He thought she was beautiful, but not nearly as beautiful as his Mary. He could only wonder what the baby would look like, perhaps it would be all white. Would it have blue eyes like Theo’s or his mother? It would be curious when Sarah came to live there at the farm and saw the baby. And when the old mistress saw the baby, would she know it to be her grandchild? Henry shook his head.
Liza ordered Mary to the bed and they pulled off her shift. Mary had been walking around the small cabin. The pains and contractions were increasing. An old quilt was placed over Mary and clean rags beneath her bottom, to catch any fluids that might drain out. Patina held a wooden candelabra behind Liza and the older woman examined Mary. A large caldron of water was set to steep and most of the women left to tend to their own families. It was going to be a long night.
“Everything is a lookin’ good Mary.” Liza announced, pulling the quilt over Mary’s legs.
“How long?” Mary grunted during a hard contraction.
“Hard ta say gal, every baby comes when it’s ready.” Liza got up and lit several cups of greasy candles. The candles sputtered and sparked but gave off efficient light. Patina settled herself at the foot of the bed to rub Mary’s feet. Liza sat at the table sipping tea. As the hours passed, Henry stuck his head inside the cabin door from time to time, only to be shooed away by one of the women. They laughed when they saw him hovering near the window, his form filling the view.
“Get you someplace else boy!” Liza shouted him away from the window and when Henry hurried away, another wave of laughter ensued. Bethy came back into the cabin, shaking her head holding a pot of tea. She set it on the table and she poured Liza and herself a cup.
Mary was torn between excitement, fear and boredom. The pain was slowly increasing and with each passing hour, she wondered how much worse it would get. She had heard Nan screaming when Nan had been in labor with her boys. Nan had cursed Gabe, crying and moaning. It had frightened Mary, but Ida told her that for each woman it was different. Mary had heard other women, but it sure didn’t sound different.
Sweat began to trickle down her face as the pain began to take over her being. She was breathing hard now and felt as though her stomach would burst. The pain in her back had started up once more and Liza had given her some tea to help ease the pain. Mary felt that it did nothing, but didn’t want to hurt Liza’s feelings. She didn’t want to alienate her mother’s friend.
A long low cry came from Mary and it built with the pain. The women heard a thump outside the cabin. Mary panted heavily, tears rolling down her face. She laid back and wiped at her face. Within minutes the pain rolled over her again and she screamed long and hard, grabbing her knees, her eyes clinched shut.
Liza sat before Mary’s open legs once more, to check the baby’s progress. Bittersweet memories came back to Liza, she had sat in this very same cabin, all those years ago. She had delivered this very child from her friend and she was now delivering her friend’s grandchild. It almost broke Liza’s old heart, knowing that Ida wouldn’t be here to see the baby. She hoped that Ida was smiling down from heaven with Sweet Jesus beside her.
A rough cry brought Liza back to her task; she slipped her hand between Mary’s legs. She could feel the baby’s head and knew that it was time for Mary to push hard.
“Honey, it be time now for you ta push that child out. You gotta bare down right hard.” Liza said.
Bethy got behind Mary, with Patina on the other side. Both women held Mary as she began to push with all her might. Each woman held their breath, in empathy with Mary. Mary pushed as hard as she could, the pain unbearable. The pain caused her to shriek out once more and everyone heard another thump on the cabin wall, Liza thought perhaps Henry had fainted. Liza rolled her eyes to heaven; the good Lord spare her from interfering males.
She instructed Mary to push once more. “This baby is just about here, honey. Push! Push… push… push.”
Liza chanted the words and Mary pushed again. She could feel Liza’s hands below, easing the baby’s head out. Mary wanted to scream again in pain, but she had no air left inside her.
“Hold it. Stop!” Liza shouted.
Mary watched as Liza worked quickly to unwrap the umbilical cord from around the baby’s neck. Mary had been told about the possibility and stopped. She knew that it could strangle the baby if she kept pushing. But now, the urge to push was out of her hands and her body struggle to push. Mary bit down hard on her lip to stop pushing. Mary lay helpless and panting, sweat stinging her eyes, her bottom burning, as though on fire. Liza nodded once more and told Mary to give one last push.
Without warning, the baby shot out into Liza waiting hands and for Mary, the pain was immediately gone. She sat up quickly, looking anxiously at Liza. Liza smiled at Mary, lifting the wet baby up for inspection.
“It’s a gal, a pretty lil girl.” Liza crowed, she brought the baby back down and tied
