Ultimate Blog Challenge - Freeway Rest Area Backstory

Welcome back - it's Day 11 of the UBC, and yesterday, I hinted about an incident that still has me annoyed. 

Where do I even begin?

I think it was early last season, Colin's team was playing exhibition games, when we first met this family. Their eldest son has Colin's age, and he was here to "audition". 

Since I'm the unofficial videographer, people usually want to get into my WhatsApp group where I post the link to the game highlights. 

So in the beginning I was one of the first people they knew, and naturally they would approach me when I was waiting for Colin to emerge from practice. They were friendly, yet overly talkative, and monoplozing me. I had a hard time interrupting them, let alone talking to other people, so I tried to keep my distance.

The Dad used to play hockey as a boy and young man, so he liked to talk about how things were back then. Also he had an interesting life, growing up in different countries due to his father's job. It was interesting to listen to him, but he just wouldn't stop talking.

Over time they made friends with other people, and I felt relieved.

One night I was sitting in my car. It was winter, so it was dark, I was scrolling on my phone, minding my own business when the Mom knocked on my car window. Reluctantly I rolled down the window. Do you still call it "roll" even through you just press a button, btw?

Anyway she told me a crazy story about her youngest son whose classmates got in trouble for viewing naked women's butts on a school iPad. She wanted to send a letter to the teacher and asked for my advice on how to word that letter. I did not want to get involved!!

Fast forward to the end of the season. 

Following the last training session, a farewell dinner with the coaches was planned.

There was an official e-mail and several TeamApp messages reminding people to sign up since the location had limited space. 

TeamApp is being used throughout the season for all kinds of communication regarding practice and games - and lost gear items. So everybody's got to have it. Just mentioning this here.

So after the last practice, a lot of parents were waiting in the parking lot. Some, who weren't going to attend the dinner, said goodbye and wished us a nice spring break, you get the picture. I saw this family lurking, and I deliberately kept talking to someone else. I knew if they engaged me in conversation, I couldn't get away anytime soon, and I was hungry.. 

At some point, Colin and his friend, who was going to ride with us, because his mom had a meeting and didn't know if she was going to be there on time asked us beforehand, arrived, and we walked towards our car. We being hubby and I and the two boys. 

Have a good night! I waved at them. Since they did not sign up for the dinner, I assumed they were not coming, right?

The mother literally sprinted towards me, her son A and his hockey bag in tow.

"Hey, I wanted to ask you, could you take A to the restaurant?"

I looked at her, confused.

Are you having car trouble, can't you drive him?

Insert lenghty story, none of which was relevant, so I cut her off.

Did you sign him up, cause I didn't see his name on the list?

"I wasn't aware you needed to sign up."

There ware several messages. I understand they have limited space, and the number of attendees had to be submitted to the restaurant yesterday, so they can get ready.

"As I was saying, I didn't know. He's very sad, and I told him, you're always so kind, surely you could take him?"

We are already taking N - nodding towards Colin's friend. There are only so many hockey bags and kids we can fit into our car.

"Oh, I will take his bag home with me, it's just him."

I was fuming. 

I didn't want to be the asshole that excluded the poor boy, after all it wasn't his fault that his mother failed to read and reply to messages, but frankly I felt taken advantage of, and I definitely didn't want to take him home after the dinner. I had to go to work the other morning. 

OK, look, we'll take him. We don't want him to be sad, right? You have to call (insert name of the person who set up this dinner) right now and let her know he's coming. Should we give you a heads up as things are winding down, so you can pick him up?

Her face!

I could totally tell she expected us to take him home, which was going to be another 15 - 20 minutes to our already 50 minutes' journey. 

We agreed that A should send her a text message as soon as we leave the restaurant. This would give her enough time to drive to the freeway rest area where she could meet us.

When we arrived in front of the restaurant, everybody was already there, so there were no parking spaces. Hubby let us jump out, and upon entering, I noticed the room that hosted our party was packed. One of my friends waved. She had saved a seat for us.

Of course nobody knew anything about a mother calling to make sure her son had a seat and a meal. I had to take care of that. There were literally no more chairs. I had to ask the staff to get one from the basement, the terrace, anywhere! 

We had a nice evening, and I didn't think of it anymore. 

When we left, I told A to text his mom. Then we were on our way. We were about halfway there, when the mom called me. 

"Are you guys still there?" she asked. 

Ahem, no, we left a while ago, didn't A text you?

"I don't have any money left on my phone" he shrugged."It probably didn't go through."

Uggghhhh. 

"I will leave right now, but it'll take about 20 minutes."

Probably still hoping we would be like nah, forget it, we'll take him home, we don't mind.

OK, drive safely, see you there, I said instead. 

We arrived at the rest stop and waited for a while. 

She called again.

"I'm having the hardest time finding this location" she claimed. She kept talking and talking, and I could hear her navigation system tell her to turn left. Then the navigation system was recalculating and told her to make a U-turn.

You need to listen and follow directions, you'l get here just fine!

Geez, this was on the route she was driving several times a week to take her boys to and and from practice. Why was this so hard now?

"You don't have to wait around with me, you may leave" her son told us. "She'll find it eventually. We've been meeting here before."

There's not way we'll just leave you here. It's getting close to 11pm, and the shops are closing. 

So we waited. And waited. 

I couldn't believe what I was thinking: we should have taken him home. Even considering the detour, we would probably be home by now. 

What is taking her so long?

She called a third time, and she said she was only two or three minutes out. 

"You may leave" she said. "It's getting late."

We will not leave your boy at a rest area, late at night. Get here, so we know he's safe.

The two or three minutes turned into almost ten minutes, but she made it. 

She wanted to tell me all about her evening, what she did, whom she called, what they had for dinner, what her other son's homework was, but my patience was exhausted.

It's late, I'm glad you're here to take A home, good night.

With that I got into the car, I was done.