In My Mother's Time (7 page)

She handed him a quilted blanket.
He took the blanket and mumbled as
he walked out the door. He stopped
and poked his head in, “You’re sure?”
he asked.

“Yes.”
Mother
said
sternly
shutting
the door and twisting the lock.
Mama giggled to herself as she watched
Nick sulkily toddle into the horse
stables.

Chapter
ten

My father got to work right away
with the cottage he was building for
Grace and her husband. Mother
became consumed with Grace. She
protected
her, made her whatever cake pie
or meal she wanted, and fussed over
her comfort
constantly.

Mother said they both could die
so easily. Suddenly all that just in
case stuff
my
mom had stored in that
huge barn made a lot more sense, only
I don’t think she expected to use it
on another woman. I think she held
out hope father would come home
and they’d get
pregnant.

“Take
him
with
you
and
show
him
how to use his hands properly”
my
mother giggled after breakfast kissing him
on the cheek.

“Ah come on do I have to?”
He moaned.

“Think of them as niece and
nephew” She smiled, “He’ll look up to
you.”

“I
don’t
care
if
he
looks
up
to
me
I
want him to be a man.” He
moaned.

“One cannot be what one is not
taught to be.” Mother said
philosophically.

“Fine,
I’ll
do
it
for
you,
and
to
get
them out of here faster.” He said
grabbing her hips and kissing her
lips.

My father was personable, he was
a funny guy, always telling jokes.
He was a hardworking man who
hated idiocy. A man that could not, or
would not handle his own affairs was not
a man
to
him,
he
had
no
respect
for
them.

Nicholas followed him to a far
corner of
our
land.
I
watched
my
father
ignore him as he lifted lumber and nailed
one to another. Often I followed them
over to the building plot and nosed
about pretending to look at flowers
and clouds.

“It’s nice to take a warm bath
–“

My father cut Nick off, “When
civility again restores itself and I can go to
the store
to
buy
two
cares
to
give
I
will.

But until then turn off the
fairy conversation, and pick up a
hammer. We don’t have much time until
your baby comes to
light.”

Nicholas turned his head to the
south and then looked back at
my
father, “You know your wife is nice, but
you are just a jerk” he
said.

My father laughed and then
Nick laughed. My father stopped
laughing abruptly.

“It’s nice you’re growing a pair
son, but it’s time for man’s work.
We’ll save
the
girly
conversations
for
another time” he continued, “You ever talk
to me like that again I punch you in
the mouth.”

“Yes sir.” Nick
stuttered.

My father sighed spit and was about
to hammer, “there is no pleasing you
is there?” Nicholas
asked.

My father shook his head and
began hammering the roof
supports.

When
dinner
came
around
again
we
all sat around the table as
my
mother fussed about the
kitchen.

“Sit down and eat your dinner
baby” my father said to
my
mother.

She
huffed
a
bit
of
hair
out
of
her
face sat down and smiled. Grace
was
fussing over Nick’s finger he’d
bashed with a hammer. Daddy cleared
his throat.

“Nick did a very good job today”
He said looking up at
my
mother with
a half
grin.

She smiled back at him as Nick
and Grace starred at my dad
too.

Grace looked at her husband,” I think
I need you to comfort me tonight I
am getting nervous. I only have a
few weeks left, I
think.”

Nick looked at
my
mother and
she nodded her head. He grinned from
ear to ear. The house just needed to be
dry walled and painted, but that night
just as we started to eat mama’s apple
pie Grace’s water broke and every
one freaked out all at
once

“What do I do, what do I do?”
nick
screamed doing a running squat side
to side like a flustered
crab.

“Quiet!” mother shrieked.
Everyone froze. “Sit down and eat your pie
“she said.

Everyone sat down cautiously
whilst starring at
Grace.

”The baby isn’t going to
come shooting out just because her
water broke. Could take up to twenty
four hours
for
it
to
decide
if
it
wants
to
come out or not.” Mom
said.

Daddy slammed his fist down on
the table,” House isn’t done yet” he
said grumpily.

Everyone laughed, “The baby
doesn’t care if you are grouchy or if the
house is done” mama laughed. “Baby
just wants to meet his mommy” she
smiled at
Grace.

“Amelia come with me “my
mother said.

She
got
up
at
once
and
ran
to
her
side.

She
took
her
to
the
barn
to
collect medical supplies, she’d taken from
a hospital,
and
baby
supplies.
My
mother handed Amelia two bottles of
vodka and Amelia looked at her
confusedly. She grabbed a bunch of towels and
a great
big
tin
basin.
They
went
back
and forth from the loft to the barn
until mother was satisfied it was
sterile enough for the
baby.

Nick came screaming out of
the house, “she is crying, and there is
pain happening, what do we
do?”

“Nick bring her to me.” Mother
called back, “idiot” she
giggled.

While Nick ran around
aimlessly, freaking
out
over
every
little
thing.
My father
carried
Grace
over
to
the
stables, and helped her climb to the
loft.

Mom was busy soaking a
needle, scissors, clamps, and a scalpel
in vodka. Mother had warm water
and warm towels standing by for the
baby.

I remember my mother had a
needle and a small vile of morphine,
and
wondering what that was. My mom wouldn’t allow me to stay and
watch but later she told me all the
gory details.
My
father
helped
to
undress
her and lay her in the bed. Nick
couldn’t come
up
he
was
too
freaked
out.
So
my
mother did everything by herself
with help from
my
father.

Eventually
my
father told
my
mother to handle things while he went
and straightened out the boy
Nicholas.

“Boy I don’t know what the hell
your problem is, but if I were you-I’d go
up there support my wife, and watch
the miracle of birth.” My father
lectured.

“I don’t care what happens to the
baby just please don’t let her die.”
He sobbed.

“WHAT!” My father
screamed.

“You don’t care about your baby?”
he asked
grabbing
him
with
both
hands
by the
collar.

“It’s not mine” he cried, “Grace
was
raped, it isn’t
mine.”

My father let him go, “all the
more reason to get up there and keep
her spirit from slipping
away.”

“You
love
her
so
much,
you
should
be up there with the biggest fakest
smile you can give her. For her sake, and
for the baby’s sake.” My father
scolded, “And if that baby doesn’t kill her,
you should
love
it
for
making
her
stronger.”

“What do you think she is
thinking now that she is up there, and you
are down here? Does he still love me
for having a bastard child, or does he
hate the baby and me for carrying it?”
He said

“Don’t you think I know that?”
nick said.

“Then why aren’t you up there?”
My father
asked.

“I’m afraid, ok. I am afraid I’ll tell
her everything is alright, and it won’t
be.” He cried.

“How the hell did you survive? Get
up there and put your big boy pants
on. Don’t let her down because
my
wife can’t do this
alone.”

Daddy fussed, “If she dies it’ll be
your fault for not helping keep her safe,
not the baby’s.”