Cab Driver Denies Hospital Ride to Lady in Labor Unaware the Baby Is His Grandson – Story of the Day

A callous taxi driver denies a pregnant woman in labor a ride to the hospital, fearing she would 'ruin' his seat by giving birth on the way. What would happen when fate soon brings them together under entirely different circumstances and reveals she is his own grandson's mother?

The neon lights on the rain-soaked streets flickered like fireflies as 51-year-old taxi driver Billy fixed his gaze ahead, his foot firm on the gas pedal and hands slick on the steering.

Billy had been in the taxi trade for over half his lifetime and could blindly navigate routes and destinations. But his own life had been far from easy. Billy sacrificed his dreams and became a taxi driver at 20 to provide for his wife and their newborn baby.

Billy never wanted children so early, and constantly blamed his wife for his downfall. His frustrations started gnawing at his personal life, and his marriage soon fell apart. Time ticked away, and Billy eventually stopped paying alimony after his son was 18. But the scars of his past kept haunting him all his life.

He felt defeated and lonely, and found it very difficult to move on. Billy took on extra shifts to provide for himself, and was so frustrated with his life that he stopped being humane and blamed God for failing him.

Just as Billy passed by a store that rainy evening, he saw a woman standing on the roadside, trying to flag down vehicles for a lift...

Billy's hand trembled on the steering wheel. He was hungry, exhausted, and wanted to get home quickly to bask in the warmth of the fireplace. But he decided not to forgo the chance of making some extra money. So he drove toward the woman and pulled up near her.

"Are you serious, sir? I'm about to give birth on the road...and you're worried about your car's seat?"

"Hey, lady!" Billy called out to the woman, who seemed distressed and in pain. She looked sick, and Billy could not understand what was wrong with her until his gaze shifted down to her bulging belly. She was heavily pregnant and was crying for help.

"Oh, thank God you pulled up, sir," said the woman. "My car broke down. Please, can you help me? I'm in labor and need to get to the hospital."

Billy didn't utter a word as he stared at the pregnant woman who kept begging him to come closer to her and help her get in the cab.

"The City Hospital...it's just a few miles from here, sir. Please help me. Mmm—My water broke," she gasped, clutching her belly tight.

Billy calculated the distance in his mind and was not ready to take the risk. The hospital was several miles away, and he feared the woman would give birth in his taxi on the way and soil the seat.

"Sorry, lady...I can't take you there," said Billy as he turned the ignition key on to leave. "I just got a new seat cover and can't afford to ruin it."

"What? Wait! Please don't leave me like this... I'm ready to pay you more! I'll even pay for a new seat if something happens on the way. Please...don't go! Please stop! Help me, please," the woman begged.

"I'm sorry, lady. I can't do this. I can't get my car seat messy by letting you in."

The pregnant woman was shocked.

"Are you serious, sir? I'm about to give birth on the road...and you're worried about your car's seat?"

"Look, lady...I'm sorry...I would've given you a ride, but this...I can't risk it. You'll have to find another ride or just call the ambulance," replied Billy as he drove past the helpless woman.

He sighed heavily as he watched the lady helplessly look around for help and cry in pain. But Billy decided not to turn around and sped away as fast as he could.

When he got home, he made himself a warm chicken broth and watched the local news on TV. The crackling of logs and the smell of burning wood in the fireplace seemed so relaxing after a long, exhausting day at work.

Billy fell asleep and suddenly woke up, breaking out in a cold sweat in the middle of the night. He reached out to the jug of water on his bedside table and quenched his thirst.

"What a terrible dream! I hope she made it to the hospital," Billy gasped. He had had a nightmare about the pregnant woman he had refused help that evening.

Billy tossed and turned all night, but he couldn't sleep peacefully. The thoughts of the helpless pregnant woman haunted him. It kept reminding him what an evil, heartless man he was. Billy sat up in bed, trying to justify that it wasn't his fault and that the woman would have reached the hospital safely.

"I'm a taxi driver, and I was out on business. I can't afford to get my car seat ruined...Nobody will hire my cab if the seat looks dirty?" he told himself.

"It was all your fault, BILLY! You shouldn't have left her like that. How do you know that she found help after that? You had a chance to help someone, but you turned your back on them...It's inhuman, really. What if the same thing happens to you someday?" his conscience grounded him.

"No! I wasn't the only one driving down that road... Somebody else could've stopped to help her. I just wanted to take on one last ride for the money. I would've done it without a thought if she wasn't in labor...she told me her water broke, and anything could've happened on the way...the hospital was also far, and it was risky. I've only got this car to feed me. I can't afford to get it ruined."

"But how could you be so heartless, Billy? What if she was as alone as you? What if she didn't have anybody? What will happen to you when you grow weak and helpless? Who will help you?"

Billy's conscience started attacking him with questions. At that moment, he remembered his estranged son and decided to do something he hadn't done in years. Billy quickly took his cell phone and started looking for his son's profile on social media.

He found his son Adam's profile and was drowned in sorrow when he saw how happy his ex-wife and son looked together. There were only photos of Adam and his mother, so Billy rummaged through the profile to know more about his son. But Adam hadn't mentioned much about his life or dad online, and there were hardly any photos of Billy on his page.

"I was trying my best not to give birth on the street...I was in so much pain."

