Runaway School Girl

Have you ever heard the story of when Aunt Michele ran away from school?  It was all a big mistake actually but let me tell you how it came about.... 

When I was in the first grade, I went to a neighborhood school called Bear Creek Elementary.  Grandma and Grandaddy were still living in Baltimore, Maryland where your father and I were born.  When I was in kindergarten I walked to school with my mother every morning and she had to come and get me before lunch since it was a half-day class.  When I started going to school for first grade, Grandma figured she had taught me how to get there and it was time for me to walk to school by myself.  It wasn't a long walk and it was a straight-shot from our house with no turns at all.

One morning Grandma told me that she would be coming with Daddy to pick me up early for a doctor's appointment.  She gave me a signed note to give to my teacher.  Now, you have to understand that I was very afraid of my teacher that year.  Her name was Mrs. Bays, if I'm not mistaken (Grandma might be able to confirm the name).  She was a little old and she was very strict.  I remember getting in trouble on the first day of school for getting out of my chair and walking to the back of the class to get a drink of water at the water fountain that was right in our room.  Apparently that was against the rules.  I guess I hadn't heard that one yet, but I remember the look I got and the scolding.  I don't recall getting up any more with out permission.

So on this day I was rather afraid to hand the important note to my teacher but nonetheless I did.  When the right time came, the teacher called me to her desk and said it was time for me to go.  She told me to get my book bag and leave.  Each class had two doors.  One that went to the outside and one that went to a big hall that was inside.  She told me to go, so I took the outside door and off I went.  I remember thinking and wondering where exactly I was supposed to go, but when school was done I always went out that door and followed the sidewalk home - so that is just what I did.  I started down the sidewalk towards our house.

Meanwhile my Mom and Dad showed up at the school office to retrieve their daughter.  The office said to wait a minute while they called down to the classroom on the school intercom.  The secretary asked the teacher to send Michele Beckner on down to the office.  The teacher said she had already sent her.  The secretary thanked the teacher and said the girl must be on her way.  So the secretary went to look down the big hall and saw no child coming and called the teacher back....

After some confusion, Mrs. Bays remembered that I had not taken the inside door but the outside door and someone got the bright idea that maybe I was on my way home.  Grandaddy and Grandma took the road back towards our row house in their car and found me along the way.



The next day at school Mrs. Bays gave a big discourse about what to do if your parents send a note to school for you to get out early.  I don't remember her ever fussing at me.  I think she realized the fault had not been mine but hers.  I imagine in today's world poor Mrs. Bays would have been fired on the spot and a search and rescue team would have been canvassing the neighborhood to hunt me down!