The Baby Chronicles

by Beatrice Bruno

  She swept across the sky in a series of moves she had watched the warriors perform many times, wishing she could be assigned to their war teams. With expert moves, Margarette Ann thrust, whirled, and slid from position to position as though she had been created for such an assignment. Oh, how she would love to be with the warrior angels as they engaged in conflict after conflict in the Heavens for the Saints of God!

  Angel Saran lovingly shook his head at this pre-born. He could tell she had studied the warrior angels. He could also discern that God had poured these abilities into this pre-born spirit for the battles she would face in her assignments on the Earth.

  “Can I tell Abba? Can I talk to Him about this?” she asked as she came to a halt before Saran. “Maybe He’ll change His mind,” she pleaded with her angel. Surely, God wouldn’t want her to go to Earth when she was so adamant about not going. Surely …

  In an instant, Margarette Ann was in the presence of Almighty God and His Son. As she experienced the warmth of His presence and His love, she glowed brighter than she had since before entering the Chamber of Gifts and Talents. She loved her Creator and basked in the warmth of His glory, desiring to be able to do this for all eternity.

  “Come to Me, Spirit Child,” the Almighty beckoned. “I understand you are experiencing great reluctance in going on the mission I have designed just for you.”

  “Yes, Abba,” she admitted, reverently approaching the One she loved so much. “I have great reluctance and a little apprehension. Can’t you send someone else? Someone who likes others? What about Carolyn or Anna?”

  “Abba, didn’t you see the exhibition I put on for Angel Saran? Don’t You think I would make a good warrior angel, Father God?” she asked, ready to make her case again if needed. “Besides,” she continued, “I love others but I don’t like them! Carolyn and Anna at least like everyone. I don’t like being around anyone but You, Jesus, and Your Holy Spirit,” she explained, shimmering in the brightness of the Light surrounding her.

  The Voice of the Ages boomed in laughter. “And that, My beloved one, is why I have chosen to send you on the assignment I have planned just for you. You see, spirit child, I don’t like the humans I have placed on the Earth either. They are never satisfied and always want more of what they already have. They don’t want to listen to Me yet they want Me to do things for them,” Almighty God explained. “But like you, I do love them. I am sending you as a dose of reality. When you come into the knowledge of My Truth as a human, you will be a very strong preacher, much like Evangelist Philip, and spread about the truth of My Word. I am sending you not to like people but to love them,” Abba concluded with a thunderous laugh.

  Margarette Ann brightened as she understood her assignment.

  “I’ll try, Father,” she promised. “But I’m telling You right now … I am not going to like it,” the pre-born spirit said boldly yet reverently.

  FIFTEEN

  Youngstown Ohio General Hospital: November 17, 1959

  Emma, how many minutes apart are your contractions?” the maternity ward nurse asked Emma Wells. Twenty-two-year-old Emma looked over her shoulder to ask her husband of one year, Albert.

  “It’s about fifteen minutes, ma’am,” Albert answered Nurse Anna Peters. “Her water broke about an hour ago as she cleaned up the lunch dishes. Pert near scared me to death,” Albert said with a grin in his slow country drawl.

  Today was his and Emma’s one-year wedding anniversary. When he met Emma at the community youth sock-hop, he had known immediately she was the one for him. That was four years ago and he had gotten his bride.

  “Unnhh,” Emma groaned quietly.

  This was the first of the six children she and Albert dreamed of having—four boys and two girls. Neither of them came from small families. Albert had eight brothers and sisters; she had ten. They had decided when they first married that they wanted to start right away so they could grow with their children. They both loved children and wanted at least six so not one child of theirs would be lonely. Each child would always have a best friend in the same way their mother and father had in their brothers and sisters.

  “That pain was stronger,” Emma whispered shyly to her attentive husband.

  As she prepared to say something else to him, another pain shook her body. It wasn’t quite five minutes after the last one. So far, her labor had been slow and steady, nothing severe. She had prayed for an easy delivery and knew God had heard her plea.

