The Drop-Off

“Good morning, Roger!” Marlene chirped cheerily. “Are you ready for your first day of school?” 

Roger’s eyes opened instantly, and his arms shot up, reaching instinctively for his mother. “Mommy,” he wailed, “Mommy, don’t make me go! I don’t want to leave you!” 

Marlene sat down on the edge of her son’s bed. She patted his head and hummed loudly—the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Roger grabbed her arm and clung to it, whimpering softly. 

“Roger!” his father Derek’s voice drifted from the kitchen, along with a tempting aroma. “I made you pancakes!” 

Roger paused his whimpering to consider this offer. His father had made his favorite breakfast. His mother sat beside him, stroking his hair and humming a Nutcracker suite. “There are balloons here in the kitchen for you,” called his father. Was this the first day of school or his birthday? Roger slowly swung his legs out of bed. He could feel the excitement growing within him, coursing slowly through his veins to fill his whole body. Pancakes! Balloons! His mother, like an angel! The first day of— 

Roger stopped cold. The first day of school. He knew what that meant. His parents had been whispering to each other about it for weeks. Giggling behind closed doors. They were excited too. They were glad he was going—glad he was leaving them. He knew it, and nothing they promised him could reassure his instinctive terror. What if the school was a place people sent their children when they no longer wanted them? What if it was actually a sausage factory? Roger trembled at the thought of being turned into a sausage. That would probably involve extreme pain! 

“Roger,” coaxed Marlene, “here are your lucky socks. Why don’t I help you get dressed?” 

Lucky socks! Pah! What good would those do? Could lucky socks protect him against a sausage-making-machine? He doubted it. 

“Roger, please,” his mother pleaded. “Your pancakes are getting cold. If you hurry and let me get you dressed, you can wear your superhero cape.” 

His superhero cape! Roger leapt with joy. His superhero cape was red and flow-y. It was what courage looked like. His superhero cape would make him invincible-- protect him from the horrors that lay ahead. 

* * *

Roger was big. Roger was brave. Roger was—was—safe…? Yes! Yes he was. Of course he was. His mother held his right hand, and his father held his left hand; and between the two of them, his two unyielding guardians, he walked to school. They could not leave him. They just could not hold his hands one moment and leave him the next. 

Roger’s cape fluttered in the breeze. If he let go of his parents and zoomed down the sidewalk then it would stream out behind him. People would probably mistake him for superman! But still Roger clutched his parents hands. 

Before he knew it, they were walking into the classroom. A chubby lady dressed in pastel wool held out her hand to him. “Hello there,” she said. 

Roger looked at her hand. He glanced at his mother who was smiling stoically at the lady. Risking everything, he let go of his Marlene’s hand for the briefest moment possible, and shook hands with the chubby lady. Faster than lightning. But his mother was even faster! When he let go of Marlene to shake hands with the chubby lady, his mother shoved her hands into her pockets! She had tricked him! 

Feeling betrayed, Roger grabbed his father with both hands and held on for dear life. This was the man who had held him as a baby. This was his provider, his protector, his ultimate example. This was the man who had, only this morning, made him pancakes and filled the kitchen with colorful helium balloons. Surely he would not-- nay, could not-- abandon his son, his only child. 

"This is Roger," Derek said, gently pushing Roger forward. "Roger, can you say hello to Ms. Bowers?" 

Roger glared at the fat lady. She beamed back at him, oblivious to the anger and sense of betrayal coursing through the veins of the six year-old before her.

 

"Roger," she asked sweetly, "I see you're wearing a cape. Do you like superheroes? We have a whole bin full of superhero action figures. Would you like to see them?" 

A whole bin full of superhero action figures? Could a hell such as this contains such sacred icons? Were there really such gleaming, hidden blessings within the black pit called kindergarten? Roger's grip on his father slackened while he considered this inconceivable paradox. Faster than the Flash himself, Derek pulled his hand away and hastily folded his arms. But Roger was so immersed in his sudden vision of superhero bliss that he didn't even notice this final betrayal. 

* * *

"Roger," said Ms. Bowers, "wouldn't you like to put your coat and shoes on now? Your parents should be here in a few minutes." 

Roger didn't respond. He was so engrossed in the epic battle that was unfolding between Batman and Doc Ock that he hadn't heard her. 

Ms. Bowers shuffled away to go help the other children put on their coats and shoes. Before she had a chance to return to Roger, parents began arriving. 

"Was Joseph alright?" 

"Yes, Joseph was wonderful--" 

"Did Haley take her vitamin at lunch?" 

"She did, and she  had some apple juice, didn't you Haley--" 

"Alec didn't have any accidents, did he?" 

"No, Alec was just fine. He used the potty at recess--" 

Parents came, in ones and two, scooping their children up and smothering them with hugs before taking them back to the security of their homes. Roger played on, oblivious to the sagas of reunion flowering around him. 

Finally, all the other children had left. "Roger..." Ms. Bowers sounded concerned. "We really ought to get your shoes on. Your parents should be here any minute now..." she glanced at the clock. 

Roger sighed, and stood up reluctantly. Now that the woman had nothing else to distract her, it would be impossible to ignore her any longer. He let her bundle him into his coat and shoes; then returned to his action figures. 

Ms. Bowers glanced anxiously at the clock again. Parent pickup time was supposed to have ended twenty minutes ago. "Roger, did your mommy and daddy tell you they might be late this morning?" she asked. 

Roger scrutinized the Spiderman figurine he held. Could he fight the Joker and the Scarecrow at the same time? Or would he lose because he was outnumbered? 

* * *

"What can I get for you two?" the flight attendant asked the couple. "We have water, soda, juice--" 

The woman glanced at her husband, whose hand she held. "Could we get two martinis?" she asked. 

Her husband smiled at her and reached over to squeeze her knee. 

"Of course," said the attendant. "But those will cost extra." 

"That's fine," yawned the woman. "We've had a recent addition to our assets. And a reduction in liabilities. I think we can afford it." 

Her husband snickered. 

The flight attendant poured their drinks. "What's your new asset, if you don't mind my asking?" she said as she carefully handed them the drinks. 

"We sold our house," said the man. 

"And your... lost liability?" 

"It's personal," said his wife. 

"Oh, I'm sorry--" the attendant hastily apologized. 

"No, it's fine," said the woman. "Thanks for asking." The couple finished their drinks as the attendant moved off to help other passengers. She glanced back at them curiously. They seemed so... secretively happy. 

As their plane landed in Rio, Derek and Marlene shared a long, passionate kiss.