The Mae Series 9/9: Cassie, School Resource Officer

(THE MAE SERIES 9/9: Cassie, School Resource Officer)

The first fifteen minutes of my day are usually the same. I start work, catch up with my co-workers, and then head to the school to start the day as the School Resource Officer for grades Prek-12.  This particular day started out exactly the same but took a very serious turn about 7 minutes into my shift.  As I was chatting with co-workers I overheard dispatch send an officer to an address for a 7-year-old girl with DS who could not be found in her home. 

I immediately recognized the address as Mae’s home, jumped into my cruiser, and started to head to the house. Every scenario was running through my head. I kept trying to imagine where Mae could have gone, both in and outside the house, and kept going over my next steps as I got closer to the house.  About 30 seconds before I pulled into the driveway, dispatch informed me that Mae had been found hiding in the basement. I am not sure if I ever breathed a bigger sigh of relief before.  I still went to the house and before I could knock on the front door, Mom opened it, wrapped her arms around me, and cried. 

As I stepped into the house I saw Mae sitting in a chair surrounded by her siblings. Mom and I talked for a few minutes and she filled me in on where Mae was hiding, silently under a pile of blankets behind a couch in the basement.  In her mind I am sure she was playing the best game of Hide - and - Seek that she has ever played, she just forgot to tell anyone else that she was playing.  As Mom said to me “that is the longest she has ever sat still or stayed quiet”. 

Not sure why but every once and a while that early morning memory will pop into my head.  But I am lucky enough to see Mae every day at school and create new memories with her that can replace the “scary” one from an early morning game of solo Hide - and - Seek. 

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