  Emma grasped the hand Albert offered. She squeezed with more power than he realized she had. When she finally let go of his hand, he rubbed his fingers to get the feeling back.

  Recovering from the pain, Emma saw her obstetrician, Dr. Frank Gaston, striding down the hall toward her. Youngstown was a small town. Dr. Frank was the only OB/GYN around for hundreds of miles. He had attended her birth twenty-two years ago as well as her brothers and sisters and Albert’s brothers and sisters. He knew both their families.

  “Emma? How we doing, hun?” Dr. Frank inquired with his familiar bedside manner, touching her shoulder. Before Emma could answer, another contraction wracked her body. Dr. Frank checked her pulse while the pain abated.

  “The pains are about three minutes apart now, Dr. Frank,” Emma gasped her answer, hazel eyes shining brightly at the prospect of meeting her first child.

  “Doc, they’re coming quicker than before now. She just went from fifteen to five to three minutes apart. Is it time?” Albert enquired, concern etched on his sun-touched face.

  Not really worried, Albert had experienced many births his entire life. Growing up on a farm allowed a person to experience life in its rawest form most of the time. And with many sisters and brothers older than he, he had experienced the joy of childbirth many times over in his family. But this was different. This was a first for him—his first child. Excitement filled his heart as he anticipated the child who would be born today.

  Dr. Gaston went to the nurses’ station and instructed Nurse Peters to go ahead and take Emma to the prep room. Turning back to Albert, he said, “Albert, I’m taking her in. You go on in the waiting room and call your folks. We’re gonna have us a baby before too long.”

  He continued down the corridor to prepare for the birth of this young couple’s first child. Albert kissed his bride lovingly on the cheek before the nurse rolled her toward labor and delivery. Dr. Frank prayed for a safe, quick delivery … and that it would be a boy. In farming communities such as Youngstown and the surrounding areas, families always prayed for boys first because of all the work to be done on a farm. Albert and Emma Wells were no different.

  Albert silently prayed as he went into the maternity ward waiting room. He had dreamed of this moment for what seemed an eternity. Now the time had come for Emma to have their first child. He knew that where they lived called for more sons than daughters to work on the farm, but in his heart, he wanted a little girl that looked just like her mother, his beautiful Emma. More than that, though, he wanted a healthy, happy child who would bring joy into their family.

  Albert made the phone calls to both sides of the family. Within the hour, there were more repeat aunts, uncles, and grandparents in the waiting room than the room could hold.

  “Any word yet, son?” asked Daddy Cooper, worry in his voice and his hazel-colored eyes. Albert could see much of his wife in her dad’s face as Earl Cooper touched him on the arm.

  “Not yet, sir. She’s only been in there about an hour,” Albert answered his father-in-law.

  He and Earl Cooper had become close over the years while he dated Emma. Albert always said that if something were to happen to his dad, he already had a substitute on hand with Daddy Earl.

  “Well,” joined in Jim, Albert’s dad, clasping his son’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s pray this grandbaby out.”

  The combined family members quickly joined hands. In that instant, that little hospital waiting room transformed into a tabernacle where the presence of the Lord could visit with them. Mama Dorothy Cooper
, an associate pastor at the Youngstown Community Church where both families had attended many years, started the prayer.

  “Dear Heavenly Father …”

  In the Unseen …

  “Shhhh,” commanded Jesus, the Son of the Living God. “Angels of Intercession, let us join in with the saints as they pray Margarette Ann into the Earth,” He directed.

  Maternity Waiting Room …

  “ … we thank You for bringing us to this present point. God, we thank You that You are able to bring our Emma and the baby through this delivery safely. Heavenly Father, we commit them both into Your hands. And we thank You, Lord, that You have already answered our prayers. In the name of Jesus,” Dorothy finished amid a chorus of “Amen’s,” and “Thank You, Lord’s,” tears streaming down her cheeks as she rejoiced in her baby girl safely starting her family.

