There are still a lot of decent individuals in this world. Harlan Jenifer, the bus driver, is one of them. He was out at 3 a.m. to drive his bus down Torresdale Avenue near Cottman in the Tacony area. Then he noticed a small girl waiting at the bus stop out of the blue.
Annabelle was four years old!
Harlan got up early that morning to drive his typical SEPTA bus route 56, despite the fact that it was raining. A guy pulled over his car and informed him that he had seen a little girl waiting for the bus and was all alone.
After seeing that Annabelle was waiting for the bus, Joe said to me, “Wait a minute! I’ve got it!” He rushed over and began talking with her. Before long, he was selling us on the story.
The bus driver told, “Got to be kidding me! At this time, at 3 o’clock in the morning. She’s a small little thing. It kind of just shocked me.”
At 3 AM., seeing a young child alone at a bus stop is somewhat of a shock. Harlan was startled to learn why Annabelle had gone missing. She had walked five blocks in the rain before she was discovered at the bus station.
Harlan first needed to do anything necessary to return the young woman back to her family. Harlan contacted the authorities. Annabelle sat on the bus while others made sure she was okay and attempted to soothe her. The young girl chatted amicably with other passengers about why she was traveling at such an early hour.
Harlan said, “All I want is a slushie, that’s all she said!”
Within an hour, cops arrived to collect Annabelle and return her to her parents. They were shocked that their infant daughter would leave home so early in the morning to acquire a frozen treat.
Jaclyn Mager, Annabelle’s mother, was overjoyed to hear that these decent people had found her daughter. She couldn’t even fathom what would have happened if things had gone differently. A little girl walking outside in the middle of the night is never a good idea. Her parents were relieved to see her again, but Annabelle appeared unhappy since she could not obtain her slushie.
She also appreciated the kind bus driver and the passengers who helped keep Annabelle quiet. Annabelle’s father, Tim Ridgeway, was concerned about what might have happened if the individuals who discovered her hadn’t been as considerate. He stated, “My mind is wanting to go places, it’s hard not to. Thank God for the bus driver.”
During an interview with Action News last month, Annabelle asked her mother “Mom, can you take me to Wawa and get me a slushie?”
The mom replied “I will take you to Wawa and get you a slushie. But listen, promise me next time you’ll wait for me, okay?”
