Jeffrey, the bus driver, was in no mood for unaccompanied children that day. When a little girl tried to board his bus with just a few pennies, he turned her away, telling her to get the money from her parents. “Please, sir. I want to visit my grandmother,” she begged, but Jeffrey insisted she leave. Shoulders slumped, she sat down at the bus stop as he drove off.

That evening, relaxing at home, Jeffrey’s Facebook browsing came to a jarring halt. A picture of the same little girl he’d turned away appeared in a missing persons post. Shocked, he realized she had been missing since the previous day. “Dear God. What have I done?” he muttered, leaping up to put his shoes on.

He told his wife, Greta, to call 911 and the number listed in the post. Jeffrey sped to the bus stop, praying the girl was still there. To his immense relief, she was. “Thank God!” he breathed as he approached her.

“Why are you still here?” he asked gently.

“No other drivers let me on the bus,” she said, looking down.

Jeffrey learned her name was Sarah and that she had run away to visit her grandmother. Promising to stay with her until help arrived, he felt a surge of responsibility. Soon, the police and Sarah’s frantic mother arrived, and the girl ran into her mother’s arms.

The police thanked Jeffrey, who felt like a small-town hero. From then on, he never turned away anyone who couldn’t pay and always watched out for unaccompanied children. He realized they needed someone looking out for them, and he was determined to be that person.