I Was Summoned

I was ready from 7:00AM on my Saturday morning.  The night before my younger one was off at a friend’s sleep over. I got an email that I’d originally thought was optional but later realized was obligatory, when my name was listed as the only parent without a potluck dish next to it.  OK.  OK.  I’ll bring a “healthy” snack even though someone else has proposed Doritos.  I proposed to bring baba ganoush and some veggie sticks.  Hummus was already taken.

I stayed up the night before; grilled some eggplant, threw it in the blender with the obligatory, chopped some celery, carrots and cucumbers and placed it all in the fridge for the night.  I was up early today, waiting for the phone call.  “I’ll call you around seven or eight,” I had been told.  “You need to get me and take me and one friend over to school and then drive two other friends who are here with me home.”  Seven turned to eight and still no call.  I was beginning to wonder if some other parent hadn’t got pulled into this obligation in my stead but then, as expected, I was summoned. 

I put aluminum foil over the baba ganoush bowl and laid it atop the bowl with the veggie sticks.  Pausing at a speed bump en route, which one needs to do multiple times on the way, the bowl tipped over.  This wasn’t promising.  Fortunately very little poured out, but we would certainly now need some napkins.  My younger one trundled off with the two bowls when I left her and her chum at the door.  “Remember to bring the bowls home.”

Many rides involving these friends, and my older one and then my wife followed, before we were back up to school to see the performance I had made the snacks for.  The drama teacher had organized a blended drama-yoga choreography with another teacher from a different school who fancied the two disciplines as well.  In the space of a few hours these kids to put together a remarkable performance of spirit warriors dancing and reciting and casting shadows against the wall.   My little one was right out in front as it started and I was as happy as a parent could be.

On the way out I grabbed my bowls.  My baba ganoush had not been popular.  I didn’t see any Doritos left. 

Saturday, 2/18/17