“Trust fund, real estate, stocks. But don’t you worry about finances. I’ll take care of everything!”
“What about your parents? What do they think about this?”
“They don’t know yet.”
“Ash!”
“They’ll either accept it—or they won’t.” He smiled. “But they’ll have to live with it.”
“What about your friends? Aren’t you afraid that--”
“Guess I’ll find out who my real friends are, won’t I?”
“Ash—how can you be so—nonchalant about all this?”
He was silent for a moment as he looked at her. “To be honest—I don’t really know. I’m just—following my heart. And this is the right thing to do.”
“And, you’re actually doing this--for me.” She put her hand on his forehead. “Are you sick?” she asked in mock concern.
He shoved her hand away and smiled. “Cut it out. I’m just in love with you, that’s all.”
“And loving me is more important than becoming the governor of the state—or even president of the United States?”
“I reckon so. But I’m a Kroth. I can be a lawyer anywhere. Then, after a while, I’ll move up through the ranks and eventually take over the whole political system wherever I am and be in charge.”
“Ash Kroth—you’re still nothing but an arrogant rascal!”
“But you still love me.”
She hugged him tight. “I can’t help it.”
Ash didn’t return her embrace, but laughed instead, while he tried to push her away.
“Catherine!” Seletha yelled. “You remember yourself and remove your arms from him this instant.”
Kitty turned to face her. “Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry, Miss Seletha.”
“Don’t let me catch any more of that monkey business.”
“I’ll be sure to beat her off with a stick if she touches me again, Seletha,” Ash yelled.
“You’d better watch yourself, Ash, and stop being fresh or I’ll stop your visits all together!”
“Yes, ma’am.” Ash turned back to Kitty. They tried not to laugh, but couldn’t stop themselves.
“I can’t wait to tell her!” Kitty said.
“She already knows. So does Esther. Why do you think they decided it was okay for me to visit you? They knew I applied to Cambridge. But I didn’t want to propose until after I knew I’d been accepted.”
“Well, I can at least show them the ring.” Kitty beamed.
“They’ve already seen it.”
“Ash!”
“I showed it to them when I first got here.”
“Oh!” In feigned exasperation she pulled at her dress, accidentally revealing her ankles.
“Kitty!”
“What?” She laughed.
Looking toward her feet, Ash said, “What’s wrong?”
Embarrassed, Kitty quickly covered her ankles. “Nothing’s wrong. That swelling’s normal when you’re expecting, especially when it’s hot. That’s what the doctor says.”
“But are you feeling alright?”
“Of course I am,” Kitty said.
“But you’ve seemed a little more…”
“Tired?”
“Yeah--more tired than usual.”
“I’m eight months pregnant! What do you expect?”
“What’s the doctor say about that?”
“That I’m pregnant.” She laughed.
“C’mon, Kitty! You know what I mean.”
“He says I’m fine.”
“Well, I don’t like the way you’re looking today. And I don’t like seeing your ankles look like Miss Esther’s.” Ash paused for a second. “As a matter of fact, you know what I’m gonna do?”
Kitty clicked her tongue. “I don’t think I want to know.”
“I’ll tell you anyway. I’m gonna bring Heath with me next week.”
“No, Ash! Don’t go dragging Heath up here, busy as he is!”
“But the doctor here’s nothing but a country bumpkin. He doesn’t have all the special training Heath has in obstetrics.”
“Dr. Farmer isn’t just some country bumpkin! He’s delivered hundreds of babies, and he’s very nice. So relax, Ash. I’m fine.”
“I’m still bringing Heath—whether you like it or not!”
“I don’t suppose I have a say in the matter, do I?” Kitty sighed.
“Nope.”
“Well,” Kitty smirked, “you’ll just be wasting his time.”
Chapter 12
Early in the morning, a week later, Ash left his apartment near Simpson Leggett University to pick up his brother. The drive home took an hour, and Heath was waiting outside when Ash pulled up in his new car, a large black Oldsmobile with white wall tires. Since he’d be a family man soon, Ash had traded in his two-door convertible for a 1937 four-door sedan. He’d have it shipped to England when he and Kitty moved there.
