Grown up children in need

Daughter went back to school. Although she is in lower sixth, she still has to take public exams, and had her first one last week. I got a text:

"Mum, I've forgotten my candidate number, and my statement (for extra time). It's in my draw[sic] in ..."

So what am I supposed to do? I'm twenty miles away at university studying my own problems, and can't get back to sort out hers. She managed.

The next day I have a tutorial, but Son says that he has to be back at Oxford between 9 and 12, not later in case he has an exam, and not allowed in earlier. Tough. I'm not missing my tutorial, so I say that I'll come the next day when I'm more relaxed, or even better, I'll come on Saturday when I'm in Oxford anyhow for work. So Son packs his bags, leaves most of them in the hall and taking a backpack with his laptop, a suitcase and some other bag, toodles off on the bus. Come lunch time I get a text message:

"Mum, I need my stuff today. I've got exams first thing tomorrow and on Saturday but there's a rumour that we take collections in sub-fusc and its in the big suitcase...."

That, translated, means that he has to wear special academic dress to be allowed into the exams room. He can't sort that out by himself and I have to go over there. Why didn't he know he needed sub-fusc! I knew. Youngest step daughter (YSD) knew! and neither of us have been to Oxford. So YSD and I heave everything but his bike into the back of my car, I drive over, unload, he buys me a smoothie, I buy him supper and spend money on books. I go over again on Saturday after teaching, with his bike and spend more on books. So I've plenty to read now, both detective (Rankin and Paretsky) and PhD (Reading Critically at University).

So far we haven't had any urgent texts from YSD, who went back to Loughborough on Saturday. Yesterday we had a text just from Middle SD (MSD) to say that she was safely back from skiing.