The 2 mothers and daughters were wet in the rain on the highway, the driver let them go, 20 minutes later something happened…

Loving the mother and daughter who were wet in the rain on the highway, the driver let them go. Twenty minutes later, something terrible happened… That horror was not a catastrophic traffic accident, nor was it a blatant robbery. It was a naked truth, colder than any fear, that caused the driver’s life to take a completely different turn, a direction he had never been able to imagine.

I am Hung, a long-distance truck driver. My life is associated with roads, shipments and long nights of sleep. My wife died early, leaving me a young son, Tung Dung. The life of a single father, often away from home, is not easy. I sent Tung back to my hometown to be taken care of by my grandparents, I tried to visit him a few times a month, or make a video call to see his face. My biggest dream was to save enough money to buy a small house in the city, pick up Tung to live with him. so that the father and son do not have to be separated anymore.

That day, it rained like a diaper. Heavy raindrops whipped directly into the car window, causing visibility to be significantly limited. I was on my way from Da Nang to Saigon, an urgent shipment so I had to run through the night. The highway was deserted, only occasionally a few cars passed by.

As I passed by a deserted road, I suddenly saw two small figures curled up on the side of the road. A woman, with a thin figure, was hugging a child about 5 or 6 years old. Both mother and daughter were soaked, trembling in the cold rain. There aren’t any shade trees or stops nearby. They are definitely in distress.

My heart suddenly tightened. That image reminds me of my wife and son. If one day, my wife is still alive, and the mother and daughter are in a similar situation on the road, how much I wish someone could help them. Without a moment’s hesitation, I slammed on the brakes and drove the car to the side of the road.

I lowered the car window and called out loudly: “Are you okay? Need help?”

The woman raised her head, her face pale from the cold. Her eyes were clearly tired and scared. The baby in her arms had fallen asleep, her lips purple.

“Yes, our car broke down in the middle of the road, we called forever without anyone coming to pick us up,” the woman said, her voice trembling with cold. “We don’t know what to do now.”

I looked at the clock. It was almost 10 o’clock at night. It was still raining like pouring water. Letting the mother and daughter stay here on this cold rainy night is too dangerous.

“Okay,” I said. “Mother and daughter get in the car. I’m going back to Saigon, I can take the mother and daughter back to the nearest stop, or if it’s convenient, take them back to Saigon.”

The woman hesitated for a moment, and then nodded her head: “Yes, thank you. Thank you very much!”

She carried the baby into the car. I hurriedly turned on the air conditioner a little warmer. The woman sat in the side seat, placing the baby in her arms. She took out a thin towel from her bag and wiped the baby’s face, and then hurriedly wiped it for herself.

“Where are you two going late at night?” I asked, trying to create a relaxed atmosphere.

“Yes, I’ll take you back to visit Grandma,” the woman replied, her voice trembling less. “But I didn’t expect the car to break down.”

Her name is Mai, and the baby is An. Mai said that she works as a worker at a garment factory, and her husband works as a helper. Their lives are very difficult. This trip was to return to her hometown to visit her elderly mother who was seriously ill.

I listened to Mai’s story, and my heart suddenly rose with a deep sympathy. In this life, everyone has their own hardships.

In the car, the sound of rain still does not stop falling. Little An woke up, his eyes were big, round, and he looked around in a daze. I took out a carton of milk and some cookies from my bag and gave it to him. Little An picked it up, her eyes shining with joy.

“I thank you, little Anli,” said little Anli.

“You’re so good,” I laughed. “Eat it, for good health.”

I drove slowly, more carefully in the rain. A few minutes later, I saw Mai leaning her head against the side of the chair, as if she had fallen asleep from exhaustion. I didn’t want to bother her either.

The highway is still long. The wind whistled through the gap in the car door, making strange sounds. I turned on the radio, listened to some light music to dispel the drowsiness.

About 20 minutes passed. I was concentrating on driving when suddenly, a strange noise sounded from the side seat. I was startled, and hurriedly turned to look.

Mai still leaned her head against the side of the chair, but her posture didn’t seem natural. I called: “Sister Mai, Sister Mai?”

There was no reply.

I shook her shoulder slightly. Her body was soft, and she fell to the side. I panicked.

“Sister Mai! Sister Mai!” I called louder, shook harder.

Still no reaction. She didn’t breathe.

My heart was pounding. A feeling of terror struck. What’s going on?

I hurriedly pulled over to the side of the road and turned on the emergency lights. I took off my seat belt and reached over to check Mai. She stopped breathing.

I shook her, called her name, but in vain. Her face was pale, her eyes were closed.

“Mom! Mom!” Baby An suddenly woke up, saw that her mother was motionless, the baby panicked, crying and screaming.

Baby An’s cry tore through the night. I hugged him, trying to calm him down, but my hands were shaking. I couldn’t believe this was happening. Just a few minutes ago, she was talking to me, and she was smiling when I handed the cake to An. Now…

I searched for Mai’s phone in my bag. My hands were shaking so much that I couldn’t dial the number. I tried to stay calm, looking for a certain contact number in the contact book. I found the numbers “Husband” and “Mother”. I hurriedly dialed her husband’s number.

A sleepy male voice on the other end of the line. “Who is it?”

“Brother, I’m a truck driver. I was walking on the highway when I saw his wife and nephew break down in the middle of the road. Did you let them go… but… but his wife… she…” I didn’t know how to make that man understand this horrible truth. “She… She suddenly stopped breathing.”

The other end of the line was silent for a long time. Then a “rumble” sounded, like the sound of a phone falling to the ground. “What are you saying? My wife… What’s wrong with her?”

