whose turn it is to have her mother drive the carpool had text messaged Daughter in the morning saying something to the effect that she was going to her aunt’s house and that hopefully Mr. W can give Daughter and 3rd Carpool Girl a ride to school this morning. Seeing that none of Daughter’s friends are responding, I asked what her last resort game plan is. She said pensively she’d call her ex-boyfriend Brian to come get her. I wasn’t going to have her ex-boyfriend come by and rub in that he played hero for her today, so I asked her if she’s ready to go to school now (7:25a). She said it was too early; school started at 8a. I said, “It’s better for you to be there early and study for your final than to be there late cuz you can’t get a ride.” “That’s true,” she admitted. She got a final call-back from a friend she’d been counting on. The friend said she was already on her way to school with her mom. Daughter made plans to meet this friend at school early to study together before classes opened. Then we were off.

Driving out of the neighborhood, Daughter exclaimed, “[3rd Carpool Girl]’s standing on the corner!” Turned out 3rd Carpool Girl’s mom freaked out on her and had her phone shut off, so she never got the text message from 1st Carpool Girl, whose mom was supposed to drive, that they weren’t coming. So we picked up 3rd Carpool Girl and I dropped them off at school at 7:40a. They were very grateful. “You totally saved us! Thanks so much!” they said.

I did so little, and ended up feeling like a superhero. Neat!

My reward was that somehow, despite leaving totally late from Mr. W’s house, I magically ended up at work 10 minutes earlier than usual.