Rebecca skirted around the other women, murmuring polite responses to their comments. She squatted down beside Lena. “Are you okay? Do you want to go home?”
“Ach, Becky! You always know my moods, and I think you can read my mind. Jah, I’d like to head home now.”
“I’ll get the girls bundled up. Are they playing with the other little ones in the living room?”
“Jah, unless Eliza fell asleep.” Lena started to push herself up from the chair.
“You wait right here. I can get them.”
“What a blessing you are, Becky Zook.” Lena slumped back against the pillow.
A blessing? Her? She supposed she needed to start thinking of herself as “Becky” again instead of “Rebecca.” That’s what her family and freinden called her. Rebecca was who she had been in the Englisch world. She was back to being Becky now. Actually, she was a different Becky, a better one, she hoped. At least she liked this Becky much more than the old Becky or Rebecca.
Becky found Mary sitting on the floor playing with some little girls who were several years older. She looked so tired but held her mouth in a determined set as if willing herself to keep up. She looked relieved rather than perturbed when Becky called to her. Poor little Eliza had given up any attempt at playing. She had fallen asleep on the floor, oblivious to the noise and activity around her.
“Poor boppli,” Becky whispered. She stroked Eliza’s face. “Kumm, Eliza, let’s go home.” The toddler’s eyes popped open. She held out pudgy arms to Becky, who gently pulled her to a sitting position. “Let’s get you ready to go outside.” She helped the drowsy child poke her arms into the sleeves of her coat and tied her little bonnet in a snug bow beneath her chin. She stood the little girl on wobbly legs for long enough to tie Mary’s bonnet and then hoisted her up onto one hip. She reached her free hand down to Mary.
“My poor tired girls,” Lena crooned when Becky entered the kitchen. She had managed to pull her cloak together over her belly and finished tying her black bonnet. “Whew! You’d think I’d done a day’s work, when I only got out of a chair and put on my cloak.”
“Are you all right?” Sylvia’s expression showed real concern.
“I think so.”
Sylvia patted Lena’s arm before turning to Becky and asking the same question.
“I’m fine, Mamm.”
Sylvia hugged her dochder around the two little girls clinging to her. “I’ll be by tomorrow to check on you and to help out.”
Becky hustled the little family out into the cold. She set Eliza inside the buggy that, surprisingly, had already been hitched, and then helped Mary climb in. She had turned to help Lena when she caught movement from the corner of her eye. Atlee poked his head out of the barn and waved. Now she knew how the buggy happened to be ready and waiting for them.
She kept a watchful eye on Lena the rest of the day. Something seemed different. Lena looked different. “Are you sure you’re feeling all right?”
“Sure. I’m just a bit achy, probably from sitting on a wooden bench for three hours.”
Becky’s own back ached a little from sitting on the backless bench and from lifting the girls, so she could understand. But that didn’t account for Lena’s outward change. “You look different. The baby seems lower or something.”
Lena’s hands flew to her belly. “I believe you’re right. I think this little one is getting into position.”
“Ach! Should I fetch Laurie or have someone call her or—”
“Relax. I’m not in labor. We don’t want to call Laurie before she’s needed.”
“And we don’t want to call her too late.” Panic rose, and Becky knew her voice attested to her fears.
“It’s okay. I’ve been through this before.”
“I haven’t,” Becky whispered.
“You will.”
Becky’s fears increased. How would she get through this when her own time came if she was this nervous for Lena? She had to get a grip on herself or she’d be no help whatsoever to Lena.
Because the girls had only had a catnap and were getting cranky, Lena decreed they’d have an early bedtime. Becky fed them a quick supper of leftover beef stew, bathed them, and had them tucked beneath the covers by the time Lena trudged upstairs to kiss them.
“You didn’t eat much supper,” Becky observed once she and Lena had settled into chairs in the living room with knitting projects in their hands.
“I don’t have a lot of room in here for food anymore.” Lena patted the belly that occupied most of her lap. “You didn’t exactly make a pig of yourself, either.”
