[MUSIC PLAYING]
FRANCINE JACKSON: My kids are not only
my three original kids.
They're not only my grandchildren.
I have 100 grandchildren, you guys.
100.
Them the kids on my bus.
Who let the gators out?
(ALL): Snap, snap, snap, snap, snap.
Who let the gators out?
(ALL): Snap, snap, snap, snap, snap.
Who let the--
I drive bus 6.
I can promise you everybody knows who bus 6 is.
Ms. Jackson's bus.
Everybody want to ride Ms. Jackson's bus,
but I can't ride them all.
But I can love them all.
I can't ride them all, but my bus is number 6.
All right, girls, lets go.
Bye, baby.
Have a good evening.
I love them like they were my own.
I look at these kids-- I can be so tired.
And when them kids get on that bus, oh my god.
It's just like they perk me up.
They keep me feeling young.
They keep me going, and they just so exciting.
Don't ask me about-- I mean kids.
Life growing up for me was really exciting.
I have nine sisters and brothers.
My mama made our family to be a circle.
Now, my family is a circle, and we all stick together as one.
My family means everything to me.
They call me the big chief of the family,
even though they love Papa a little bit more.
But my family is everything.
I have three children.
I had one to pass, but God left me with two.
My son was 39 when he passed.
He's gone.
It don't make me love him no less.
I had to learn they're not gone as long as you keep them
in your heart.
But I'm going to tell y'all what got me through was the kids,
the kids.
When you got up there and you look at these kids with these
smiles on their face and they're so
excited about being on the bus, and these kids--
bye, Ms. Jackson.
Bye.
And I always say good morning, have a good day,
and have a good evening.
It's an awesome job.
Oh my gosh!
I love it.
The best thing about me to drive my bus
is the experience I have with the kids and the things
you hear.
They are so excited.
They want to tell you about their today.
And that is the most exciting thing,
just to listen at them because you've got to listen.
You've got to.
If you turn away from a kid when they're
trying to tell you something, you just
hurt their feelings feelings.
Do you know I listen to everything these kids say?
And I will respond.
I may not respond right then.
Wait a minute.
I've got to unload the bus.
Give me a minute.
But I do answer them kids.
I love them kids.
I dress up, start off with Halloween.
Then, we go to Christmas.
Then, we do Saint.
Patty's Day.
Now, if I could wear a bunny suit on that bus, I would.
But it-- I can't because I can't drive with it.
You've never seen anything until a child walk on your bus
and look at you.
Oh, Ms. Jackson, you're a pumpkin.
That is so awesome.
That is so awesome, just to see that face.
That one look on their face when you get
on that bus, that's a diamond.
That's a diamond.
That's why I do it.
My husband told me my favorite quote work I'm outta here.
A lot of people don't understand that, but I say it every day.
The reason I say it because, when I leave in the morning
and I tell my husband-- give him a kiss goodbye
and say I'm outta here, he know I'm going
to take care of them kids.
When I leave work, I say I'm out of here.
They know I'm going home to figure out
how to take care of those kids when I get back.
And every time people see me, they say,
why do you always say I'm outta here?
Because I know whatever it mean to you, it don't mean to me.
It means that I'm going to do something right today.
I'm going to take care of somebody's child today.
Hey!
We're outta here.