manrymission.com

“How did it go?”

“Longer than expected”

The goal was to leave at 1100. The last minute copying of piano music delayed the departure. We were on the road at 1145.

Unfortunately, everyone and their brother were on the road with us. Bad traffic, rain, cars with ‘CNU MOM’ and ‘CNU DAD’ bumper stickers accompanied us. Thankfully, Dale didn’t cut any of them off just in case one of the vehicles was driven by Josiah’s roommate.

2 hours and 45 minutes later, we arrived at CNU and once again experienced the school’s efficiency. We followed the signs, received a pass, drove up to the door of the dorm, and opened the van. CNU students unloaded Josiah’s stuff into a bin and onto a luggage rack, and wheeled them to his room where they unloaded it all.

We watched upright vacuums, full sized brooms and packing boxes full of stuff being unloaded from other vehicles.

Josiah checked in and then began to unload his stuff on the left side of the room. He got the window which Abby used as a window seat.

Gabe and I made the bed. Abby and Zeke put all items away in the wardrobe, drawers, desk, and under the sink. I drove to the store across the road to purchase the following forgotten items: trash can (CNU did not provide one), AAA batteries (I only brought AA), toothbrush holder, and hand soap.

The roommate, Michael arrived and put my packing list to shame. He had so much stuff, his siblings couldn’t fit in the vehicle and had to stay home. He had a keurig, a clothes steamer, 4 suit jackets, closet organizers, shoe rack, small exercise trampoline, printer, brita water pitcher, a chair cushion, and much much more.

Dale worked as IT support and learned a few things he did not know before:

1. If you change the power setting on an asus computer, you disable the touchscreen.
2. T.V. cable drops may be hidden behind a roommate’s wardrobe.

I watched Dale and already knew the following:

1. My husband will sit in a chair, staring at a computer for hours and sometimes days until he figures out how to fix it.
2. My son really wanted his family to “Hit the Road, Jack.”

I eventually dragged Dale away even though the touchscreen still didn’t work and the cable drop had not been found, because the rest of the kids were “starving to death.” It was 1800.

We hugged Josiah goodbye and gave our parting words of advice. My advice was “go to dinner” and “text me once a day so I know you are alive.”

We then drove 1 minute down the road to eat bojangles fried chicken. While we were eating dinner, I received the following text from Josiah, “I’ll have to get a coaxial cable for the t.v.” and “Fixed the touchscreen.”

I replied that we were just down the road and would drive to the store that all Manrys love, buy the cable, and have Abby run it in. While performing this errand, I received another text from Josiah

“Could you get me dinner? Everything is closed.”

We swung back by bojangles and Dale and Gabe brought the cable and food to Josiah while Abby, Zeke, and I waited in the van. Dale went back into IT support mode and hooked up the t.v.

We arrived home at 2200.

Everyone asked me if I cried. I did not. I was on a mission.

Mission accomplished.