by I'll Get By
‘Sorry . . . it’s one of those nights when I keep waking up. There have been no raids on the dockyards and industrial areas yet and it’s too quiet. You seem to be having the same problem as me. How long have you been awake?’
‘Not long. My labour has started.’ That’s if one tickle of a contraction could be constituted as labour, she thought, and chuckled. ‘It’s odd, but despite all those years of training and delivering babies I’m as excited and fearful as any first time mother.’
‘Do the contractions hurt?’
‘Not yet . . . but it will be painful in the later stages from what I’ve seen. I imagine that’s hours away. Just as well, since I haven’t been able to get hold of the midwife to let her know that it’s started.’
‘Shall we have a cup of tea before we go back to bed. I’m parched.’
‘And there’s a couple of squares of chocolate left. I was keeping them to celebrate the baby’s birth with, but we can do it in advance.’
They navigated their way through to the kitchen, where Esmé lit the candle in its sturdy, Wee Willie Winkie brass holder.
Jack Frost came to rub against her ankles before investigating his saucer. Meggie gave him some tinned milk and he set to it, his tongue lapping noisily. After a quick groom of himself he went to his basket and curled up in it, purring.
The kettle began to boil and Meggie made the tea. ‘Shouldn’t we telephone the base and let Leo know?’
‘No . . . let him sleep while he can. We’ll leave a message afterwards, when it’s all over so he doesn’t have to worry. It’s not as if the baby is going to be born in the next four or five hours, and I want to get some more sleep in if I can.’
‘I don’t think I can sleep. I’m more excited than you are. Just think. In a few hours we’ll have a lovely little baby to love.’
A second contraction rippled through her, just as mild as the first. She gazed at the clock, her mind registering twenty minutes, then at Meggie. ‘Do you think that bringing a child into the world when we’re at war is selfish?’
Meggie grinned at her. ‘It’s too late now to have second thoughts.’
‘Oh . . . I haven’t got second thoughts. I just wondered. What if—’
Meggie’s finger was placed over her mouth. ‘No what ifs – and no, I don’t think you’re selfish. I think you’re lucky. You’re married to a man who thinks the world of you, and he will adore the infant you share.’
All thoughts of sleep fled as a quiver of excitement raced through Esmé. ‘We’d better get things ready. We don’t want to leave everything until the last minute. Why don’t you go and get dressed, Meggie. I’ll see if I can contact the midwife again.’
Again, there was no answer.
Esmé had just hung up when the air raid sirens began to wail. At the same time her waters broke. She swore as it trickled down her legs, then the trickle became a gush. A strong, prolonged contraction nearly doubled her up and she gave a surprised groan.
Meggie blew the candle out, and was with her aunt in a few seconds as the heavy throb of distant bombers suggested they were flying on full stomachs. The planes were too near to risk going to the Andersen shelter. She was used to planes flying over, but this raid had so many bombers thundering above that she felt uneasy.
Calling out to Judith they swiftly made their way to their hidey-hole under the stairs to the basement with the cat following after them.
‘Esmé’s in labour,’ Meggie told Judith.
‘Worse . . . my waters have just broken and I’m soaking. There’s pressure and I think this child of mine is going to arrive pretty soon.’
‘I’ll go up and get you a dry nightdress and dressing gown. I’ll bring back some towels and stuff.’
‘Meggie, be careful.’
‘There’s plenty of time yet.’ Not quite true, since the noise was now beating against the roof and the whole place was vibrating. She heard a couple of slates ski down the slope of the roof.
Grabbing her torch she ran up the stairs. She snatched a dressing gown from the hook on the back of her aunt’s bedroom door and a pile of towels from the linen cupboard, in case her aunt needed to dry herself. There was a nightgown in the drawer, and she dragged the bed cover off the bed on the way out.
She was on the upper landing when there was an explosion that knocked her off her feet. The windows at the front shattered and the curtains billowed as they were sucked out. The bedroom door slammed shut then spookily opened again, revealing a glimpse of bright moonlight outside.
Meggie tried not to panic as a heated draught generated from the blast lifted her off her feet and sent her tumbling down the stairs in the middle of a whirling ball of bedclothes.
