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

I denied a pregnant woman in labor a ride to the hospital, fearing she would 'ruin' my seat by giving birth on the way. What would happen when fate soon brought us together under entirely different circumstances?

The neon lights on the rain-soaked streets flickered like fireflies as I fixed my gaze ahead, my foot firm on the gas pedal and hands slick on the steering wheel. I was a 51-year-old taxi driver and had been in the taxi trade for over half my lifetime, able to blindly navigate routes and destinations.

But my own life had been far from easy. I sacrificed my dreams and started this work at 20 to provide for my wife and our newborn baby.

I never wanted children so early and constantly blamed my wife for my downfall. My frustrations started gnawing at my personal life, and my marriage soon fell apart. Time ticked away, and I eventually stopped paying alimony after my son turned 18.

But the scars of my past kept haunting me all my life. I felt defeated and lonely, finding it very difficult to move on. I took on extra shifts to provide for myself, and I was so frustrated with my life that I stopped being humane and blamed God for failing me.

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

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

"Hey, lady!" I called out to her. She seemed distressed and in pain. She looked sick, and I couldn't understand what was wrong with her until my gaze shifted down to her bulging belly. She was heavily pregnant and 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."

I didn't utter a word as I stared at the pregnant woman who kept begging me 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.

I calculated the distance in my mind and was not ready to take the risk. I feared the woman would give birth in my taxi on the way and soil the seat. "Sorry, lady...I can't take you there," I said as I 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," she begged.

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

She 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," I replied as I drove away.

I sighed heavily as I watched the lady helplessly look around for help and cry in pain from the rearview mirror. But I decided not to turn around and sped away as fast as I could.

When I got home, I made myself 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.

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

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

I tossed and turned all night, but I couldn't sleep peacefully. The thoughts of the helpless pregnant woman haunted me. It kept reminding me what an evil, heartless man I was. I sat up in bed, trying to justify that it wasn't my 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 get in my cab if the seat looks dirty," I told myself.

Still, my conscience scolded me: "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?"

"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."

My conscience started attacking me with questions. "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?"

At that moment, I remembered my estranged son and decided to do something I hadn't done in years. I quickly took my cell phone and started looking for his profile on social media.

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

I was hurt to the core and decided to message 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, I woke up to a message alert on my phone. Tears of joy gushed from my eyes when I read the words: "Hey, Dad! Let's meet next Saturday at my address below. Looking forward to seeing you as well. ;)"

My heart was racing as the much-awaited Saturday finally arrived. I drove to Adam's home and froze when the door opened. "Son! Is that you?" I cried when I saw him on the other side.

"Dad! Oh my God...you're here!" Adam greeted me and welcomed me home.

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

"I'm good. Everything's been good by God's grace," Adam added as he welcomed me into his house. "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?"

"I'm...I really regret not being there for you, Adam," I said, my 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. But all I ask for is one chance...Just one chance to start fresh."

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

"YOU?? What are you doin' here?" I barked, my eyes bulging in shock as I recognized her. She was the same woman I 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," I gasped, my hands wrapping my mouth. "I've seen her before...I saw her a few days ago...on the road. She cried to me for help but I—" I paused and burst into tears.

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

I had never felt so guilty and heartbroken.

"I'm so sorry," I pleaded with Kira to forgive me. "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 I was the same taxi driver who had refused to help her the other day. She couldn't immediately recall me 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," she revealed.

"But you weren't the only one who refused to help me. Almost everybody who passed by me refused even to 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. The paramedics came quickly and gave birth to this healthy baby boy."

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

"I'm not a saint myself, but how cruel can people be these days!" I expressed my regret. "If I get a chance to change something, I would do it...I would DEFINITELY do it!"

Although Adam and Kira forgave me, I still felt guilty. "Son, what I did was very wrong. I can't face you anymore. I don't deserve to be here...I think I should go away."

But Adam stopped me and hugged me. "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 I found myself busier than ever. Besides my regular work, I 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. I teamed up with him and agreed to respond to such calls.

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

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

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

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