Today we hugged goodbye. I would like to thank the Coach driver of the 12:15 Bath to Heathrow, National Express today. After loading my daughter’s massive “going away for a year or more” rucksack on board he let me give her an extended hug goodbye on the coach steps. This cheered me up immensely, I felt like I had been given the chance to give her a proper final hug and leave her, happy that this moment hadn’t been complicated by other travellers or a grumpy driver.
I still fled to the outside of the station to fall apart at the seams a little, only to look back and catch my son watching me in this pathetic state. Turning away from his gaze I forced myself to ‘Straighten up’ and walked along the outside of the station to where the coaches exit the station onto the road. I wanted to wave goodbye to Jessie on the coach. I wanted to wail and cry as if I would never see her again. It was hard remaining composed.
This had to be a happy farewell. “Be calm and carry on” or in this case “Be strong and smile” We had the camera at the ready to take a photo as she passed by us on the coach. The coach pulled up at the station exit and was then stopped by the traffic lights on red. This gave time for a brilliant encounter. The coach driver smiled at us which turned into a bigger smile. He made all of us laugh. He waved at us, gave us the thumbs up, then gave the biggest cheesiest grin imaginable, waving as he drove by. Four seats behind was Jessie grinning and waving happily at us too! Within seconds they were gone. But I felt it was a good start to her adventures!
Grammar Note
Past perfect : We use this to talk about an event that happened before another event.
Subject + past simple + subject + aux have (past) + past parcticiple.
I saw someone had robbed my house.
We are talking about the past + 2 things happened
The event in the past perfect happened first =. e.g. Which happened first? Me seeing it, or the robbery?
Past perfect is usually used to tell a story in the wrong order , What happened first?
This cheered me up immensely, I felt like I had been given the chance to give her a proper final hug and leave her…..
Use it for dramatic effect – start with a situation and work backwards – I was cheered up ! – Why? – because the driver let me have an extended hug 🙂
My Daughter's Gap Year & Other Adventures 
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