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| a day that started out as silly hair day got somewhat more interesting after school. |
the view after school, was a little different. here is the story of how john met some firemen.
when we ran out of school this afternoon, john climbed into his seat. he insisted on helping buckle himself, as usual, but it still took both my hands to get him strapped in and cinched down.
realizing i had neglected to get the list of names of kids in his class, i told john, "i am going to run back inside real quick, i will be right back!"
he said, "ok!" so i closed the door.
and realized i left my key on the seat next to him when i buckled him up.
i tried to open the door. it was locked.
another parent was there with me, and i turned to her and said, "who do i call for something like this? the sherriff's office maybe?" as i ran inside.
"mrs. dawn!" i called frantically. "please call 911 - i locked john in the car with my keys inside."
(did i mention it was a hot louisiana day? like 93 degrees hot.)
"go back outside and stay with him," she said, "we'll make the call."
so i went out and talked to john through the window. "can you reach the lock, baby?" i asked him.
"no, i can't reach," he said. i was fighting off panic. i told him to try to reach with his foot.
still no luck.
some other moms and daycare workers came to the window to check on him. john was laughing and giggling and being silly. i could see, though, a little bit of sweat on his upper lip. even though i'd just driven the car to the daycare, it was already pretty hot in there.
i am not going to lie: i was clinging to the edge of freaking out. i knew, on some level, that this was a small-scale emergency, that the fire department would respond quickly and we'd get john out. i knew that i did not care one bit what they had to do to get into the car to get him. i knew he would be fine.
but at the same time, that was my baby. trapped in a car, heating up in the louisiana humidity. and it was all my fault that he was in there. i'd locked my little man in a metal can in the heat.
the daycare manager assured me that this has happened before, that the fire company would quickly respond and all would be well. but the five minutes or so before their arrival passed so slowly.
we heard sirens, and the truck came into the driveway. mrs. dawn ran inside to get some cold juice for john and came back with a cold water bottle she pressed into my hand and insisted i drink. the firemen looked in at john and said that he looked like he was ok, although he was by now pretty sweaty. they started to assess the doors and windows, and said a rescue truck was on the way that would be able to break into the car. meantime, one fireman told me, they would monitor john through the window and if he showed signs of distress they would just break the window.
a few minutes later, the rescue truck arrived with all the tools needed to break into my car. john was showing a little upset-ness by now, but was still quite calm. first they tried to jimmy the back door, but once they got their wire in they realized the unlock button on the back door wasn't responding, so they had to try the front door.
by now, i was thinking, "just break the damn window."
fortunately, once they got the front door jimmied, it was only a matter of moments before the door was unlocked. they opened it as the alarm went off. i waited for them to press the unlock button again so it would unlock all the doors and i could open john's door, but since the alarm was going off it wouldn't let them do it. finally i said, "let me just get the key out so i can turn off the alarm."
the fireman sitting in the driver's seat trying to unlock the car didn't hear me, so i said it again - he got out of my way and i lunged through the front door, over the console, and across john's seat to grab the key and unlock the car. one of the daycare teachers opened john's door while i unbuckled his seatbelt, and she pulled him out of the car and over to the crowd of parents to give him some juice pronto.
i thanked the firemen profusely. they piled in their trucks and walked away. i sat on the pavement holding john in my arms, drinking our cold drinks and just oh so thankful that this was such a small blip. a scary blip. but a tiny one.
i still feel terribly guilty about the whole thing. i know, stupid accidents happen all the time. and i realize that even small emergencies like this one are reasons that the fire department exists. but i can't help feeling like i endangered my child, and i also pulled rescue resources away when they could have been needed for a "real" emergency. i realize that no good will come from beating myself up, and i even realize that before too long this will be a great story to tell john about when he was a little boy and mommy locked him in the car. but right now, i am still shaky two hours later, and i have never hugged that little monkey harder than i did tonight before bed. mom of the year nominations are flowing in from all sides, i assure you.
i am so very grateful to the firemen who were patient and calm and reassuring, who helped get my child out and gave him the once-over to make sure he was none the worse for the wear. they did a bang up job, and were very kind to my little bug. i am always happy for an opportunity for john to meet first responders, these heroes who save people's lives every day.
but i hope i don't soon have to hear him say again, "mommy, the firemen came to the rescue and saved me today."
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