“I wasn’t very hungry.” She didn’t mention the fact that what little food she had eaten was churning in her stomach, which was already tied in knots from thinking about Atlee and worrying about Lena.
“You need to eat and take it easier, too. You’ve been working entirely too hard around here. I feel bad about that. I should have been doing more. Most women handle being pregnant and taking care of their families just fine.”
“Most women have someone to share the load.”
“I don’t know many men who will cook, scrub floors, or wash clothes. Can you see your daed doing those things?”
Becky burst out laughing. “I can’t say I’ve ever seen my daed do those things, but I think he would help my mamm if she needed it.”
“Joseph would, too.” A pensive look stationed itself on Lena’s face.
The two young women knitted awhile without further conversation. The creaking of Lena’s rocking chair, the clacking of knitting needles, and the occasional crackling of wood in the stove were the only sounds in the room. Lena’s sharp intake of air and subsequent moan rang out like gunshot in a quiet forest.
“Was ist letz?” Becky stabbed her knitting needles into the ball of yellow yarn. “Lena?”
Lena’s rocking ceased. A knitting needle clattered to the floor as Lena clutched her stomach. “A-a pain,” she gasped at last.
“A pain? As in a labor pain?” Becky forced her shrill voice to drop a few decibels. “I-is it time?”
Lena blew out her breath. “I’m not sure. I’ll see if I have any more pains.”
“Maybe I should go out to call Laurie to let her know what—”
“Ach!” Lena sucked in another breath.
Becky dropped her nearly completed baby blanket to the floor and rushed to Lena’s side. “Another pain?”
Lena nodded.
“That seemed pretty soon to me, though I’m certainly not an expert.”
“It seemed pretty soon to me, too.” Lena’s breath came in a gasp.
“I’m going to call.” Becky ran to grab her cloak and bonnet. “I’ll find the nearest phone and be right back, Lena.”
“Just wait, Becky. It might be false labor.”
“I don’t think so.” Becky pulled open the heavy front door. “I hear a horse and buggy out on the road. I’ll run and try to catch whoever it is. Maybe they can call Laurie and that way I can stay here with you.”
Becky flew down the front steps. The brisk wind threatened to snatch her breath away. If it was an open courting buggy she heard, they would be traveling at a pretty fast pace on this cold evening. Becky ran as fast as she could while battling the wind. She called out, but the wind threw the words back into her face. If she could get a little closer, they might be able to hear her. She pushed herself to run even faster and shouted at the top of her lungs. To her relief, she heard a deep voice cry, “Whoa!”
As the open buggy rolled to a stop, a black bonnet poked out around the big man holding the reins. “Becky?”
Becky blinked to get her eyes to focus in the blackness of the winter evening. She should know the voice. She struggled to catch her breath. Her legs, unused to such a sprint, screamed their displeasure at the brutal treatment they’d just endured. “Malinda, is that you?”
“Jah, and Timothy Brenneman. Whatever is wrong?”
“Lena. Lena needs Laurie to kumm or else we need a driv
er to get her to Laurie’s birthing center.”
“We’ll stop at the phone shack and call Laurie. Timothy can bring me back here to help and then go tell my mamm. Do you have Laurie’s number?”
Thankful she had committed the midwife’s phone number to memory after her first visit, she rattled it off to Malinda.
Malinda repeated the number over and over. “Okay. I’ve got it. I’ll be right back.”
Timothy spurred the horse into a fast trot in the direction of the nearest telephone. Becky could hear Malinda still reciting the number. At such a time, that cell phone she had discarded would sure be helpful. Her breathing slowed to a more normal rate as Becky returned to the Troyer house. She prayed her own boppli had fared okay in her race to the road.
“Lena?” Becky rushed into the living room without bothering to remove her cloak and bonnet. Lena’s head was tipped back against the wooden rocking chair, her eyes were squeezed shut, and her breath came in little pants. “Are you okay?” Becky knelt on the floor beside the laboring woman.
“Jah?”
“Are the pains closer together?”
“A little, I think.”
“Malinda Stauffer and Timothy Brenneman were on their way home. Malinda will call Laurie and return here. She’s sending Timothy on to fetch her mamm.”
