It happens thousands of times every summer. Noisy teenagers crowd onto buses and head off for exciting times at summer camps. Five days later, parents, anxious to see their kids, gather on the church parking lot waiting for the buses, loaded with sleepy teens and dirty clothes, to return.
Someone gets a text. “We’re five minutes away.” Parents get out of their cars. Little brothers and sisters run to the edge of the road, wanting to be the first to catch sight of the bus. Smiles and hugs are passed around as anticipation builds.
Imagine the feeling holding for more than five minutes. For more than ten. For more than fifteen.
And then the sound of sirens. Lots of sirens.