Mom Sends Kids On Bus to Their Uncle, 'They Never Came!' He Says Hours Later – Story of the Day

After the passing of her husband several years ago, Linda became a single mother to her two children. She tried her best to raise them as loving and kind people. One day, after her children don't make it to their uncle's place safely, she learns her efforts are not in vain.

Linda was a widowed single mother of two children, her 11-year-old daughter, Diana, and her 10-year-old son, Dillan. They lived in a small town in rural America.

Linda worked two jobs just to provide for her family, and while it was no easy feat, her love for her children sustained her. She had, for the longest time, feared the consequences of her children being raised without a father.

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So Linda devoted her life to raising them into dignified adults. She always put their well-being and education first and did her best to bring them up with strong morals.

Her brother, Nick, was the closest thing the children had to a father after his passing several years back. The children absolutely loved their uncle Nick.

Unlike his sister, who focused on gifting them with essential values, Nick preferred a more material form of gifting. He always bought them expensive toys and gifts, which Linda greatly appreciated as she could not.

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One day, Linda received some concerning news—her brother was terribly ill. "Oh, no, Nick. I'm so sorry... Do the doctors know what's wrong?" Linda asked, standing in the kitchen with grave concern as she spoke to her brother over the phone.

"They aren't sure, Linda. We're still waiting on a few more tests, but it looks bad. Judging from my recent conversations with my doctor, whatever it is won't be cheap to treat, too," Nick said dejectedly.

"I'm so sorry, Nick. Just know that I'm here for you. I can't do much financially, but I'm here for you. You just name it," Linda assured her brother, her voice breaking as the anguish overwhelmed her.

"I know, sis'. You've always had my back, since we were little. Now please, don't you dare cry because then I'll cry, and this call will be sadder than it already is. Sheesh!" Nick said as he and his sister shared a light chuckle.

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"I'm serious, Nick. Anything, you name it," Linda insisted.

"Actually, there is something I'd like for you to do for me," Nick said.

"Anything," Linda said.

"I'd like to see my niece and nephew. I miss them so much. Since being released from the hospital, they're all I've been thinking about," Nick said.

"Aw! They miss you too. No problem, I'll arrange for them to come over tomorrow. I'm a little tied up at work, but I'm sure my neighbor, Dan, will be able to help," Linda said.

"Thanks, sis."

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Linda packed her children's bags that evening and explained that they would be going to their uncle's place the next day.

"Will you go with us, mommy?" Diana asked.

"No, my baby. Mommy has work tomorrow. But I've asked Dan from next door to make sure you get there safely," Linda responded.

"Oh, okay. I can't wait to see uncle, Nick!" Diana said excitedly. "Yeah, me too!" Dillan added, jumping in excitement.

The next day, Linda, the kids, and their 17-year-old neighbor, Dan, headed to the bus station. "Thank you for agreeing to do this for me, Dan," Linda said, handing Dan money for the children's bus fair.

"It's my pleasure, Linda. Don't worry, I'll make sure they get there safe and sound," Dan assured her.

"And you two, behave yourselves," Linda said, kissing them both.

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Linda called his brother a while later to check on the children. He told her they had arrived safely and were having an amazing time.

"Thank you so much for this, my sister. I thought it'd be a little tough, given my condition. But it's been absolutely amazing, and the kids have been so helpful. Having them around has already lifted my spirits," Nick said delightfully.

"That's great to hear. If that's the case, I guess we'll have to make these trips more often," Linda concluded.

The children returned a few days later, over the moon after their trip. "It was so much fun, mommy! Uncle Nick taught us how to make pancakes," an excited Diana explained.

"Yeah! And he played music for us on his piano, and we danced! Diana wasn't too good, but I was amazing!" Dillan proudly said.

"That's not true! I just didn't like the song," Diana countered, rolling her eyes dramatically.

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Linda couldn't stop laughing at the stories of their visit to their uncle. They seemed to have genuinely enjoyed it. Even Nick seemed in better spirits the next time they talked. He asked if Linda could bring them over again, and Linda agreed.

A week later, it was time for the children to visit their uncle again. Unfortunately, Linda still couldn't make the trip due to work commitments. She arranged with Dan to accompany them again, and he agreed.

However, this time around, things did not go as smoothly. As usual, Linda called her brother a while after their departure to check how they had traveled. What unfolded in their conversation brought shivers down her spine.

"I was actually about to call you, sis. They never came!" Nick said, confused.

"What do you mean they never came? They should have long been there by now. Oh, no! My babies!?!" Linda cried in panic. She immediately cut the call and called Dan, hoping he might have some answers.

"Dan, where are the children?" she immediately asked as Dan answered, dismissing any small talk.

"Did they not make it?" Dan asked in a panic.

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"Are you seriously asking me? You were the one who was supposed to make sure they arrived safely!" Linda snapped.

"I am sorry, miss," Dan said, beginning to weep.

