I’m sick and I didn’t want to pass on my germs to anyone so I’ve been off the air. I bet you’re all pleased I spared you. Despite double pneumonia and chronic bronchitis, things have been pretty good here. Cough ! cough ! hic ! cough !.
H and I took RFD13 and her mum to the induction at her new high school last night. She won’t start there until Feb 2006, but they have this really good induction process so the Year 7s are very comfortable and know what to expect when they get there next year. I was a bit pee’d that H was late, although the smile on RFD13s face when he arrived was worth bottling. She worships him. He knew it went until 6.30pm, but he’d made plans to play tennis at 6.30 so he had to leave at 6.15 – while there were still presentations going on. His priorities haven’t changed.
OK, now the parts that I need your opinions on.
When he got there he sat in the seat we’d saved for him at the end of the aisle. I was sitting between RFD13 and him, with RFD13s mum (who I’ll refer to as RM for refugee mum) at the other end. Part of the process for the night was for RFD13 to fill out her electives, interest in the laptop program, sports teams etc and she had all the forms in her lap. She’d fill one out, pass it to RM to sign and then me to hold so it wouldn’t get mixed up with those still needing attention. H kept leaning over me, and seemingly deliberately brushing my hands, my arms, my stomach etc to have a look at her forms. I didn’t pull away from him, but I didn’t lean in to him either.
When the forms were all explained and completed we had to break into House Groups and go to another area of the school for House meetings. It was really nice. The senior girls had made cards for the new Yr 7s and had chocolates for them and stuff. H was explaining to RM what the pastoral care system was and how RFD13s would stay in the same House for all the years she was at high school etc etc, but then when he realised it was getting close to time for him to go – it was like he was asking me for permission. He said, oh, it’s 6.15, I’ve got to go. He was nervous and antsy. In fact he’d been kind of nervous all evening. I just said “OK, see you later.” And he looked surprised (albeit relieved) and snuck out of the room, kind of nervously looking back.
We finished up at the school and I took RM and RFD13 back to their place. I can’t avoid driving past the tennis court on the way home and sure enough there is H playing tennis with a male friend, no OP in sight.
So why was he nervous? He did all the leg work to get her into the school, I was there to take them and drop them home, so it wasn’t going to cramp his style or disrupt his evening.
Why did he keep leaning on me? Why was he in my personal space?
Why did he ask my permission to leave and race off like a little boy late for the marbles tournament?
Why hasn’t he mentioned the sale of the house for nearly 2 weeks? I saw the instructions for the solicitor asking them to write up the contracts – but nothing now for 2 weeks.
Why can’t I just get over it and get on with my life?
V
Never make someone a priority, who makes you an option.
