Vacation memory #2

I'm realizing that one thing our vacation "moments" have in common is this: at the time they occurred someone was terrified (usually me) but later the moments are hilarious. Well, some still aren't as hilarious to me as they are to others, but here goes. Oh, I need to preface this by saying that this story and the panic that ensued may not transfer well to print.
This vacation moment occured in England. We had been visiting my brother and his family outside of London. It was time for us to head back into London to go to the airport. We had to ride the Tube (subway) to get there. It would take us about an hour. We left the suburb around 5:00 p.m. We got on the Tube at the very first (or last, depending on which way you were headed) stop. We were the only people in our car. Now, picture eight people -- 2 adults, 6 children, 3-13. Each person has 2 bags and one backpack. Now all of these people and their luggage fit rather nicely in the empty car when we got on. But we were heading in to London at 5 --- P --- M! Meaning that it was rush hour time in London. As we made our way in we had about 10 stops. Each time the subway stopped more and more and more and more and more (you get the picture) people got on. Nobody got off. Ever. Nada.
We soon had bags on our laps, as well as small children. We were about 5 stops into this journey when suddenly it hit me: we were going to have to get all 6 children and all 18 pieces of assorted luggage off of the subway, past the crush of people getting on the car, and clear the closing doors - in about 45 seconds. Suddenly, my heart started beating rapidly, my palms were sweating and my blood pressure was shooting upward. I realized that this feat was going to be next to impossible, mostly because between us and the doors stood about 30 people --- with 5 more stops coming. Hubby was sitting across from me, looking quite relaxed. In fact, I think he was nodding off! I kicked his shoe and said, "Hey! There's no way we can get everyone off of this car with all of our stuff. Someone is going to get left behind!" He just smiled, as if to say, "Don't worry your pretty little head, sweetie. I'm in full control and I'm not worried." And he wasn't. With each stop my panic rose higher. I was trying to figure out the battle plan and was muttering aloud to myself about how many children would be lost and how I needed to call an attorney at the next stop to start divorce proceedings, when a man sitting next to me heard me spoke. "What stop is yours?" (in a British accent). I told him and he said that some of the people may be getting off at the two stops before ours. I thanked him for his kind words and returned to my thoughts of alimony and child support (for whomever was not lost forever in London).
The next-to-the-next to the-last-stop came. He was totally right. About 3 people got off! Which left, oh .... about 50 still on!! My thoughts turned from divorce proceedings to wondering if criminal charges could be brought against a man who, knowing full well the danger ahead, still planned to get his entire family off this car safely. Suddenly, he spoke. "The next stop is ours." I said, "Huh? I thought we had two more stops?" "Nope, it's the next one. Let's get everyone up."
"There is NO way we can do this! We can't get past all of these people with all of the bags and all of the kids!" "Sure we can." he said cheerfully . If I could've reached past the 5 people between us I would've grabbed him by the throat. I told him that we needed to just stay on the train until it cleared, then get off and get a couple of taxis. He didn't agree and proceeded toward the doors. Son #1, being all of 9 years old and thinking he was much more advanced at getting places than anyone else in the family, was standing at the doors. The train stopped, the doors opened and quite a few people got off -- just as my dear hubby was saying, "Wait, it's not this stop. It's the next one!". Yep, you guessed it. Son #1 was standing on the platform and the doors were closing. Fortunately several people in the car realized that my scream of "WAIT!!!!!!" and my lunge for the doors were aimed at getting my son back. Some kind person hit the emergency open button and the doors re-opened. Son #1 got back on. He was quite calm. I was a mess and had moved past the divorce proceedings to pushing a certain someone off of the platform once we all disemmbarked. I was furious. And we still had to get off this thing with all of our children in tow. I wasn't as concerned about keeping the hubby with us. In fact, it may have been better for him to wait a couple of stops before later joining us. (But hubbies don't always do the "better" thing, do they?)
We once again grabbed as many kids and as many bags as we could, leaving the older kids to fend for themselves. I said a quick prayer, vowed never to marry again once I had put this one to rest, and started pushing myself and the kids in front of me towards the opening doors. Somehow, only by the grace of God, we made it. All eight people and all 18 assorted bags. As I stood there, trying to slow my breathing and my heart as the train pulled away, hubby said, "See? I told you we'd get everyone off with no problems!"
The only reason the man is alive today is that I was rational enough to think ahead. We had no one to take all 6 children in the event of dad's death by subway and my ensuing incarceration overseas.
He still doesn't realize how lucky he was.
Oh, and when I had calmed down enough to ask Son #1 what he would've done had we not got him back on the train, he said,"I would've gotten on the next train and got off at the next stop". He didn't know why I was so panicked at the thought of losing him -- he knew right where he was and right where he was going. He added, "I knew what I was doing."
Some people, who are very, very much like their father, can really tick me off.