Heath placed one foot on the running board, then ran a hand over the glossy exterior. He bent down to look in the open window and admired the off white leather upholstery. “I’m impressed. Looks just as good inside as it does out.”
“Thanks.” Ash smiled. “And it’s a real smooth ride.”
Heath opened the door, then tossed his brown linen jacket on the backseat over Ash’s gray and white silk tweed. From Joy Hope the drive to 86 would be a long, hot three hours.
Ash rolled up his white sleeves, then pulled a handkerchief from his black pants to wipe his forehead. Pressing the accelerator, Ash said, “I appreciate you changing your schedule to check on Kitty.”
Heath smiled. “I’m concerned about her, too. But I think she’s fine.”
“Well, with you being trained in all that stuff, I’ll feel better after you take a look at her.”
“Glad I can help.”
Ash hung an arm out the window. “You won’t have to examine anything private, will you?”
Heath laughed, as he smoothed the crease in his camel trousers. “No.”
“Tell me something. Is that why you wanted to go into Obstetrics and Gynecology?”
Heath looked at his brother. “Is what why?”
Ash smirked. “You know what I’m getting at. You get to intimately examine women all day..."
“Oh.” Heath laughed again. “Not all women look like movie stars.”
Ash smiled slyly. “Some do.”
“I think the main reason I went into Obstetrics was because of Daisy.”
“Daisy?”
“Yeah. I must’ve been about ten when I watched her have that first litter of puppies. After that, I was fascinated by the whole birth process.”
Ash was quiet for a few seconds. “So—you decided to do what you do—all because of a dog?”
“Well,” Heath smiled, “maybe not entirely. But when you specialize in OB you need to specialize in Gynecology, too, so you can completely understand how a woman’s body works.”
“And looks and feels.”
“Yeah,” Heath sighed, “all in a day’s work.”
“If I could handle blood and dead people, maybe I would’ve gone into medicine, too—so I could’ve specialized in women.”
“Medicine’s not for everybody. And besides, your personality’s more suited for the court room.”
Ash cocked his head. “I reckon so.”
They rode silently for a while. “You know,” Heath said, “you’re pretty crazy to be running off to Europe so you and Catherine can be together—but I—I admire you for it.”
Surprised by his brother’s comment, Ash said, “You do?”
When Ash had first told him, Heath’s initial reaction had been, “Are you nuts?!” But after the shock had worn off, he’d said, “A decision like that will change your life forever. Are you completely sure?” After Ash declared that he was, his brother never discouraged him.
“Yeah—I do,” Heath said.
“Is that why you never tried to talk me out of it?”
Heath didn’t respond imm
ediately. “Yeah, that and—because I kind of know what it’s like—to be in a situation like yours.”
Ash glanced at his brother briefly in disbelief. “How would you know?”
Heath took a deep breath. “I came home after going to Stanford for one year. I said I wanted to finish college in the South, or something like that.”
“Yeah, ‘cause you claimed not to like California all that much.”
Heath hesitated. “That wasn’t entirely true. I liked California, not as much as home, but it was a beautiful place.”
“So what happened to make you not want to go back?”
“Well—the real reason—was a girl.”
“A girl?”
“Yeah, her name was Mikki. She—she—stole my heart.”
Ash looked at him strangely for a second. “You tell me everything. But you never told me about her.”
“That’s because I had to forget her.”
“Forget her? Why?”
Heath sighed. “Her real name was Mieko, and she was Japanese. Her parents didn’t want her to have anything to do with me, since I wasn’t.”
“Sweet talking her mother didn’t work?”
Heath shook his head sadly. “I never got to meet her mother. Her parents wouldn’t let me set foot in their house. I’m not Japanese, so they forbid Mieko to see me. When they found out we’d dated almost through the whole school year, Mikki’s father threatened to disown her, and then her mother threatened to kill herself.”
