Margaret's Head Count

Margaret Dawson drove Bus 14 for the Calhoun County school district for thirty-one years. Every afternoon, she counted heads before pulling away from Ridgeview Elementary. Twenty-three seats. Twenty-three children. She knew every name. One November afternoon, she counted twenty-two. She checked her mirror again. Seat nine — empty. That was Eli Torres. The other children grew restless. "Mrs. Dawson, can we go?"…