Stories of Kindness from Around the World

 
After three months of working weekends I had my first full weekend off work and a beautiful sunny day to spend how I wanted.  
 
I found myself awake early and decided to wander down-town, have breakfast, catch a bus to the markets, go to the beach, and just genearally relax.
 
I made it to the bus stop at about 8.30am and was waiting with another passenger who was dressed for business when an elderly women slowly wandered up to the bus stop. She was dressed a little eccentrically and peering around happily.  
 
"Hello. How are you today?" she asked. 
 
I glanced at the business man waiting at the stop thinking she may know him but found him looking at me, obviously thinking the same thing.
 
"I am fine thanks," I said, half turning to her while trying to see the number on the bus that was approaching. "How are you?"
 
"I am fine. It's a beautiful day."
 
I though she was just a friendly elderly lady looking for someone to chat to and I could see the bus approaching was not the one I wanted so I gave her my full attention. We exchanged names and chatted. Then I said, "I'm thinking of going to the beach later. What about you?"
 
"Oh I couldn't go the beach" she said as my bus came into view. She explained, "My mummy wouldn't let me go without my older sister."
 
It took a few seconds to sink in. 
 
"How old is your sister?" I asked, not wanting to offend someone my grandmother's age by asking for her age.
 
"She's eleven," came the reply. "I'm looking for her now. Have you seen her?"
 
My bus pulled in at the stop.
 
"How old are you?" I asked, already half knowing the answer wouldn't be a good one.
 
"I'm seven." She would have been closer to seventy than seven. "Is this my bus?"
 
"Let me check." I stepped onto the bus and said to the driver, "I need help." I quickly explained the situation. 
 
He stopped the bus, got out, and asked the woman a couple of questions. He told her that his wasn't the bus she wanted but he would get one for her. Then he called his depot. After relaying the lady's name, my details, and the location to the depot he asked if I could stay as his company were sending a car and would have someone there within twenty minutes. Having nothing really planned for the day, and a grandmother we were slowly losing to Alzhiemer's, I promised I would.  
 
My new friend was quite happy to wait as the driver had promised her a "special bus" which would come for her so she sat on the bench seat of the bus stop and started to swing her legs and hum to herself, every now and again tossing a question to me which I answered and I'd ask her another trying to gently draw out any further details beyond her name.  
 
When the car arrived we clambered in and took a short drive to the local police office. Once again I explaned what had happened. My new friend answered a few questions but did not have any identification on her. So, they started checking reports. It was getting close to 10.30am before they had any results but I'd stayed as it seemed to make her happy and my plans could wait.  
 
She had been reported missing by her family at 9.30 am that morning, an hour after I met her about to get on a bus. She lived with her son and his family over an hour away and it appears she managed to get out undetected, got on a bus and just travelled. According to her she'd been having conversations all morning with people about finding her sister and her mother but no one wanted to talk.
 
I asked the officer in charge if it was okay for me us to go next door to a cafe and I could buy her breakfast. He said they would send someone to check on us from time to time, so I treated my new friend to breakfast and we just sat and chatted and she told me about her parents and her sister.     
 
Her son arrived around midday. He thanked me and insisted on paying for breakfast. My new friend left happily telling him about all the fun we'd had. 
 
The police officer said, "You know, with that with the head start she had she could have got on another bus and she may never have been found."
 
It reinforced a childhood lesson my parents had taught me - "Always remember to listen!" If I hadn't really been listening to the elderly lady, if I had have ignored her chattering like the businessman at the bus stop, what would have happened to her? What would her family have gone through? Her local bus, the first one she got on ended up at a transport hub. She had the choice of buses, trains and ferries all across the city and the state.  
 
For some reason she walked around the corner and chose my bus stop. I'm so glad I listened!