“Jeepers,” Ash said softly.
“Yeah. Things got messy, and I loved her too much to—ruin her family. Mikki begged me not to go—and I almost didn’t. She didn’t care about being disowned and she claimed her mother wasn’t serious about committing suicide. But—what if she had been? You just don’t know what people are capable of doing. I couldn’t destroy Mikki’s family—so I did what was best for her—and got out of her life.”
“You ever sorry about that?”
Heath nodded. “When I first fell for Mikki—I wondered how Mother would react to a Japanese daughter-in-law. She might’ve been a little shocked at first. But I think she would’ve been civil—and eventually—accepting.”
“That’s more than I can say when I get around to telling her about Kitty and me,” Ash said. Silence hung between them for a few minutes. The engine roared smoothly as the wind whipped around them. “I still can’t believe you never told me about that girl—Mikki.”
Heath looked out the window as they whizzed by kudzu covered trees. “At the time—it was too painful to talk about. I just wanted to forget about her and put the whole thing behind me.”
“But you haven’t forgotten her, have you?”
Heath shook his head. “No.”
“Well, you know lots of pretty girls around here—and they all like you.”
“Yeah, but the right one hasn’t come along yet. Maybe it’ll happen when I least expect it—like what happened between you and Catherine. Ash—I wish you both the best.”
“Thanks.” Ash smiled. “I’ll never regret my decision, because I don’t want to live without her.”
“A part of me that feels that way, too—about Mikki. I feel like we’re gonna be together one day. I just don’t know how it’s gonna happen yet.”
****
When Ash pulled up the long drive to Esther’s, he saw Seletha standing on the front porch. Her peach dress blew lightly in the breeze as she approached the car to say hello. A look of surprise crossed her face when she saw Heath.
“Why, Ash and Heath!” She smiled as the boys stepped from the car.
After greeting her, Heath said, “Ash wants me to take a look at Catherine.”
“I suppose the doctor could use some help.”
Ash frowned. “Doctor?”
“What’s wrong?” Heath asked, as Seletha led them to the house.
“Just come in and I’ll explain,” she said calmly, walking them through the front door. “Catherine went into labor around three this morning. And Dr. Farmer’s been here since six.” As they passed through the parlor on their way to the bedrooms, Seletha said, “Mama, look who’s here with Ash.”
Esther glanced up from her knitting and exchanged greetings, then remarked, “Well, if it isn’t the good son.”
“Mama,” Seletha grimaced as they kept walking, “don’t be rude.”
“I’d better wash up.” Heath headed for the kitchen and grabbed a bar of Ivory soap from the sink top. While thoroughly scrubbing his hands and forearms, he asked, “Which room is she in?” But before Seletha could answer he heard a loud moan.
“Just follow the noise,” Seletha said smiling, as Heath rushed off. “Straight down the hall, first door on the right.”
The moaning continued a few moments longer and Ash didn’t like the sound of it. “Is she alright?”
“Of course, Ash, she’s having a baby. It’s not easy and it takes a long time,” Seletha said, striding toward the parlor. “Why don’t we sit with Mama for a while?” Ash followed hesitantly. “Why are you movin’ so slow?” Seletha peered over her shoulder. “Nothing you can do but wait, unless you wanna go back there and help.”
Ash shook his head. “No, ma’am.” He picked up his pace, but stopped upon hearing Kitty moan again. “It sounds like she’s in a lot of pain.”
“Ash, she is. Now come along.”
In the parlor, Esther sat in her mighty wingback knitting diligently. “So I see you brought the responsible one with you this time.”
Ash ignored Esther’s jab. From the round back sofa, he said, “Heath’s medical specialty is obstetrics.”
“That fancy word for delivering babies,” Esther commented.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Well, Dr. Farmer does everything and he’s been delivering babies since before you were born! He went to Meharry--a fine Negro medical institution. And I’m sure they teach delivering babies there, the same as they do in those fancy white medical colleges. Besides, there’s nothing to bringing a baby into the world. Working with pregnant girls as long as I have, I’ve done it more than once myself. You could do it, too.”
