Today I felt like a criminal when I showed up at the kids’ school.  There I was, a well-meaning parent who showed up to help my kid and a torrent of Spanish fury was released on me…let me explain…

Mansell texted me minutes after Aaron dropped him at school this morning, “Mom, can you bring me my bathing suit?” This prompted a chain of texts between me and Aaron: “M needs his bathing suit for gym, can you run it back to him – I’ll meet you in lobby?” “No sorry, already picked up the guys and heading to plant.” “Damn!”  Aaron has been chauffeur for some French visitors this week, so has been dropping kids at school, picking up ‘the guys’ at another hotel down the street and then heading to work.  Knowing that there are strict rules about being prepared for classes, I knew I’d have to bail him out this time – being new and knowing the huge energy output required just to remember his schedule and get to the right classes at the right time, I knew this wasn’t the right time for a “lesson”.   Mansell has been so great about doing his homework and being prepared so I knew this was just an understandable lapse.  It’s the end of the week and everyone is losing steam.  “I’ll bring it – when can you meet me at the door?” “Well, you can bring it in the next 7 minutes and if not then at 9:20 – there is a three minute break between classes.” “Well, I’m not going to make it in the next 7 mins. so I’ll bring at 9:20.”  Goofy kid!!  I’m good, but not that good – you truly can’t do anything here in 7 minutes!?!? And at that point, I was still in my pyjamas!    I get organized and collect his stuff and head out just before 9.  I’m thankful I grabbed my coat as it’s very chilly here in the early morning right now. When I stepped outside I was surprised to find that it was also raining!!!  It had rained the whole previous day, but today it looked beautiful far away in the mountains – still dribbling over Santa Fe, however.  No time to arrange a taxi if I was to make it there for 9:20…

…I arrived a bit soggy and huffing from the effects of altitude (much better now but any uphill effort, further elevating ourselves, is still hard work) and speak to the security guard at the gate, “Buenos Dias, Mi hijo en escuela,” (good morning, my son in school) and then we start playing charades!  I motion swimming arms, show him the bathing suit and towel in my bag and point to the school and try again,”Mi hijo needs this.”  He chuckled and said something I didn’t understand, I smiled and nodded “Gracias” and continued my climb up to the middle school door.  Walking into the lobby of the school triggered quite an unexpected response.  Two Mexican security guards started to yell at me in Spanish and shook their heads “no!” I’m truly confused and don’t understand what is happening.  Eventually a student who had some English walked in and was able to translate for me – NOTHING or NO ONE is allowed into the school after 7:45 (class start time daily!!) without an appointment. He was standing on one side of the bullet proof glass door, I was on the other, and the security guard physically blocked him from coming out to me – they were prattling on excitedly in Spanish, continuing to block me and to shake their heads at me…was awful…they were turning me away and not allowing me to give my kid his gym clothes.  We are very vulnerable right now and our emotions have all manner of exposed nerves and never in the 13 years since Mansell has arrived have I ever been denied access to him.  He was looking so small and worried on the other side of the glass and I understood nothing of the highly charged chatter around me and I just burst into tears and turned to leave.  The one security guard had gone into the school where Mansell was and found a teacher who could talk to Mansell and explain what was happening.  They gave him a ‘free pass’ on this one, ONLY for this time they insisted.  The security guard saw me turn to go and called me back, “Senora!!” I turned around and they were letting Mansell out to meet me – I was pretty upset and needed to get out of there so hurriedly passed him his stuff as he explained that they were allowing this only this time.  I blubbered back,”I don’t understand…I just walked all this way in the rain to bring you these and all of THIS over gym clothes…”and he said,”it’s ok Mom” and headed back into the building.

As I walked home in the pouring rain (I swear everything in this bloody country is either straight up a mountain or straight down!!!) I had time to reflect and try to pull myself together – was very upsetting.   Once I stopped feeling so wronged (did they really need to yell at me in Spanish?  Could have they handled my stupidity with a less harsh approach?) I tried to think about how it all looked from their perspective – the potential seriousness to the safety of all students if security is compromised.  Someone less honourable might try to get something more sinister than a bathing suit into the school.  I was starting to see how uncomfortable I must have made them.  Then I felt bad for making it difficult for them to do their job.  I am glad for the security and zero tolerance for those who might try to breach the rules.  I definitely know that our kids, all of the kids in that school, are protected for the 7 hours they are there daily.  We’re obviously so new and so naive…

…and this reality is going to force the issue of continuing to help Mansell stay organized and prepared – I’m not even allowed to bail him out! 🙂