39 Weeks

by Terri Douglas

  I asked after the other girls in our little gang and we spent the afternoon catching up on all the latest gossip, and planning a night out for all of us somewhere after Ella was born. I didn’t know if I’d really be up for a night out but Shelley said I couldn’t give up on life just because I’d got a baby to look after, ‘there are things called baby sitters and mothers who can stand in for you now and then while you have an occasional night out’, she said.

  After they’d gone I got to thinking about the old days when I went out virtually every Friday or Saturday night. Those were the days I thought. But then I thought about Ella and how many things I was looking forward to doing with her. I knew some of it would be hard, especially in the beginning, but I couldn’t wait for a time when I could teach her things, take her to places I’d been to when I was growing up, help her when she was struggling with riding a bike or doing her homework. Of course most of that was years away yet but I was still looking forward to it.

  43

  27th February – Week 39 + 1 Day

  My Dad had come to see me. I hadn’t known he was coming he just turned up. He’d come to see if I was alright he said, but he knew I was alright I’d only spoken to him on Saturday, and like everyone else I’d promised to phone him the minute anything started. I couldn’t figure it out until out of the blue he asked how mum was doing. He never asked how she was doing, sometimes occasionally if I mentioned I’d seen her he’d say something like ‘oh so she’s still doing that then’, or maybe ‘so she’s still complaining about that then’, but he never asked after her.

  ‘She’s fine Dad.’

  ‘And everything’s alright is it?’

  ‘Yes I think so, she seems alright.’

  ‘Only I heard . . I was told that . . she was . . well as long as she’s okay.’

  ‘Dad what did you hear?’

  ‘I wasn’t going to mention it, it’s not really anything to do with me anymore, but now you’ve asked, I heard she’s been seeing someone. Colin I think they said his name was.’

  ‘You heard?’

  ‘Yes someone told me and I just wondered if it was true. Course there’s nothing wrong with that, I mean if she is seeing anyone, I’m seeing Stella so why shouldn’t your mum go out with someone if she wants to. Course she can. I just wondered if it was true or not.’

  When is it do you suppose that what you thought were normal level headed parents turn into the teenagers they once were before you were born, and you end up parenting them? Is it when you get to about thirty, is it when they get to about fifty, is it if they get divorced, or maybe it’s when they’re on the verge of becoming grandparents? Whatever the trigger it’s amazing how many of my friends parents, one or both of them, seem to be going through a sort of second puberty and need parenting themselves. On the one hand Mum was acting all coy and getting embarrassed over going out with Colin, and now here was Dad getting jealous about it, even though they were divorced and he was seeing Stella Frankham.

  ‘Are you okay Dad?’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘And Stella? You’re still seeing Stella?’

  ‘Yes. Just because I asked after your mum doesn’t mean . . well it doesn’t mean anything.’

  ‘Okay if you say so.’

  Dad had bought Chinese take-away with him, egg fried rice, bean sprouts, crispy pork balls and sweet and sour sauce. This used to be our favourite Friday night treat back when I still lived at home. Mum hated it, but Friday was her night to go and visit my Gran, and what had started as just saving Dad from having to cook turned into a Friday night tradition.

  ‘We haven’t done this for ages.’ I said relieved to get off the subject of Mum.

  ‘Yes and your mum hated it I seem to remember.’

  So we weren’t quite finished with the subject of mum yet, obviously she was on Dad’s mind at the moment and was going to invade every topic.

  Dad and I were laughing about how we’d tried using chop sticks one week and were both totally useless at it, and were just about to tuck in to today’s feast, with normal forks, when James arrived. Dad greeted him like an old friend. As far as I knew they hadn’t seen each other since the day I’d moved in, but you’d have thought they were best buds or something, with Dad straight away inviting James to sit down and join us. As usual Dad had ordered far too much so having a third person wasn’t a problem, well not in terms of having enough food, but in terms of how I felt about it, it was a bit. I mean I knew it would annoy Rob, James being here and getting on so well with my dad, and that worried me, but on the other hand in defiant mode I thought why shouldn’t he be here, he’s just a friend.

  James and my dad laughed and joked their way through the whole meal. James was in the middle of explaining about his latest job, painting the inside of the new flats by the station, when I felt a familiar twinge. I groaned a bit, fairly quietly, but still it was definite groaning, and was completely ignored by them both so deep in conversation were they.

  I wondered if it was a real twinge as in contractions, or more Braxton Hicks, or if I’d just eaten too quickly, and decided it was probably best to ignore it. If I had another one then I’d know if it had been real or not.

  Dad told me to sit still while he and James cleared the table and made me a cup of tea, so I did. It was sort of amusing listening to them both making such a big production out of washing a few plates, then dropping a few plates, and making the tea, but being waited on like this was a bit of a novelty so I was making the most of it.

  Then Rob decided after a week of staying out of my way this would be a good time to visit. I opened the door thinking it was Marsha, I mean I’d have bet a million pounds it wasn’t going to be Rob, but I’d have lost because there he was.

  ‘Are you alright?’ He said looking concerned.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Only I heard banging or something and I thought maybe . .’

  ‘Oh that was probably my dad, he dropped a plate.’

  ‘Your dad? Sorry I didn’t realise there was anyone else here.’

  ‘He arrived about an hour ago.’

