[TPC] - Bess Tuggle: Memoirs of Surviving Children, Pt. IV

 The Cop

~ special to The Chronicles ~

My boys all went to the same school for two years (elementary school), and they usually rode the bus.  In inclement weather I would drive them though. The driveway was half a mile long, all dirt and yes, they had to walk to the end of it to wait for the bus.

    It was all good when they were at the same school.  It became difficult when they started to spread out between schools – and I still had to get to work on time.

    One nasty, rainy day I loaded them into the truck to take them to school.  Elementary school was the first stop, then on to middle school.

    As I turned onto the road the where middle school was located I saw blue lights behind us.  Of course, I pulled over. We all do. I wanted to get out of the officers way so he could do his job.

    He pulled up behind ME – and I was right in front of the middle school.

    We sat there.  My mind was racing.  Insurance – check. Seat belts (I looked) – check.  Speeding – no. I’ve driven like a granny all my life.

    The officer came to my window, I rolled it down (back in the day where we still had hand cranks) and he asked if I knew my tag was expired.  Talk about a major sigh of relief... I pulled my sticker down where I had stuck it over the sun visor. I had it, but neglected to put it on.  The boys sidetracked me on a regular basis, and it’s only gotten worse with age.

    The kind officer went to his trunk, got out Windex with paper towels, and proceeded to clean my dusty/dirty tag and apply the sticker.  During all this the blue lights were still flashing and students were passing us being dropped off at school.

    He came to the window and I thanked him.  He turned to go, but I had one request. Would he PLEASE write me a warning ticket?  He looked at me like I’d lost my mind.

    I explained that most of the school children that had passed knew us and my truck.  My kids needed something to show that Mama didn’t do anything really bad.

    He laughed and wrote me my warning.  If I could find him I’d hug his neck today.  

    Bess  ☺

 

A jack of all trades, Bess Tuggle has been a Covington resident since the late 70’s. She's been a K-Mart cashier, cabinet builder, vet tech, office manager for a beef cattle ranch and water well company (where she was able to hold benefits for D.A.R.E. and Scouts), a court reporter, business manager, assistant at a private investigation firm, legal assistant, convenience store clerk, landscaper and elementary school substitute teacher.  Her greatest pleasure is being a wife, mother and grandmother.  Her stories are all real, and all names will be withheld to protect the innocent, and also maybe the guilty, depending on the crime & the Statute of Limitations. 

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