“Gut.”
“Do you want me to help you move to your bedroom, or would you like me to make you a bed on the couch?”
“Not yet. I’ll wait for Laurie. Just stay with me. Talk to me.”
“Sure. Let me get out of this cloak, though, and check the fire. I won’t leave you.” Becky pushed to her feet and began untying her bonnet.
“Wait!” Lena jerked her head up. Her eyes were as big as saucers.
Becky grasped Lena’s cool hand. “Another pain?”
Lena nodded and squeezed Becky’s hand until Becky feared the bones in her fingers would snap. Becky bit her lower lip to keep from crying out. Gradually Lena relaxed her grip, which allowed Becky to wiggle her fingers and determine that they weren’t broken.
“I’m so sorry, Becky.”
“Don’t apologize. Let me hurry and get out of this cloak.” Becky continued flexing her fingers. She never would have guessed that skinny little Lena could execute such a death grip. Maybe she could find some other object—some unbreakable object—for Lena to squeeze when a pain hit.
Chapter Nineteen
Becky quickly tossed her cloak and bonnet onto a nearby chair and added wood to the fire. She brushed her hands together and turned back to face Lena. “Can I get you anything?”
“A cup of water would be great.”
“Okay. I’ll be right back.”
Lena didn’t answer. She let her head fall back against the chair again, sucked in deep breaths, and rubbed her belly in time to the rocking of the chair.
Becky snagged her belongings from the chair on her way to the kitchen. She wanted the place to look tidy. Other women would most likely be arriving soon, unless Laurie wanted Lena to deliver at the birthing center. She hoped that wouldn’t be the case. Lena seemed too uncomfortable to travel. Becky hung her cloak and bonnet on a hook and raced to get the glass of water.
“Becky?”
Becky whirled around to see Malinda entering the back door. “Hi. I’m getting Lena a glass of water.”
“How is she? Is she in bed?”
“She’s okay. She’s in the living room. She didn’t want to lie down. Did you reach the midwife?”
“Jah. She said she’ll be right over.”
“That’s a relief. I was afraid she would want Lena to travel to her.” Becky heard the squeaks of the rocking chair occurring more rapidly. Another pain must be building. “I need to get back to Lena.”
“You go ahead. I’ll get the water.”
Becky hurried back to the living room to find Lena rocking furiously and moaning softly. “I’m here, Lena.” Lena reached out and grabbed Becky’s hand like a drowning man would grab a rope. So much for finding an unbreakable substitute. If holding her hand and snapping every one of her fingers brought Lena comfort, she’d suffer the consequences. After all, she was going to be in the exact same position herself in a few months. Ach! She’d be suffering like Lena suffered now. How would she manage? She didn’t even like to have a splinter dug out of her finger!
When Lena could focus again, she released Becky’s fingers. “You’ll have to stop holding my hand or your poor fingers will suffer permanent damage.”
Becky laughed. “I’m not worried about that. You do whatever you need to do. I’m here to help however I can.”
“Maybe so, but a broken hand was not part of the deal.”
Becky smiled. “Malinda is here. She said Laurie is on her way.”
“Gut. I can have the boppli at home and won’t have to leave the girls.”
“Would you like a sip of water?” Malinda had slipped into the room unnoticed. She held the glass out to Lena.
“Danki,” Lena said after swallowing several large sips of the cold water. “I needed that.”
A loud knock on the front door startled all three women. Usually Amish freinden entered the back door without knocking.
“I’ll answer the door.” Malinda headed in that direction. “It’s probably Laurie.”
“How is Lena doing?” Laurie bustled into the room with her arms full of supplies. She was a tall, thin woman with a light brown braid sneaking over her shoulder. She moved quickly and had a ready smile.
“She’s right over there and seems to be doing well,” Malinda answered, pointing toward the creaky rocking chair. “Do you have anything else I can bring in for you?”
“Oh, that would be great. There are two bags in my trunk. It’s already open.”
“I’ll be right back.”
Laurie set her armload down and crossed the room to Lena. Becky prepared to back out of the way.
