As I drove home, I noticed a small child on a school bus, terrified, hammering on the rear window. My entire world came to an end. There was a serious problem. But aboard a supposedly safe school bus, what possible harm could a small child be in? My heart skipped a beat as I followed the bus to find out.
As I drove home, the rain drummed against my windshield, each drop reflecting the weight of my heart. I must have had the worst day of my life today. In addition to my fiancé calling off our wedding last week, I recently lost my job.
I was a jumbled mix of feelings and ideas in my head.”Remain composed, Mollie,” I muttered to myself while gritting my teeth on the driver’s seat. There must be an alternative. Another door must open if the first closes, right? However, the words seemed meaningless.
As I put the car back in gear, I mumbled. I had no idea that I would soon find out. There was a yellow school bus rumbling by me as I got back into traffic. I noticed something through the rear window: a small child with her face pressed up against the glass and her little fists thumping wildly. She was sobbing for assistance.
“What the heck? Is she okay, Oh My God? I let out a gasp. I raced after the bus, gunning the engine without thinking.
It was obvious the toddler was distressed, but why? On a school bus that seemed to be safe, what kind of danger could she be in?
I whispered, blaring my horn a lot, “I’m coming, hold on, sweetie.” The bus driver didn’t appear to notice, driving on as if nothing were wrong. Feeling panic rise in my chest, I decided in a single second. I veered around the bus and passed it, bringing it to a halt in the center of the heavily traveled road.
The driver stormed out, a big man with a thick black mustache. “Lady, what kind of prank are you pulling? You might have started a mishap! I pushed past him and hurried aboard the bus, ignoring him. I felt the noise like a wall.
With laughter and shouting, the children gathered around the girl. With tears streaming down her cheeks, the little girl was sitting by herself when I hurried to the back. I got to her and froze.
I had not anticipated this at all.”Oh my goodness! Do you have an asthma attack right now? The young girl gasped for breath and nodded wildly, her chest heaving. With my heart pounding, I knelt next to her chair.”Dear, what’s your name?” I asked, attempting to seem calm.
She gestured to the identification card slung around her neck. Chelsea was her name. “All right, Chelsea, we’ll get assistance for you. Is your inhaler somewhere?Speechless, Chelsea shook her head. When I looked up, the driver was pale and had followed me. “Are you aware of her inhaler’s location?” He gave a headshake.
“I… I had no idea she was having problems. I couldn’t hear anything because of how loud it is back here. I swallowed my ireful remark and began rummaging through Chelsea’s backpack. Nothing. As soon as I saw the tiny girl’s lips begin to turn blue, panic tore at my insides.”Assist me in looking!” I yelled at the chauffeur. We looked under the chairs, along the aisle, and anywhere else that crossed our minds. I was horrified to see that Chelsea was being pointed out by some of the other children who were giggling.
“There’s no humor in this!” I lost my temper with them. “She needs assistance!” I realized at that point. Ignoring their objections, I began grabbing all of their backpacks. “Hey, that’s not possible!” exclaimed a boy with freckles.Chelsea’s name was printed on a blue inhaler that I discovered in the third bag I looked through.
I moved closer to the boy whose rucksack it was. “Why are you holding this?” He said, “It was just a joke,” as he turned away. “A jest? She might have passed away.I hastened back to Chelsea and assisted her in using the inhaler.
Her breathing settled down and her face started to take on color again. I comforted her while holding her hand and whispering encouraging words. The driver wrung his hands while standing there. “I truly apologize. I was ignorant of this.
My temper exploding, I turned to face him. “You have to take care of these children! You ought to have inquired about the situation when you heard a disturbance!Embarrassed, he nodded. “You’re accurate. I apologize. With her voice just audible, Chelsea tugged at my sleeve. “I’m grateful.” More than anything else that had happened that day, those two words affected me deeply.
After this, I couldn’t leave her alone herself. “Alright, I’m going to stay with you until we get you home.” With a faint smile on her tear-streaked face, Chelsea nodded. I looked across to the driver. “I’m going to give her a ride in my automobile. Is that acceptable?He gave a rapid nod.
Naturally. After, well, everything, it’s the least we can do. My hands started to shake as I got off the bus to relocate my car to the nearby parking lot. What an incredible day it had been.
I sat down next to Chelsea on the bus again, putting a consoling arm around her shoulders. Now that the seriousness of what had transpired had fully set in, the other children had been abnormally silent. “Why weren’t you helped by the other kids?” I made a gentle inquiry.Chelsea’s bottom lip quivered.
“They find it amusing when I have trouble breathing.” Sometimes they keep my inhaler hidden.My heart ached for her. Chelsea, that is not acceptable. You are aware of that, correct? Glancing down at her hands, she gave a nod.
“I try to be brave, but fear gets the better of me sometimes.”I gave her a shoulder squeeze. You showed such courage today. When you required assistance, you caught my attention. It requires a great deal of bravery. She gave a slight smile to her lips. “Really?” Actually. One of the bravest persons I’ve ever met is you.
Chelsea pointed out the window after two stops. “That’s my father and mother!”Chelsea’s parents, with looks of bewilderment on their faces, ran over as soon as we got off the bus. With a wary gaze, her mother said, “Chelsea, who’s this?” With more strength in her voice, Chelsea introduced herself as Mollie.
My life was rescued by her. Following Chelsea’s explanation, her parents’ looks changed from ones of perplexity to
thankfulness to rage at the other children, the bus driver, and the entire circumstance.”I am at a loss for words,” remarked Chelsea’s father, shedding tears. “I’m just happy that I could help,”Mrs. Stewart, Chelsea’s mother, insisted on taking me back to my vehicle.
The heavens parted and sheets of rain began to fall as soon as we pulled into the mall parking lot. Mrs. Stewart remarked, “So, Mollie, what do you do?” as she peered at me through the windshield streaked with rain.With a sour laugh, I laughed. It’s funny you inquired. In actuality, I was laid off today. Mrs. Stewart furrowed her brows. “Oh, that makes me really sorry to hear.
Could you please tell me what transpired? I let out a sigh as the day’s events overwhelmed me once more. “I called attention to certain immoral behavior. They found a reason to let me leave since they didn’t like that.Mrs. Stewart remained silent for a while. “You know, my husband and I run a small business,” she continued. There may be a chance for us. Do you think you could come in for an interview? Unsure if I had heard her correctly, I blinked.
“Are you serious?”She grinned. Without a doubt. Anyone who would go to such efforts to assist a less fortunate child is someone I would want on my side. It had reduced to a sprinkle as we approached my car. I was given Mrs. Stewart’s business card. “Give me a call tomorrow,” she said. “We’ll arrange for something.
” I gripped the card tightly, feeling a glimmer of hope ignite within me. “I’m grateful. Yes, I will.I felt lighter when I woke up the following morning than I have in weeks. I had filled Mom in on all the details. About everything. About losing my career, about rescuing Chelsea, about the possible new opportunity. Her eyes gleamed with pride as she gave me a firm embrace.
“Darling, I always knew you were destined for great things!” My pulse was pounding now as I dialed Mrs. Stewart’s card number, but this time it was with excitement rather than fear.Mrs. Stewart’s kind voice answered the phone, “Hello, Mollie.” “Thank you so much for calling. What would be your thoughts regarding attending this afternoon’s interview? I couldn’t stop the smile from appearing on my face.
“I would adore it. I am really grateful for this chance. “No, Mollie,” she uttered, and her smile was almost palpable. “I’m grateful. Our daughter was saved by you. The least we can do is this.My eyes started to prickle with tears as soon as I hung up. But instead of tears of grief, they were tears of delight for the first time in a long time.