When Kitty moaned again, Ash turned toward her voice for a moment. “I—I reckon a man would grin and bear it.” He tried to muster a cocky smile.
Esther looked keenly over her spectacles at him. “I reckon a man would die.” For a moment she held his gaze, wiping any cockiness from his face.
“Oh, Mama, hush.” Seletha patted Ash’s arm from her rocking chair. “Now, Ash, don’t you worry about a thing. Babies are born every day, and—”
Kitty screamed. Ash shot up, startled.
Seletha’s eyes widened. “My goodness, the baby must be coming,” she said, but to Ash, she sounded a little too calm.
“Well,” Esther’s eyes remained on her knitting, “it shouldn’t be much longer.”
“I—I think I’ll go outside.” Ash couldn’t take hearing Kitty scream. There was nothing he could do to fix it. He didn’t have any running clothes, so walking was the next best thing. “I’ll just—uh take a walk or something.”
“You go ahead, Ash.” Seletha smiled. “We’ll get you when the baby comes.”
****
Less than an hour later, following the baby boy’s entrance into the world, Heath worked on the delivery of the afterbirth. Dr. Farmer had cut the cord and now cleaned the infant, while Heath concentrated on Kitty. All deliveries were bloody, but Kitty bled profusely and her breathing was shallow.
Concerned about her abnormal condition, Heath said, “Catherine, stay with me, okay? Don’t go to sleep.”
Kitty’s eyes opened slightly. “Okay.” Her response was only a slight whisper.
****
Seletha smiled broadly as Dr. Farmer approached carrying the swaddled infant. “Oh, Doctor!” She opened her arms. “What is it?”
He carefully placed the crying baby in her arms. “It’s a boy. Seven pounds, three ounces,” he blurted before quickly starting back to Cathe
rine’s room.
Seeing the old man move so fast worried Seletha. As the shine of his bald head disappeared around the corner, she said, “Is there a problem, Dr. Farmer?”
“At this point, I’m not sure,” he called back.
“I don’t like the sound of that,” Esther said.
Seletha walked to her mother, gently rocking the baby. “Well, let’s just concentrate on the beautiful sound of a newborn baby. I’m sure Catherine’s going to be fine. She’s got two doctors tending to her, and one’s the baby’s uncle.” When Seletha bent down with the baby, Esther put aside her knitting to take a look. “Isn’t he beautiful?”
“Why, indeed he is,” Esther said. The baby screamed loudly. “And he’s got quite a voice; vocal—just like his father. Of course, being a Negro, that mouth’ll get him in trouble one day.”
“Oh, Mama,” Seletha stood straight and began swaying the baby back and forth, “shame on you. I’m gonna go find Ash. He’ll swell up with pride once he sees this precious little boy.”
Esther sighed. “I don’t know how prideful he’ll be, brown as that child is.”
The same thought had crossed Seletha’s mind but she didn’t say anything.
“Well,” Esther raised her eyebrows as she commenced knitting again, “I suppose, dark as Catherine is, he wasn’t expecting anything close to lily white.”
“Mama,” Seletha said, “Ash loves Catherine, and this is his baby. He’ll love the child no matter what.” As she strode from the house, Seletha hoped this would prove true.
****
Ash paced back and forth by the oak trees a good distance from the front door. Earlier, he’d moved far enough away not to hear Kitty’s screams. He stood still for a moment and glanced up at the clear blue sky. When he looked toward the house, it was just in time to see Seletha approaching with a bundle in her arms.
Ash jogged toward her as she yelled, “It’s a boy!”
He laughed. “Was there ever any doubt it wouldn’t be?” When Ash caught up to her, he eagerly peeked inside the blanket.
“Meet your son, Ash.” Seletha smiled, gazing down at the infant. “This is Harland, Harland Kroth.” The child had stopped crying, but his eyes were opened wide observing his surroundings.
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