  Katherine Wells, Albert’s mom, took over.

  “Lord Jesus, we thank You that both of these children are kept by You. Father, we thank You that Your Holy Guardian Angels are in the room with them right now, Lord. Oh, Lord, we ask that Your favor, Your divine favor, flows through each and every room of this hospital right now. God, we thank You for guiding the hands of Dr. Frank and his assistants. Lord God, we thank You that even right now You are bringing forth a healthy baby from the womb of its mother …”

  All around the room, family members agreed in prayer, some with their heads bowed, some praying along, but all with tears in their eyes.

  The presence of Almighty God was heavy in the atmosphere as He listened to the praises of these saints as they ushered in the birth of this new child. The angels of God were all over the hospital, protecting what God had ordained to take place at this particular moment in time.

  As the praises continued to flow in that tiny waiting room, Dr. Frank coaxed Emma to push one last time. She obeyed his direction. The result was the appearance of a blonde, downy-covered head from the birth canal.

  “You’re almost there, Emma, just a little more,” urged Dr. Frank as he guided the little body out of its mother.

  As the transition completed, he checked out the little one who lay in his arms. A little disappointed, he discovered that it was a she; a beautiful little girl with a very stern look on her face.

  As he turned the baby upside down to get the airflow started in her lungs, the little body twisted to face him. Her hazel-colored eyes popped open, looking directly at him as if to say, “Don’t you dare spank me!” Then she wailed as if her heart were broken.

  In the Unseen …

  The Heavenly Host gave a shout as little Margarette Ann Wells was born into the Earth at 1:30 p.m. on November 17, 1959. Warrior angels stood guard around the throne of God, observing Almighty God as He took in the scene below them. They were prepared for the moment Almighty God would give them marching orders to protect the life entering the Earth-realm. They didn’t wait long.

  SIXTEEN

  In the Unseen …

  Earth-Angel Crenado grinned at the expression on Margarette Ann’s face when she entered the Earth-realm. It was quite obvious that this baby did not want to be here. Crenado didn’t know how, but Margarette Ann let the doctor know she was not pleased with this place already.

  Although he knew it was impossible, Angel Crenado thought there was a slight possibility that Margarette Ann remembered something from the Heaven-realm. But that can’t be, he considered.

  Her countenance indicated she remembered the conversation she had had with Almighty God prior to being swooshed into the Earth atmosphere. She had such an expression of disdain on her face. It was almost as though she wanted to spit in the doctor’s face instead of look at him. What a journey this was going to be with Margarette Ann!

  Maternity Ward Waiting Room

  Startled, with a perplexed look on his face, Dr. Frank handed the baby to the nurse to be cleaned up. Taking off his gloves, he shook his head in an attempt to loosen the fog that obviously clouded his mind.

  I must be having a spell of hallucination, he thought to himself. Absentmindedly ruffling his salt and pepper crew cut, he admitted to himself that he was probably a little more tired than usual from the activity of delivering eight babies in the past two days.

  “What’s wrong, Dr. Frank?” asked his young dark-haired assistant, Nurse Florence Watson, concerned.

  “Nothing,” he said. He thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. If he only knew …

  Walking toward the waiting room, Dr. Frank smiled as he heard the combined praises of the Wells and Cooper families to God. He knew that this little girl would be brought up in a God-fearing, loving atmosphere. For the young couple’s sake, though, he wished that she had been a he.

  Oh, well, he thought, such is life.

  Quietly and respectfully, Dr. Gaston entered the room with an apprehensive smile on his face. Born and bred Catholic, Frank didn’t understand all the praising going on. He and Cathy, his wife of forty-five years, attended Mass and any other special services religiously but never did any of this vigorous praising the people from the Community Church did.

  Different strokes for different folks, he mused.