"I... I... didn't want to leave them, but my girlfriend called and invited me to visit. She lives nearby," Dan said, his voice trembling.

"They said they knew the way and could easily make their way to their uncle's place. So I got off the bus... I'm so sorry—" A furious Linda cut the call before Dan could complete his sentence.

Linda called the local police as well as the local bus service. The police told her it was still too early to file a missing person's report, and there was little they could do to help Linda at the moment.

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Linda was completely distraught. She wept bitterly in a panic, constantly reminding herself that every second she wasted crying was another second that could be used to track her children down.

Overwhelmed by fear and uncertainty, Linda didn't know what to do with herself. She decided to go to the bus station and talk to the bus driver on duty while the children were traveling.

After a while of investigating, she finally found the bus driver. She showed him a picture of the children and asked if he had seen them and whether they were dropped off at their destination, Nick's neighborhood.

"Oh, yes. I remember them. Sweet children. I couldn't understand why they were alone. I thought they were with the young man, but he got off a couple stops before them. However, they didn't get off at the destination you mentioned. Nope... They got off a couple stops later," the bus driver explained.

He provided Linda the location where the children had gotten off the bus, and she thanked him and alerted the police of what she had learned.

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To Linda's amazement, the police explained that they had heard from someone with missing children. The authorities gave her an address and told Linda to meet them there.

Linda arrived at the address, an unfamiliar house surrounded by police cars. As she looked past the various cop cars with their blue flashing lights, she finally saw her two children sitting on the porch. Linda jumped out of the car, overjoyed as she ran to her children.

"Oh, my babies!" Linda said, hugging them tightly. "How did you end up here?" Linda asked, astonished. Just then, an elderly woman with a friendly smile walked out with two juices for the children.

"Mrs. Dakota helped us," Diana said, pointing to the elderly woman, Mrs. Dakota.

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"Oh, thank you, ma'am!! Thank you so much!" Linda said, hugging Mrs. Dakota tightly.

"No, thank you for raising such wonderful children," Mrs. Dakota replied.

Mrs. Dakota and the kids finally explained to Linda what happened. The children had gotten off at the wrong stop. By the time they realized this, the bus had gone, and it started to rain heavily.

Diana began to cry while Dillan tried to figure out how to get to their uncle from where they were. Dillan convinced Diana he knew the way, but unfortunately, they got lost even more. By this time, the rain was getting worse, so the children went to seek cover under the porch of an old abandoned house.

As they waited for the rain to calm down, the children noticed a drenched Mrs. Dakota struggling with her luggage. The wheels of her suitcase were broken, and she had to carry the heavy load in the rain.

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"We should help her, Dillan," Diana said.

"Are you crazy?! I'm not doing that!" Dillan said, shaking his head.

The children approached Mrs. Dakota and offered to help her with her bags. She was extremely grateful and explained that her son was supposed to pick her up but was urgently called to the hospital where he worked.

"And what about you two? You look a little too young to be here all alone," Mrs. Dakota said as she walked with the children.

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"We got lost on our way to our uncle's place. Our mom had asked our neighbor to accompany us as he normally did, but he got off the bus before us to meet his girlfriend," Diana explained.

"Oh, no. I'm sorry to hear that. Well, I really appreciate you two helping me. When we get home, I'll help you contact your mother," Mrs. Dakota said.

When they arrived at Mrs. Dakota's house, she gave the children tea and warm clothes. Then she called the police and reported everything that happened to her and the children. Linda was astonished at how well her children handled themselves.

"You should be proud of these two. And of yourself for raising them. They're truly one of a kind," Mrs. Dakota told Linda.

Linda tried to hold back her tears but failed. This whole time she was worried about her ability as her mother, fearing she would fail. But here were her amazing children, a living testament that she was on the right path and was no failure. Her children comforted her as she wept, and after saying goodbye to Mrs. Dakota, they all went home.

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After Linda told Dan's parents about the incident, they scolded him and sent him to work as a volunteer in foster care to teach him a thing or two about looking after children.

Mrs. Dakota and Linda kept in touch. Mrs. Dakota even contacted her son and asked him to help with Nick's treatment. Her son offered to take him on as a patient for free, and with his help, Nick eventually recovered and was able to spend more time with his sister and her children again.

What can we learn from this story?

• One of the most valuable gifts you can give your children are morals based on love and kindness. Linda had taught her children to be helpful and kind, and it won them favor with Mrs. Dakota, who was not only able to help them get home but also helped Nick get well.
• Don't let your fears derail you from the truth. Linda struggled with fears of failing as a single mother for the longest time. However, in the end, she finally realized that her efforts weren't in vain and she was actually doing better than she thought.
• Sometimes we are all a little too hard on ourselves. Linda was a little too hard on herself when it came to raising her children. A part of her felt she couldn't do it when she had been doing it successfully all along.

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This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com