Ben noticed that his daughter, Emily, started receiving tardy notices from her class teacher, Mrs. Flynn. Concerned about this sudden change in her punctuality, he decided to address the issue head-on. Ben picked up the phone and called Mrs. Flynn to get to the bottom of the matter.
“That’s right, Mr. Bruce. Your daughter has five tardy notices this week alone. Is there anything going on I should know about?” Mrs. Flynn inquired, her voice carrying a mix of concern and curiosity.
“Nothing is going on. Things have been great at home for some time now, and I do release her to join the bus early, so I’m sure she makes it to school when others do,” Ben explained. “Did you notice anything going on with her this past week?”
“Well, I was running late for class once, and I saw her alight from the bus rather late, even though she should have been in class by that time. The driver probably knows something about it because only they can access the bus at any time,” Mrs. Flynn replied.
“Thank you, Mrs. Flynn, I’ll get to the bottom of this,” Ben assured her before ending the call.
Worried about why his daughter was spending extra time on the bus, Ben decided to take matters into his own hands. The next day, he discreetly followed Emily after she boarded the school bus. True to what Mrs. Flynn had told him, he observed that everyone on the bus alighted when it arrived on the school grounds – everyone but his daughter.
As soon as the bus came to a halt, Ben didn’t waste a moment. Bursting through the door, he confronted the scene inside the bus. To his surprise, he found Emily sitting there alone, engrossed in a book.
“Emily, why are you still on the bus? You’re going to be late for class!” Ben exclaimed, a mix of confusion and concern evident in his voice.
Emily looked up, startled by her father’s sudden appearance. “Dad! Oh, I lost track of time. I was so into this book, I didn’t realize everyone had already left.”
Relieved that it wasn’t something more serious, Ben couldn’t help but chuckle. “Well, we can’t have you missing class. Let’s get going.”
As they walked together towards the school, Ben couldn’t help but appreciate his daughter’s love for reading, even if it occasionally led to some unconventional tardiness. The incident became a reminder that sometimes, the simplest explanations can unravel the most mysterious situations.