“I don’t know… She suddenly stopped breathing. I think she has a heart disease…” I said, and my voice began to get lost. “You come right away. I’m on the highway, it’s almost a kilometer…”

I tried to stay calm, providing the man’s exact location. I heard a whispered cry on the other end of the line, and then the man’s voice shouted, “Mai! Oh my God! Sister!”

I hung up the phone and hugged baby An tightly in my arms. The baby was still sobbing, calling “Mom! Mom!” I don’t know how to explain it to him.

A feeling of helplessness and terror engulfed me. What did I do wrong? I just want to help their mother and daughter. Why is this happening? What will my life be like after this? A woman died in my car. What will I face? The questions kept circling in my head, making it impossible for me to think.

In the cold night rain, baby An’s sobs and Mai’s terrifying silence were deeply embedded in my mind. I called the traffic and emergency police, trying to stay calm to report the incident. My voice was still shaking, even though I tried my best to control my emotions. I didn’t dare to take my eyes off Mai, as if just a moment of neglect, everything would disappear, and I would wake up from this nightmare.

About 30 minutes later, the sirens of ambulances and police cars echoed in the distance, tearing apart the silent night of the highway. The swivel lights of the ambulance shone on my truck, creating dazzling streaks of light against the rain. I felt a small relief, but at the same time, another anxiety swelled. What is about to happen will change my life forever.

Paramedics and police quickly approached the scene. They checked Mai’s condition, then shook their heads. She passed away. My heart tightened again. Although I knew it in advance, when I heard that confirmation, I still couldn’t help but be shocked.

The police began to take my testimony. I recounted the whole incident, from the moment I saw Mai’s mother and daughter in the rain, to the time I let them go, and then the terrifying moment when Mai suddenly died in my car. I try to remember every detail, every word, every gesture of Mai. I don’t hide anything, because I believe I have done nothing wrong. I just want to help.

Baby An was carried into an ambulance by a female police officer for a health check. The baby was still very frightened, just calling “Mom! Mom!” unconsciously. Looking at baby An, my heart hurts like a cut. A foolish child, suddenly lost his beloved mother in such a grim situation.

After taking preliminary testimony, I was asked to go back to the police headquarters to continue working. My truck was also detained for investigation. All the goods on the car also had to be stopped, making me worried about the contract and the fine for delay. But at this time, money worries seem to become small in the face of what is happening.

At the police headquarters, I went through a lengthy interrogation. Questions kept pouring in: “Did you and this woman know each other beforehand?”, “Did you give her anything other than cake and milk?”, “Did there any friction or quarrel occur during the move?”, “Are you sure you didn’t do anything to cause her to die suddenly?”

I patiently answered each question, repeating my explanations over and over again. I understand that the police have to do the right process, they need to eliminate all possibilities. But the suspicious eyes, the questions swirling deep into the smallest details made me feel tired and sorry for myself.

The next morning, Mai’s husband came. He is a thin, austere man with an emaciated face from insomnia and grief. He looked at me with eyes full of indignation.

“What did you do to my wife?” He roared, lunging at me. Two police officers had to detain him.

“Calm down,” said a policeman. “We are investigating. There is no conclusion at the moment.”

I looked at him, my eyes filled with sympathy and helplessness. “I’m really sorry. I just want to help. I didn’t do anything to harm your wife.”

The husband didn’t listen. He was still screaming, demanding that I return his wife. I understood his pain, but I didn’t know what to do to prove my innocence.

A few days later, the autopsy results were announced. Mai died due to an acute myocardial infarction. It was a sudden death, with no external impact. This result has relieved some of the burden in my heart. I was vindicated. I was released.

However, my life could not go back to the way it was before.

The news of Mai’s death in my truck spread very quickly. Although there was an investigation conclusion, there were still a lot of rumors, prying eyes, and whispers. Some people say that I deliberately caused trouble, some people think that I “met a ghost” and “had bad luck”. There are even some transport companies that refuse to cooperate with me, fearing that “bad luck” will affect their work.

Life as a long-distance driver is not easy, and I have lost a lot of contracts. My income has dropped severely. The money saved to buy a house for Tung just went away.

And what haunts me the most is the image of baby An. Every time I close my eyes, I see her big round eyes, her voice calling “Mom! Mom!” echoed in my ears. I feel responsible for baby An, even though it’s not my fault.

A week after the incident, I visited Mai’s family. They live in a rickety fourth-grade house on the outskirts of the city. The scene of mourning covered the house. Mai’s husband was exhausted from grief. Baby An kept clinging to his grandparents, not leaving.

I brought a little money, not much, just a little sincerity to help their families in this difficult time. I also told them that I would try to help baby An in my ability.

Mai’s husband looked at me, his eyes were no longer resentful, instead tired and accepting. “Thank you,” he said, his voice hoarse. “I know you didn’t mean to. But… but my wife is gone…”

I understand. Loss is something that nothing can make up for. Although I am not at fault, the incident that happened in my car broke the life of a family.

After that day, I decided to change my life. I can’t continue my long-distance driver job anymore. The obsessions, the rumors, and the decline in my work made it impossible for me to survive.

I sold the truck, even though the price was not what I wanted. I used that money to pay off my debts, and the rest, I decided to invest in a small restaurant in the countryside. The restaurant is managed by me and Tung’s grandparents together. Although my income is not the same as before, at least I have more time with Tung, and I can live a stable life, away from highways and unexpected risks.

I also often visit baby An and Mai’s family. I can’t make up for their loss, but I want to show my concern and sharing. I adopted baby An, promising to help him in his studies and life.

From a long-distance driver, I became a restaurant owner. My life took a completely different turn, a direction I could never have imagined. That fateful rainy night, that fateful twenty minutes changed everything. From an act of volunteering, I have faced the biggest event of my life. But perhaps, it was from that incident that I found a new meaning for life, a simple peace with my family and a wordless responsibility for an orphan.