Motorcycle Mama

Maxine and Courtney in front of our house

      Maxine started attending  the Saeedhiyya Preschool on Sunday. At 6:30 AM we slathered her up with insect repellent and Courtney wheeled her to the school. I planned to walk to Saeedyiyya to pick up our brave little scholar at 11.
      The school is about .6 km from the house.  I have a good sense of direction, and we are on a such a narrow island that you can see the ocean from one end of a straight east-west-street to the other.  We studied the Google maps, and I hand-drew a map of my intended route (no printer here.)  Courtney found a good way and called me with directions and landmarks as soon as she had dropped Maxine off.  What could go wrong?
     I set off  through the narrow streets, no street signs of course, and they wouldn't be in English anyway, although on the map the streets are named things like Daisy and Sunset.  I passed the mosque with  the blue wall, and turned at the dead end, and again at the tin shed.  I looked for the TV towers as landmarks, and then began following the map.  No preschool anywhere.

Sayeedihyya preschool

      So I took my map into a small shop and hoped the merchant spoke a little English.  He understood "Sayeedhiyya" and maybe my gesture for little children.  He took the map and walked across the street to  a yard where a man was working on his motor scooter.  After they deliberated for a while, the merchant told me, "He knows," and gestured for me to get on the scooter.   I hoisted my leg over the saddle, and away we went.
     Would it be offensive for me to hold onto the driver's waist?  I had to, so I did.  The man drove slowly and gently around  blind corners, several blocks back toward the way I had come. We putt-putted right up to the door of Maxine's school.  I collected Maxine, and we walked home.