A bus driver kicked an elderly woman off the bus because she couldn’t pay her fare, but when he arrived at his fiancée’s house, he discovered who she was.
George Harris was almost at the end of his shift when it started to snow. Not light, fluffy flakes, but thick ones that seemed to make the air as thick as soup. He slammed his fist on the steering wheel. “That’s all I needed! Especially today!”
George stopped at a bus stop and watched people enter one by one, flashing their cards. Then an elderly woman wearing a long, dark coat approached him and began searching for her purse.
George groaned. She was going to hold him back, and every second counted if he wanted to be on time to meet Angelica’s parents.
“Hello,” the woman said with a sweet smile. “I’m sorry, my wallet seems to have fallen to the bottom of my bag…” The woman continued rummaging, then began taking things out.
First, a hairbrush, then a small folding umbrella, a makeup bag, a snack… “Ma’am,” said George. “Could you find that money?”
“I’m sorry,” the woman stammered. “I went into town to buy my granddaughter an engagement present and I must have dropped it… Oh, no! My phone’s gone too!” The elderly woman was pale and embarrassed.
Kindness doesn’t cost a cent, but cruelty can cost you the love of your life.
“I’ve heard a lot of stories like this,” George said nastily. “You pay and stay… or you get off the bus and walk home!”
It was the day George had been waiting for his whole life and he didn’t want to be late! Source: Usplash
“I swear,” the elderly woman shouted. “I swear it’s the absolute truth! My wallet is gone, and I have no way of getting home!”
George snickered. “Well, that’s too bad, because you’re not getting on my bus!”
“Please, my son,” the elderly woman said with dignity. “I recently had knee surgery. I can’t drive, which is why I took the bus. I won’t be able to walk such a distance home.
“You should have thought of that before you pulled this scam!” George shouted. “Get out!”
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The woman put her things back in her bag and got off the bus. George saw her for the last time through his rearview mirror. She looked lost, and for a second, he felt sorry for her.
Then his gaze fell on the clock on his dashboard. He was already late! He walked away from the woman and the bus stop, convinced he would never see her again.
George began to think about Angie. She was something! Angelica was beautiful and intelligent—way above her weight, all her friends had thought. Since when does a millionaire’s daughter fall in love with a bus driver?
But as soon as George and Angie met, they fell in love. Of course, her parents weren’t exactly thrilled with the idea of a bus driver marrying their precious only daughter, but Angie stood up to them.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
That evening was his first time meeting the Westerly family, and he wanted to make a good impression, which meant arriving in time to take a quick shower and put on a smart suit.
Three-quarters of an hour later, George stood in the doorway of the magnificent Westerly house in Tribeca, nervously adjusting his tie, then rang the doorbell.
“I’ll open it!” George heard Angie’s cheerful voice yell, then the door opened, and there she was! George stared at her, then Angie hugged him. Angie whispered in his ear, “Don’t be nervous, I love you!”
Angelica led George into a beautiful room where a slender woman who looked very much like her sat. The woman stood and smiled stiffly.
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“You must be George!” she cried. “I’m Meredith, Angie’s mother. My husband is a little late—he had to pick up my mother-in-law from town…”
“That’s quite all right, Mrs. Westerly,” George said politely, searching for something to say. “Your house is lovely, did you decorate it yourself?” It was the right thing to say.
Meredith brightened up and began showing George around the room, telling him about various trinkets, all of which seemed to have some boring story about the Westerly’s voyages around the world.
And then George’s heart leapt. In a heavy silver frame on the mantelpiece was a photograph of the elderly woman he had thrown off the bus. “Oh my God!” George gasped. “Who is she?”
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Meredith waved a dismissive hand. “She’s my husband’s mother, Angie’s grandmother. This woman is a unique case… Can you believe she lost her wallet today or had something stolen from her?”
“Really?” George asked as a cold shiver ran down his spine. Then a key turned in the front door lock, and a tall, middle-aged man walked in, one arm protectively around the bus lady’s shoulders.
“Meredith,” he shouted. “Please ask for some hot tea for my mother. The poor dear is freezing!”
Angie immediately ran to the elderly woman and threw her arms around her. “Oh, Grandma Millie,” she cried. “You need to be more careful…”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
The older woman shook her head. “I’m being cautious. I think someone stole my wallet after I bought your gift. I had it at Bloomingdales, but on the bus, it was gone.”
Grandma Millie shuddered. “The bus driver was the meanest man! He refused to listen to me, and to help me…” Then the inevitable happened. Her eyes fell on George and she recognized him immediately.
“You!” she shouted. “What are you doing here? If a nice lady hadn’t let me use her cell phone, I’d still be standing in the snow!”
Angelica frowned. “What do you mean, Granny?” she asked, puzzled. “It’s George. Do you remember we’re going to dinner with him?”
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“I’m not senile, Angie!” the woman cried. “He’s the driver who threw me off the bus in the blizzard and told me I was a crook!”
Angelica turned to look at George, her face deathly pale. “You did this?” she asked.
“Listen, Angie,” George said. “I was late and I didn’t know it was your grandmother…” The words trailed off in his dry mouth. Angelica looked at him as if he were a stranger. Then she took the ring off her finger.
“Here,” she said, holding out the ring to him. “Take it back. I don’t even know who you are. I’m not marrying you.”
George wept and knelt at her feet. He begged her to forgive him, but nothing he could do or say would change her mind. George was an old story, and as he walked out of the house into the snow, he knew he had lost her because he wasn’t good enough for her.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
What can we learn from this story?
- Kindness doesn’t cost a cent, but cruelty can cost you the love of your life. If George had been understanding and kind, he would have been Angie’s husband.
- Never refuse a sincere plea for help . Grandma Millie was in trouble, but George was too selfish to take the time to help her and he lost his beautiful fiancée.
Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.
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