Single Dad Learns His Daughter Skips School Bus & Walks Miles Alone, Follows Her Next Day – Story of the Day

A single dad gets a tip about his daughter skipping the school bus and walking miles alone every day. He secretly follows her the next day, unprepared for the tear-jerking discovery he will make.

The hospital seemed like a grim reminder of the nearing death of a loved one as 11-year-old Gloria marched behind her dad into the ward to see her mom, Grace.

"Promise me, my dear," Grace whispered. "Promise me you will always be strong after I'm gone."

"I promise, mama," Gloria cried, holding her mother's hand.

It broke Gloria's heart because she knew she had lied. But she was ready to do it if that was what her mother had wanted before her peaceful parting into the afterlife. Deep inside, Gloria believed in miracles and assumed her mom would eventually win her battle with cancer.

"Nothing will ever take you away from me, mama," Gloria sobbed. But fate told her otherwise...

"Sweetheart, let's go. Your mom needs to rest," Gloria's dad Luke took her outside, and as she stepped out, she turned around to look at her mother, guessing little she would never get another chance to see her again.

Grace died a few days later, leaving her beloved daughter devastated and carrying a promise she had to keep at any cost. Three weeks passed, but nothing changed in Gloria's life. She was now sadder but determined to be strong, just like she'd promised her late mother.

Death only ends a person's life and not their relationship.

"Darling, shall I drop you at your school, or do you want to go by bus?" Luke asked Gloria as she packed her lunch, getting ready for school.

"No, dad, it's okay. I'll go by bus."

Luke grinned and nodded. He could not see Gloria sad and assumed time would heal everything. But fear kicked in when he got a call from Gloria's teacher an hour later.

"Mr. Adams! This is Alice, Gloria's class teacher. I wanted to contact you yesterday but was distracted with work," she began.

"Good morning, Miss Alice. This call is regarding...?"

"Mr. Adams, Gloria has been arriving late to school, and she's been missing her first period."

"How is that possible, Miss Alice? My daughter takes the school bus with her friends. I think there's been a mistake."

"Sir, I asked other kids who take the same bus. Her friends told me that Gloria had been skipping the bus lately. I'm not sure what's going on."

Luke was startled. "What??"

"Please do the needful because she doesn't respond when I ask her why she comes in late."

Luke couldn't imagine what Gloria was up to because she'd always told him she was taking the bus from the station with her friends.

"Why is Gloria skipping the school bus? I need to find out."

The next day, Luke pretended to get ready for work and packed lunch for himself and Gloria.

"So, what time is your bus?"

"Dad, I think it should be on the way. I'm running late. I gotta go. Bye, dad!"

Luke waved goodbye as Gloria disappeared onto the street to the bus stand. He then silently followed her and saw the bus had arrived, but Gloria took a diversion to a different route.

"The bus is leaving...Why is she not getting in??"

Luke saw Gloria heading toward a secluded part of the street.

"Why is she going that way? It's long and deserted."

Luke followed his daughter for several miles.

An hour later, he panted and puffed, only to realize they had reached her school.

"Why is Gloria walking to school taking this long, tiring route??"

As Gloria was about to enter, her dad's voice startled her from behind. She turned around and froze in shock.

"Gloria, why are you walking to school? Is someone bullying you on the bus? Tell me... why are you doing this?"

At this point, Gloria realized she could no longer hide the truth and confessed something that moved her dad to tears.

"Dad, I am sorry for lying to you," she began.

"The school bus I take passes near the cemetery. Whenever I ride across it, I just can't hold back my tears. I had promised mama I would be strong, and that's why I walk to school on the other long route daily. I don't want to cry and make her sad."

Luke turned pale and speechless because Gloria had walked the extra mile to keep her promise to her late mother. He couldn't sight his tears anymore and hugged her right away.

"Darling, go to your class. I'll pick you up today because I want to show you something."

Luke was awestruck by Gloria's willingness to keep her promise and realized it was time to reveal a part of her mother she never knew about.

Later that evening, after Gloria returned home from school...

"Dad, what is it?" she asked as Luke kept searching for something in the attic.

He climbed down the ladder and gave her an old, dusty diary that belonged to her late mother.

"Sweetheart, your mother lost her parents when she was little. She grew up missing them to the core and suffered emotionally because she could not cope with their loss."

"She used to write pages and pages in this diary, telling her parents how she missed them. Do you know why your mother asked you to promise you would stay strong?"

"No, daddy."

"Because she wanted you to be happy and not drown in emotions like her, my dear. You don't have to hold back your tears to keep your promise. But by living happily, you can, alright?? And your mother has not gone anywhere. She is always with us whenever we shed tears of joy remembering her."

Gloria understood the genuine meaning of her promise. She continued to ride to her school by the bus that crossed the cemetery, but she never cried anymore. Instead, she silently talked to her mother, promising her she would always be strong.

Gloria and her dad often visited the late Grace's grave every Sunday, but they never wept. Gloria realized her mother was spread around like the sky and was always with her.

What can we learn from this story?

• Life goes on after losing a loved one. Do not stay locked in the past but move on because memories are forever. On her deathbed, Grace asked her daughter to promise she would be strong after she was gone. She wanted her daughter to move on and not struggle emotionally after her passing.
• Death only ends a person's life and not their relationship. After Grace's death, her husband and daughter loved and cherished her memories. According to them, Grace was gone, but their relationship and love were immortal.

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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.