Waitstaff’s Mean Attitude Caused Me to Give Birth Right at the Cafe — Story of the Day

I walked into a café, exhausted and famished, and due to the meanness of the waitstaff, I went into labor. Sadly, no one came to my help until a new customer walked in and saw me crying in pain.

I was very exhausted that day. I walked into the café, drained and hungry, and sat on the first empty seat I saw. As I slumped back in my chair, I relaxed and stroked my baby bump.

"So baby, what should mumma have today?" I spoke softly to my baby when I heard a man's stiff voice.

"Uh, well, I'm afraid you're at the wrong place?" he said with an unkind tone that perplexed me.

I looked up to see a young man with an apron around his waist. I must admit, he was handsome. He had brown eyes and beautiful features, with curly locks scattered across his brow.

I smiled. "Can I have the menu, please?" I asked politely. "I've heard this place is famous for its croissants."

"NO!" he said flatly, and I was stunned at the abrupt rudeness. "We don't serve people like you here! Please leave," he told me.

"I'm sorry," I said. "Is this how you treat every customer or is it just for me?"

God gave us two hands: one to help ourselves and the second to extend to others.

He looked at me from head to toe, his eyes screaming disgust at my unkempt attire and messy hair. Yes, I wasn't in the best appearance when I visited the eatery, but that doesn't pass off as an excuse for his rude behavior.

"I'd appreciate it if you could get the menu," I repeated, hiding the anger in my voice. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear what you said earlier."

"OUT!" he yelled. "I'm not serving a hobo like you! Do you get that?"

Hearing our heated exchange, the manager intervened. I was so glad he did. I was about to complain to him about the attitude of his waitstaff, but I was in for a shock.

"Didn't you hear what my employee just said?" the manager snarled. "I don't want someone from the streets to walk into my establishment and make it filthy! The customers are already voicing dissatisfaction about having someone like you in here!"

In a rage, I sprang to my feet and objected to their mistreatment. That made the manager angrier. He took a step forward, locked his gaze on mine, and threatened me.

"I know other ways to get people out of here! Get out of my sight before I drag you out!"

I was so embarrassed by the eyes around me. They were all looking at me with such disdain that it discouraged me from saying anything further.

I pursed my lips and swallowed my tears, then with a heavy heart, I stepped back and turned to leave. But as I got closer to the door, I felt a sharp pain in my tummy. It hurt so bad that I couldn't stand up, and before I knew it, I was on the floor, crying in pain.

"Ca–Call the ambulance, please!" I cried with all my strength. "Please help my baby!"

The two men just stood there, stunned and frozen, their faces pale. I was so shaken at the mistreatment that I went into labor, but they refused to assist me. Neither the customers nor the other employees came to my aid.

I was so worried, so scared for the little life inside me.

Suddenly, I heard rushed footsteps behind me and a gentle voice. "Oh my goodness! Are you all right?"

A kind man who had just walked in decided to help me. But the manager objected to even that.

"I'm not going to let you do anything here! Don't tell me she'll freakin' give birth here! Take her and out, you two!"

Without saying another word, the man lifted me in his arms, took me to the manager's office, and gently laid me on the couch. Then he took some tablecloths from the tables and covered my lower body with them.

"In your current state, we'll have to perform the delivery here," he explained. "Don't worry. I'm a registered nurse. I'll alert the paramedics."

But the manager came up behind us and started yelling, "I'd never let you do that! Do you get that?"

The man glared at him and ordered him to leave. Thankfully, the manager complied this time because my condition was getting worse. My forehead was drenched in sweat, and I was screaming like an animal in pain. I thought I was going to die.

As the manager left, the kind man quickly dialed 911, and then he began the delivery.

"It's ok. Push with your strength. It's ok. You got this!"

He gently stroked my hair and kept assuring me it would all be ok. And well, a couple of minutes and a loud scream later, I relaxed, and my precious baby boy's cries filled the room.

I held that little miracle of God and cried. "Thank you," I said to the man. "You saved my baby's life."

The paramedics arrived by then and took my baby and me to the hospital. The kind man, Alan, accompanied us, and after I was all settled in a regular room, he visited us.

"What happened at the café?" he asked. "Why was everyone yelling at you?"

With tears in my eyes, I told him everything. "They treated me badly because of my appearance. Today was just hard, you know. I was exhausted and hungry, and I needed to eat, so I went to that place. It's close to my house. I had soot all over my clothes because my home is currently being renovated. And well, my hair was messy too. They called me a hobo and whatnot! I didn't have anywhere else to go, so I made adjustments at home. With my ongoing pregnancy, I just felt more at ease there. My husband works abroad, so it's just me at home."

"That's terrible. But you now have a child. The soot is bad for him," he said.

"I know," I whispered. "I should find a new place to stay."

Alan stepped in to help me again. "You can use my old apartment," he said. "I hardly ever use it. You are welcome to stay there until your house renovation is completed."

"Are—are you sure?" I was surprised by his kindness.

"More than just sure," he said with a smile, a kind one.

So after I was discharged, I moved into Alan's cozy apartment. I stayed there for almost two months until my house renovations were finished, and then I returned home.

Alan helped me with that too, and I just couldn't thank him enough.

"Why did you help us, Alan?" I asked him curiously. "You didn't even know me well!"

He smiled and said, "Because that's what humanity is all about. God helps me daily, and I want to pass on that help to others in need. That makes us better people. Call me anytime if you need anything."

Alan was such a kind man. I found out later that he wasn't just a customer at the café. He was the café owner's son, and he got the restaurant manager and the rude waiter fired.

I hope my little baby boy, who would one day learn about the day he was born, grows up to become someone like Alan -- a generous and kind man who helped a helpless woman and her child and made time to visit them frequently because he cared about them.

To date, I thank God every day for sending him to help us. People like him make me believe that kindness and humanity still exist in this crazy world.

What can we learn from this story?

• God gave us two hands: one to help ourselves and the second to extend to others. Alan lent a helping hand to me when I was crying helplessly in the café, and he saved my baby's life.
• Unnecessary arrogance and pride don't lead one anywhere. The manager and waiter were fired due to their rude behavior. Their karma finally caught up with them.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about an old truck driver who assisted a pregnant woman in the middle of the road, not knowing the help would turn his life around.

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.