At least they’d broken her fall, she thought, as she extricated herself and picked her burden up again. There was a heavy crump at the back of the house and a low rumble that shook it to the foundations. Upstairs, things snapped, cracked and crashed.
Breathing heavily, Meggie shot through the gap in the door Judith had thought to keep open for her and dragged everything in after her. Nerves made her giggle. ‘That was close.’
‘How close?’
‘Across the road and up two houses. Our upstairs front windows are shattered and I got blown down the stairs.’
‘Are you hurt?’
The concern in her aunt’s voice made Meggie want to cry. She had enough on her plate without worrying about anyone else. ‘A few bruises I expect. Otherwise I’m fine. I bounced all the way down. Let’s get this space sorted out if we’re to turn it into a maternity ward.’
They had a battery lamp in their hidey-hole. Switching it off she opened the door and heaved the two chairs out. ‘Judith, you take the other chair and I’ll sit on a pillow next to my aunt’s feet. Look after Jack Frost, if you would. We’ll only use the light when necessary, to save the battery.’
It sounded like an earthquake going on outside with everything in the house jiggling about.
She turned the light back on. ‘Actually it’s quite cosy in here, like a tent. Aunt Es, you lie on the mattress. It’s more comfortable than the stretcher bed. I’ve brought you a dressing gown, as well. I think it might be Leo’s. Can you manage by yourself?’
‘I’m not infirm yet.’ Her aunt cuddled into the dressing gown and said wistfully, ‘I wish Leo was with me.’
‘I’m glad he’s not; he would take up too much room. Right, now everyone take in a deep, calming breath, then count slowly to ten.’
They’d just finished counting when her aunt gave a prolonged groan.
Judith burst into tears. ‘I’m scared.’
So much for deep calming breaths, Meggie thought. ‘We’ve all got the jitters,’ Meggie said. ‘Try and take a hold of yourself, Jude. Use the stretcher bed. I’ll use the upright chair. My aunt needs our help. We can’t have her worrying in case we have hysterics.’
‘No of course we can’t. You’re right and I’m sorry. You’re so brave, Meggie. I wish I was the same.’ She took a deep breath. ‘Can I do anything, Mrs Thornton?’
‘That’s sweet of you Judith. I’ll get you to hold one of the torches later if you would – that’s if you’re not too embarrassed to see my private parts on display. I’ll need Meggie to handle the actual birth, since she’s been taking instruction from me on childbirth.’
Meggie’s heart clunked into her shoes. She could almost smell her aunt smile, as though she’d heard it. ‘Is there anything you need from upstairs?’
‘We can make do with a first aid kit. I wish I had a mirror though.’
‘There’s one on the dressing table in a brass frame. I’ll fetch it.’ She switched on the light again, hoping nobody would see it and think she was sending signals to the enemy.
‘No . . . Meggie.’
She took no notice, figuring that the odds against a bomb falling on her at the exact moment she emerged from their lair were pretty slim. In an odd sort of way Meggie enjoyed the danger in the possibility of it.
So she was to be the midwife, was she? It couldn’t be worse than digging that bullet out of Nick’s arm, she supposed, and hoped she wouldn’t faint this time. Secretly, she was quite looking forward to seeing how a baby was delivered. They were so sweet, and she intended to have at least four of her own when she married. Who would they look like though . . . Rennie with his astute fox-eyes and his stuffy manner, or her provocative and delicious Lord Cowan, who she was quite desperate to experience the act of love with. She smiled as she thought, ‘Perhaps children from each, like her mother had with her two loves. How romantic it must have been to be in love with two men, both heroes.
With a sudden shock, she realized that that would mean one of them would have to die, like her father had. ‘If anyone of importance is listening, perish that thought, I didn’t mean it,’ she said loudly, and picked up the mirror.
She made her way back, filling a couple of bottles with water on the way.
Above her the planes still throbbed and then laid their deadly eggs as they went by. This must be what hell’s like, she thought, pulling the blackout curtain aside and looking at the sky, as red as blood behind the moving black crosses and boiling in an inferno of sparks and black smoke.