  Everything quieted when Frank entered the room. The praises stopped and all faces turned expectantly to him. With a huge grin, he cleared his throat.

  “Both mother and baby are fine,” he began.

  Everyone said a quick “Thank You, Jesus,” and waited for him to continue. Frank always looked forward to this part with apprehension.

  Some families had actually cried when they found out that the first child of a couple was a girl. Others reluctantly accepted it because there was nothing they could do about it. He just couldn’t imagine in which direction this family would swing.

  “It’s a … girl,” he finally said, sweat popping out on his brow. Whew, that was over but he didn’t expect what happened next.

  “A girl …” said Albert, not believing his ears. “A girl …” he said again. “It’s a girl! I have a daughter! Thank You, Lord! Thank You, Lord! I have a daughter!” he shouted, triumph in his voice.

  His family glanced strangely at him. Each of them thought he would want a boy since he owned the largest farm of them all.

  “You guys, I prayed for a girl,” he explained excitedly. “I wanted a little girl who would look just like her mother. God gave me just what I wanted! Rejoice with me. We’ll have sons. But I wanted our first child to be a daughter so I can spoil them both.”

  All the sisters cheered for their brother and brother-in-law and the brothers just slapped their crazy brother on the back. Praise the Lord! Albert had received just what he had asked for.

  Dr. Frank shook hands, congratulating the new aunts, uncles, and grandparents all around the room. “You should be able to see them both in about an hour. Please try not to overwhelm the staff,” he chuckled good-naturedly.

  He knew they would all try to see Emma and the baby at the same time but it was OK. In a small country hospital, it was quite common for large families to show up at the bedside of an ill family member. They all knew how to conduct themselves so no one really enforced the rule of only two visitors per patient.

  The hour passed quickly as the families chatted excitedly in the waiting room. Albert’s brother Jim Jr. went to the hospital gift shop to buy cigars so they could hand them out to whoever was interested to know that the Wells and Cooper families had a new baby.

  Dottie and Katherine hugged as they discussed the new baby girl. Friends for years, they were excited at the prospect of sharing a granddaughter.

  “I wonder if she has those hazel eyes of Emma’s or Albert’s blue eyes,” Katherine wondered.

  “Praise the Lord! She is finally here!” exclaimed Dottie. “This seemed like the longest pregnancy ever,” she told her friend.

  “Amen to that, Dottie,” Katherine agreed. “I thought my boy was going to have a heart attack last month when Emma went into false labor. Thank God it’s over! Oh, I can’t wait to see that precious little thing
!”

  This was the first granddaughter in ten years for either family. Being the youngest, Albert had nieces and nephews almost as old as he; so did Emma. Both families were excited about the new granddaughter and niece who had just arrived. Unfortunately, they were not the only ones anticipating the arrival of this little one.

  SEVENTEEN

  Eternity

  Angels Candol and Anka, this is a special child I have placed in your care,” Almighty God said to the attentive Earth-angels.

  Mostly sent out by ones, these angels were part of a special brigade of angels sent out in teams to provide high-security protection to certain subjects as Almighty God deemed necessary. This was one of those times.

  “She is destined to preach in all corners of their known world. But she will endure much pain and hurt before I will be able to use her. Stay with her at all times,” God instructed.

  “Never leave her side no matter what happens to or with her. The forces of evil will attempt to take her away from the Kingdom of God. She will turn for a season. Even during that season, guard Margarette Ann with your very lives. Do you understand?” commanded God sternly.

  “Yes, Almighty, we understand,” the angels answered in unison as they understood the magnitude of the situation.

  This was a rarity in the angelic-realm. Though the vast majority of their missions were one guardian angel per Earthbound pre-born spirit, every so often a pair of angels would be sent to protect one pre-born. As a matter of fact, the last time was for … well, that was another story altogether.

  They pondered for just a moment on what this little human would endure. They quickly put it out of their minds. Almighty God had spoken.