Abandoned - S01 E07

Story 19 hours ago

Abandoned - S01 E07

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 7

ABANDONED, Episode Seven

Benny returned to the construction site early in the morning. She carried her babies in the same worn basket and walked fast. Her legs were tired, but she didn't stop. She had seen that her video was still circulating online. People were praising her strength. She didn't know how to feel-thankful, worried, or afraid. The workers welcomed her warmly. The manager shook her hand and said, "You are trending, Benny. The world is watching you now." She smiled faintly and went straight to work. She started fetching water again, determined to earn something to feed her children and survive another day.

Unknown to Benny, her story had reached the hospital. A nurse who had once treated her saw the viral video and alerted the hospital administrator. "Sir, this is the woman who ran away with four babies from the maternity ward, " she said. The administrator watched the video and frowned. He picked up his phone and called the police. "That woman owes us N780,000. She ran away without paying. Find her. Arrest her. Bring her and the babies back," he said. Within minutes, a police team was sent to the construction site. They moved quickly.

By noon, Benny was still working when she noticed a commotion near the site entrance. A black police van parked, and four armed officers stepped out. They asked for Benny. "That's her over there," one of the workers pointed, confused. Benny looked up and saw the officers coming toward her. Her heart dropped. She knew immediately what was happening. One officer grabbed her arm. "You are under arrest for escaping from the hospital and owing a bill of N780,000," he said. "Where are the babies?" Benny pointed to the mat under the shed. They picked up the basket carefully and carried her babies.

"No, please," Benny cried. "Don't take them. I didn't mean to run away. I just didn't have any money!" But the officers didn't listen. They pushed her toward the van. The workers gathered around, shocked. "What did she do?" the site manager asked. "She stole something?" "No," Benny replied through tears. "They want to take me back to the hospital. I owe money." The manager took out his phone and began recording. He filmed as the officers bundled Benny into the van. Her babies were placed beside her. "This is unfair," the manager said quietly, and he uploaded the video online.

Within minutes, the video spread across social media. People were angry. They saw Benny crying, her babies in the basket, and police officers dragging her into the van. "This woman needs help, not arrest," someone commented. "Can't we just pay the bill for her?" another wrote. Bloggers reposted the video with headlines like "Police Arrest Struggling Mother of Quadruplets" and "Woman Owing Hospital N780k Arrested While Working at Construction Site." Thousands of people shared it. Some demanded justice. But Benny didn't know about any of it. She sat quietly in the police van, tears running down her cheeks.

The van drove straight to the hospital. Nurses and staff stood outside, waiting. The administrator came out with folded arms. "You see what you've caused?" he said coldly. "We cared for you and your babies, and you just ran away." Benny bowed her head and said nothing. They led her back into the hospital. Her babies were taken to the children's ward. Benny was placed in a small, private room under guard. She was not allowed to leave. That night, she was given food, but she barely touched it. She sat on the hospital bed and cried silently until her eyes hurt.

All night, Benny thought about her children. She had tried her best. She had carried them on her back and gone out to look for food. She had worked under the sun, fetching water, just to provide for them. And now, it had ended like this-arrested, locked in a room, unsure of what would happen next. The hospital wanted money she didn't have. And she didn't know if anyone would help her this time. The cries of her babies from the next room made her heart weak. She buried her face in her hands and wept again. She felt completely hopeless.

In another part of the city, people were still talking about her online. A woman named Clara, who worked with a charity organization, saw the new video. She watched the moment the police arrested Benny. She watched the babies being carried away. She watched Benny cry. "We need to help her," Clara told her team. "Find that hospital. Find her." A few others joined the call. They started raising money. Another group started a petition, demanding that the hospital cancel the bill. Benny didn't know it, but her story was touching people all over the country-and even beyond.

Back at the hospital, a nurse brought her babies Into her room. They had been crying endlessly and would not stop until they saw their mother. Benny quickly picked them up and placed them on the bed. She removed their wrappers and breastfed them one by one. It was the only comfort she had left. The nurse watched quietly, then left without a word. Benny looked at her babies, sleeping again. She wiped her face. "I will not give up," she whispered. "I don't know how, but I will survive this too." But deep inside, fear still gripped her heart.

That night, Benny didn't sleep. She sat on the hospital bed, holding her babies close. Every little sound made her look up. She was afraid they might be taken away from her again. Her eyes were swollen from crying. Her head ached. She had no one to call. She didn't even know if the site manager had tried to help or if the world had already forgotten about her. She rocked her babies gently and stared at the ceiling. She prayed for a miracle. Just something to change this story-before it became worse than it already was.