She could hear the sound of ambulances and whistles, men too old to fight, but risking their lives to save others.
The raid was targeting civilian areas, and she couldn’t help wondering how many children would be robbed of parents tonight, their lives changed for ever. Anger consumed her and she shouted, ‘Murderers!’
There would be retaliation, she knew – an eye for an eye. There would be more innocent victims. More orphans, in this culling of human lives.
Judith let her in and switched on the light.
Her aunt was fuming. ‘Don’t you ever do that again. You were too long. What if a bomb had dropped on you?’
‘It would have dropped on you as well, so you wouldn’t have needed the mirror anyway. I got angry at the planes flying over when I thought of the casualties this raid will cause.’
‘Meggie Elliot, I could slap you for giving me such a fright.’ There was no heat in her aunt’s words because she understood her – she always had.
Meggie knelt and kissed her cheek, whispering in her ear, ‘I love you, Aunt Es. Our baby will be the best baby to have ever been born. Do you know what I’m going to give the baby for a birthday gift, something precious and rare.’
‘Tell me, Meggie Moo.’
‘All the love you and Uncle Leo gave to me – and that’s all the love in the world.’
Her aunt gave a sob, and then she hitched in a breath and placed her palm on her stomach. Eyes closing she grimaced then gave a soft moan. ‘These contractions are quite strong. Next time give me your hand and you can feel them.’
Another half hour and the baby was ready to be born. Her aunt had already told them what they must do. She lay on her back, legs apart.
Judith held the mirror and the light, so Esmé could see what was going on.
But the contractions were coming one after another now and she was panting with the pain of the constant pushing.
Fascinated, Meggie watched the head gradually appear. ‘You haven’t got to be brave. Shout and swear if it helps, I won’t mind.’
Her aunt let out a long sigh when the head emerged. ‘That’s the worst bit over. Lift my head and shoulders up, Meggie. I want to check to see if the cord is around the neck.’
It wasn’t.
‘The head should turn and then the body will come out. It will be floppy and quite slippery, so take the baby into a towel and support its head, because it won’t have the strength to support itself.’
‘What if it doesn’t come out?’
‘Then you’ll have to give it a helping hand. I’ll tell you what to do.’
Meggie couldn’t understand how Esmé could remain so calm when she was shaking with excitement and nerves. It was a miracle of nature she was watching.
One last contraction and the baby turned and slipped into the waiting towel. It let out an aggrieved howl and then began to bawl.
‘It’s a boy!’ they all said together.
The cat came out from under the blanket, stared at the infant, then hissed at him and went down under again, hackles raised.
The baby was still howling. ‘What’s wrong with him?’ Meggie said in alarm.
‘Nothing. He’s just getting his lungs working.’ Smiling, as if the destruction happening around them didn’t even register, Esmé held out her arms for him. ‘Now I’ll show you how to tie off the cord. You’ll need the scissors. There should be two pieces of string in the first aid kit. Tie one part of the cord close to the stomach and the other a bit further down the cord. Yes, there, that’s good. Now, cut the cord there. Good . . . that’s perfect for now. Bring the light nearer Judith. Let’s have a good look at him so I can check him over.’
Esmé handled him firmly, her training giving her the confidence that most first-time mothers would lack. She opened the towel and said, ‘You can stop that racket now, young man. You’re quite safe.’
The boy stopped crying and stretched. Spikes of dark hair prickled damply from his scalp like the spines on a hedgehog. For a moment his eyes opened. From the glimpse Meggie had they were blue, like Leo’s. He stared up at his mother while she made soothing noises. She gently smoothed the waxy remnants of his birth cowl from his face with the corner of the towel and kissed his wrinkled forehead. ‘Hello, Johnno, my sweet little angel.’
He grimaced and stretched, arms and legs quivering as they went in all directions, but cautiously now the safety of his barriers were removed. His eyes went out of focus and his head went from side to side as he sought his mother’s breast. He found what he was looking for and made his claim, his mouth closing round the nipple with a strong suck. He fell asleep there.
‘Look how long his legs and arms are.’