Billy was hurt to the core and decided to message his son and build bridges with him.

"Son, this is your dad, Billy. I know this might sound strange, but I want to meet you. There is a lot to talk about. You name the place and time, and I'll be there. Looking forward to meeting you. Love, Dad."

The following morning, Billy woke up to a message alert on his phone. Tears of joy gushed from his eyes when he read the words:

"Hey, dad! Let's meet next Saturday at my address below. Looking forward to seeing you as well. ;)"

It rained joy on Billy's heart as the much-awaited Saturday finally arrived. He drove to Adam's home and froze when the door opened.

"Son! Is that you?" he cried when he saw his son Adam on the other side of the door.

"Dad! Oh my God...I'm so happy to see you!" Adam greeted his father and welcomed him home.

"How are you? I'm so glad to see you, son," said Billy, extending his son a bouquet of white lilies, his eyes raining tears and hands trembling.

"I'm good. Everything's been good by God's grace," Adam added. "Mom has told me quite a lot about you. Gosh, I've only seen you in your wedding pictures! I wanted to reach out to you someday. But mom, you know...she told me not to, and I just dropped the idea. How are you, dad?"

"I'm...I really regret not being there for you, Adam," said Billy, his tone low and gloomy. "Look, I know we can't change the past. What I did to you and your mother was wrong. I was so selfish and worried only about my dreams. And I'm not here to justify anything, son. But all I ask for is one chance...Just one chance to start fresh."

Adam rose from the couch and hugged his father. They had a lot to share and wanted to talk more. Just as they were about to leave for the café nearby, a young woman entered the house with a newborn baby cradled in her arms.

"YOU?? What are you doin' here?" Billy's eyes bulged in shock as he recognized her. She was the same woman he had refused to ride to the hospital a few days ago.

"Dad, meet my wife, Kira, and this is our son...your grandson...Adrien. He was born last week!"

"No...this can't be," Billy gasped, his hands wrapping his mouth. "I've seen her before...I saw her a few days ago...on the road. She cried to me for help but I—" Billy paused and burst into tears.

"Dad? Wha—What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Billy had never felt so guilty and heartbroken.

"I'm so sorry," Billy pleaded with Kira to forgive him. "I shouldn't have done that. I should've taken you to the hospital instead of turning you down in the heavy rain. Oh my God...I am such a cruel grandfather."

Kira couldn't believe her eyes when she realized Billy was the same taxi driver who had refused to help her the other day. She couldn't immediately recall him because she was in terrible pain that day and couldn't think of anything else other than getting to the hospital on time.

"I was trying my best not to give birth on the street...I was in so much pain. I can never forget that day. It was such a nightmare," revealed Kira.

"But you weren't the only one who refused to help me. Almost everybody who passed by me refused to even stop to ask what happened. But then, thank Goodness! A kind stranger on a motorcycle stopped to help me. He called an ambulance because my phone battery was dead. I was taken to the hospital on time and gave birth to this healthy baby boy."

Adam and Kira let Billy gently take his grandson in his arms and shower the little one with kisses.

"I'm not a saint myself, but how cruel people are today!" he regretted. "If I get a chance to change something, I would do it...I would DEFINITELY do it!"

Although Adam and Kira forgave him, Billy was still guilty. "Son, what I did was very wrong. I can't face you anymore. I don't deserve to be here...I think it's better I go away."

But Adam stopped his father and hugged him. "Dad, I know what you did was wrong. But we all make mistakes. So stop being so hard on yourself. I understand you were worried about your car seat getting stained. That could've been anyone's worry. So it's okay, alright? My wife isn't the only one to face such a problem. That gives me an idea...Dad, are you ready to help me with something I'm about to start as part of my new project?"

Several weeks passed, and Billy found himself busier than ever. Besides his regular work, he started responding to calls from pregnant women needing assistance to get to the hospital.

As it turned out, Adam had developed an app to help pregnant women in the city seek assistance getting to the hospital on time at the push of a button. Billy teamed up with his son and agreed to respond to such calls. He even offered free rides to pregnant women hailing his taxi.

Over time, Billy grew to love his job even more and was grateful for helping expecting mothers in need of help. And through it all, Adam was there, supporting his father every step of the way.

Billy no longer felt lonely, and as time fleeted by, he watched his grandson grow up. Billy finally found the peace and joy he had always sought. He knew he had made a lot of mistakes in the past but was grateful to his fate for giving him a second chance to make things right.

And as this doting grandpa looked back on his life, he knew he had found that one thing he had always been searching for—Love!

What can we learn from this story?

• In a world that can often be harsh and cruel, even the smallest act of kindness can uplift a person. Billy regretted it when he realized the pregnant woman he refused help was his grandson's mother. To make up for his mistake, he joined forces with his son and offered free rides to expecting mothers to get to the hospital on time.
• Life is not always a bed of roses. Appreciate and value your life instead of holding grudges against others or blaming them for your failures. Billy dreamed of a successful life but was forced to give up his dreams after his wife had their baby. He divorced her later and lived alone, blaming his fate for ruining his life.

Tell us what you think about this story, and share it with your friends. It might inspire them and brighten their day.

A childless bus driver runs to the aid of a helpless pregnant woman who goes into labor on the bus. His life switches course two years later when he adopts her orphaned child. Click here to read the full story.

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.