“Stay,” Lena whispered.
“It’s fine,” Laurie said. “I’m just going to ask questions first. Then we’ll see how close we are to meeting this baby. If I remember correctly, your previous two labors were pretty short, weren’t they, Lena?”
“Jah. Seven hours for the first one and five hours for the second one.”
“Then I’ll ask only a few questions and get your bed ready.”
Lena nodded and continued to stroke her belly while she rocked.
“If you tell us what to do, Malinda and I can get the room ready.”
Lena turned beseeching eyes on Becky, making Becky hesitant to leave her side, but they had to prepare for the birth. “It’s okay, Lena. I’ll be right back.”
“Malinda and I can ready the room. I’ve done it plenty of times.” No one had heard Saloma enter the house.
Becky’s mamm slipped in right behind Saloma. “I can help.” Becky imagined the grapevine had been vibrating with the news.
“Great,” Laurie said. “If you ladies will get the room set up lickety-split, I’ll be able to examine Lena.” She pulled a blood pressure cuff and stethoscope out of her bag. “I can go ahead and do a few things here.” She wrapped the black cuff around Lena’s upper arm, placed the stethoscope in her ears, and pumped up the cuff. She finished the preliminary examination by the time the other women trooped back into the room.
“All set?” Laurie turned to look at the women.
“Everything is ready.” Becky thought Saloma looked the picture of calm. Having given birth six times herself and assisted with numerous other births, Becky figured Saloma had earned her air of confidence. Sylvia, on the other hand, seemed a bit more nervous. Maybe she hadn’t been present at as many births. Or maybe she was pondering the upcoming birth of Becky’s boppli.
“Can you make it up the stairs?” Laurie’s braid flopped over her shoulder again as she leaned down to look into Lena’s face. “We’ll help you.”
Lena nodded. “We’d better move before the next pain hits.”
Becky and Laurie each wrapped their hands
around one of Lena’s too-thin arms and helped her rise from the chair.
“Okay?” Laurie turned concerned eyes on her patient.
Lena nodded again. “I think so. Let’s go fast, though.”
Becky wanted to move fast—right out the door at top speed. She had never witnessed a birth. That had not been her idea of fun. She was pretty sure she didn’t want to witness one now, either. Could she stand to watch someone she’d kumm to care about writhe in pain? Could she stand the sight of blood? Would the smells of antiseptic combined with sweat and blood make her sensitive stomach heave? Would she faint? Please, Lord Gott, don’t let me faint. Lena needs me.
There it was. Lena needed her. Lena was counting on her for support. She had to be strong for Lena’s sake. She had to cast off her fears. She could not cower in a corner. She had to be calm or she’d be nee help at all. She would be a strong woman now, not a whimpering little girl. She would focus on Lena. She would do whatever Laurie asked her to do. She could do this.
They made it to the top of the stairs much faster than Becky had thought a laboring woman could move. The look of relief on Malinda’s pale face when she’d been assigned the task of sitting in the girls’ room in case they awoke almost made Becky laugh out loud. She hoped she didn’t look as frightened as Malinda did.
“Let’s get you into a nightgown so you’ll be more comfortable,” Laurie said as soon as they entered Lena’s bedroom.
Lena had claimed Becky’s hand again as soon as the women had climbed the last step, and Becky had to pry Lena’s fingers loose so they could remove her dress. “It’s okay, Lena. I won’t leave you.” Becky made her voice as soothing as possible and was rather surprised she detected no quivering in it. “We need to get your hands through the sleeves and get you settled. Then I’ll stay right beside you.” She spoke with courage and calm she didn’t quite feel.
Her words must have been reassuring, since Lena held out her arms like one of the girls waiting to be dressed. Saloma had already pulled a nightgown from the dresser drawer. Becky and her mamm quickly exchanged Lena’s clothes for her nightgown. To Becky’s amazement, her fingers didn’t tremble a single bit. She and Sylvia led Lena to the bed that had been prepared with the special waterproof sheets from Laurie’s birthing kit. Sylvia plumped two pillows to tuck behind Lena’s head.
The Reconciliation Page 12