‘He’s got sweet little toes.’
‘Do we have something clean to wrap him in?’
Meggie handed her aunt another towel.
Detached from his mother’s breast Johnno was wrapped securely. Esmé couldn’t stop smiling as her motherly instinct emerged. ‘Isn’t he handsome, he looks just like Leo. Thank you both. I don’t know what I would have done without you.’
‘I’ll clean you up as best I can, then we must all try and rest,’ Meggie said with tears in her eyes. ‘I’ve only got cold water. I’ll go and put the kettle on.’
‘No you don’t. Not until the all clear has sounded. It’s not important. Examine the afterbirth for me. Let me know if you see any small rips in it.’
While Judith looked on from the stretcher, Meggie pulled out the messy towel and bundled it up. Opening the door a chink she shoved it outside, and soaked the end of a clean one by pouring cold water from the bottle on to it.
She washed her aunt, and then dried her with the other end. That one joined the other outside. A fresh towel was placed between her aunt’s thighs, and a pillow behind her head. She spread Leo’s dressing gown and a blanket over mother and son. She kissed her. ‘That’s the best I can do for now to make you comfortable. He’s so beautiful, I can’t wait until Leo sees him. He’ll be so proud of you both. Goodnight, Aunt Es.’
‘Where are you going to sleep?’
‘I’ll lie across the end of your mattress with the bedspread over me. My feet will fit under the stretcher bed.’ After all, she’d now been downgraded in her aunt’s affections . . . and by a gangly scrap of bawling infant.
‘You’d make a good nurse now you’re over your fear of blood, you know.’
Meggie laughed and switched off the light. ‘Go to sleep.’
Despite the racket going on outside they slept as cosily as rabbits in a hat, and when the all clear eventually sounded they didn’t hear it. The cat came out from his hole and curled up behind Meggie’s knees.
They were woken by a rising tremolo of sound.
‘Holy Moses! What’s that?’ Judith mumbled.
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‘Johnno Thornton demanding his breakfast. Doesn’t he know there’s a war on? Did anyone hear the all clear?’
‘Vaguely.’ Esmé made soothing baby noises that sounded like complete and utter nonsense to anyone except Johnno, who stopped crying to listen intently.
It was something so unlike her aunt that Meggie giggled, and said, ‘Who’s got an ickle lickle baby boy, then?’
The warble was replaced by a sucking noise. The two younger women and the cat crawled from their lair into daylight, and stretched.
The cat headed for the back door, leaving a trail of footprints in the dust where a chunk of plaster had fallen from the ceiling. When he turned and stared pointedly at them. Judith laughed and opened the door. ‘I’ve got the message, you’ve certainly trained us well.’
‘I’m going upstairs to look around.’
Esmé said from the comfort of her mattress, ‘I’ll come with you. I need to go to the toilet.’
‘No Aunt. You can stay there until I’ve checked that everything’s safe. There’s too much glass around. Judith will take you to the outside one. It’s closer, and the baby won’t mind being left under the stairs for now.’
The house was still intact, except for the sash windows, of which the upper ones were cracked or shattered. Pots, pans and ornaments had been thrown about. A mirror was broken; glass and dust littered everything, curtains hung askew, with big rents in them. She tried to straighten them, to no avail. The upper rail they hung from was bent.
When she gazed out of the window a warden gazed up at her. ‘Do you need help?’
‘A couple of windows are broken and the telephone is dead.’
‘The best we can do is board the windows up, but you won’t be able to open them. Gas, electricity and water supplies are still functioning though.’
‘Thanks. The rest is just dust and glass. We did have a baby born here last night while it was all going on. Could you take a message to the district nurse? She only lives a couple of streets away.’ She gave the man the details then went down to help her aunt.
While Judith made porridge for breakfast, Meggie filled a bucket with warm water and then filled a kettle to make some tea with. ‘The window has been broken in your bedroom. I’m going to give it a mop out first, and sweep all the broken glass to the bottom of the stairs. You can rest on the sofa until the window has been fixed. They’ll have to board it up, but there will still be light coming through the top. Once the bed is made you can move in.’
