Why Grad Cars Wear Caps — Before the cheers reached the old brick arch, Willa rolled slowly, listening for the soft clink of diplomas in the back seat. Read the full story →
Before the cheers reached the old brick arch, Willa rolled slowly, listening for the soft clink of diplomas in the back seat. She wanted every graduate to hear their name called, even the shy ones who waved from behind balloons, but the crowd along Laurel Road was louder than rain on a tin roof.
At the gate, the announcer’s microphone gave one tired pop and went silent. Willa felt the graduates sink in their gowns. Then a loose tassel brushed her windshield—tickle, tickle—and pointed to the enormous cardboard cap tied on her roof. Nobody had thought to look inside it. Willa nudged the tassel cord with her wiper, and out slid a tiny silver bell, tucked there by last year’s class with a note that smelled faintly of peppermint: For anyone whose name gets lost.
Willa rang the bell once for each graduate as they passed beneath the arch. No one knew who had saved the moment; they only heard clear silver notes floating over the balloons. Ever since, graduation cars wear big caps on their roofs, just in case a hidden bell is needed before the cheers reach the old brick arch—can you spot where Willa’s bell might be hiding?