  ‘It’s just that Mac and Marsha and the kids have gone to Mac’s mums and I was . . . and then I heard this crash and thought you’d . . sorry.’

  Dad had heard me talking about him so came out of kitchen to see who it was. I was reluctant to introduce him to Rob but he just stood there looking at Rob and waiting expectantly, so I had no choice really.

  ‘Rob this is my dad. Dad this is Rob.’ I said politely.

  ‘Pleased to meet you Mr Parker.’ Rob said equally politely.

  ‘Ah so you’re the disappearing Rob are you?’ Dad said not so politely, almost belligerently in fact. As far as Dad was concerned this was the guy that had upset his daughter so much.

  Rob flinched a little at Dad’s hostility but recovered quickly. ‘Yes I got stuck in the Orkneys.’ He said trying to make a joke of it.

  ‘Got stuck! He ran away and hid in the Orkneys.’ James said coming out of the kitchen carrying my tea.

  ‘So Chippy’s here as well is he?’ Rob said, imperceptibly growing another inch or two taller at seeing James in my flat.

  James put my tea down and did some growing of his own. ‘Who?’ he said knowing the Chippy thing referred to him somehow but not really knowing how or why.

  ‘Don’t you have a home of your own, or a gig somewhere?’ Rob said.

  ‘A gig? I knew you were stupid, you’d have to be to run away like that, but I didn’t know you were mental. What gig?’ James said taking a step closer to Rob.

  As I watched the testosterone levels rise a notch or two another of those twinges grabbed me, only it was a bit more than a twinge this time. But now in the middle of all this was hardly the time to pay it much heed. So I clenched my teeth a bit and said nothing.

  ‘Don’t you know when to give up?’ Rob was saying. ‘She’s already dumped you once.’

  ‘Really then how come I’m still here?’ James said getting ever near
er his adversary.

  ‘I’m sure there’s no need for all this.’ Dad said trying to calm everyone down, but both Rob and James ignored him.

  ‘You’re here as second best, the stand in.’ Rob said. ‘But you can go now I’m back.’

  ‘At least I didn’t run away just because I thought she wanted to get married.’ James sneered.

  ‘I didn’t run away.’ Rob said through gritted teeth.

  ‘No? That’s not how it looks from here.’ James said now standing squarely in front of Rob.

  Dad edged his way between the two of them saying ‘I think we all need to calm down a little.’

  ‘Yeah James, you need to calm down a bit.’ Rob said.

  ‘Don’t tell me what to do.’ James replied looking like the first punch was about to be thrown any minute.

  ‘Can you all just shut up?’ I said but no-one even looked at me.

  ‘Then maybe you should just leave.’ Rob said.

  ‘Maybe you should, after all you’ve had the practise.’ James smirked sardonically.

  ‘Maybe you could both give it a rest. I think I’m having the baby.’ I said to no-one.

  Rob made a grab for James but Dad was too quick for him and held on to his arm. James started to swing a fist at Rob so Dad ended up right in the middle and trying to hold them both apart. While I stood paralysed as my water broke.

  Rob and James were glaring at each other, and Dad daren’t move in case a proper fight started, and no-one took any notice of me at all.

  The water was gushing out of me like someone had turned on a tap, and showed no sign of letting up any time soon. ‘If you’ve all quite finished I think one of you needs to take me to the hospital.’ I said as calm as you like, as if this sort of situation occurred every day.

  Rob noticed first that something was up, then Dad realised I’d spoken and began to register that all was not well, and finally James turned his attention away from Rob to the crisis I was having.

  ‘Judy are you okay? Rob and James said together, then momentarily glared at each other again.

  When I didn’t answer straight away Dad said ‘Judy?’

  ‘I think my water just broke.’ I said to which all three of them just stared at me stupidly. ‘Well shall I drive myself to the hospital while you three just stand there like a bunch of goldfish?’

  ‘No I’ll have you there in no time.’ Rob said jumping to attention.

  ‘I’ll take her. Why don’t you go back downstairs and wait and we’ll give you a call when it’s all over.’ James said to Rob.

  ‘Like hell you will, I’m taking her.’ Rob said coming over and putting his arm round my shoulder.

  ‘Have you got a bag ready?’ My dad calmly asked me while Rob and James continued arguing.

  ‘Yes it’s by the door.’ I said also ignoring them both, as I ducked out from under Rob’s arm.

  ‘You don’t even know what to do.’ James said to Rob. ‘You weren’t the one who helped Judy last week.’

  ‘Well I’m the one who’s going to help her this time, and for the record I know exactly what to do.’ Rob shouted back.

  ‘Do you need anything else?’ Dad said to me.

  ‘I’d like to change first.’ I said. Now that I’d stopped gushing water everywhere I was soaked and feeling very uncomfortable. ‘And I’m supposed to phone the hospital to let them know I’m on my way, and Mum, I’m supposed to phone Mum.’

  ‘Look you had your chance and you blew it, you ran away.’ James was saying.

  ‘I didn’t run away. Anyway it’s up to Judy who takes her to the hospital not you, and she obviously would prefer it to be me.’ Rob said and they were so busy squaring up to each other that I was forgotten again, even though it was me they were arguing about.

  Dad said ‘Okay you go change, I’ll do the phoning’.

  ‘The numbers are in the side pocket of my bag.’ I said as I went to the bedroom.

  ‘If she prefers you so much, then how come I’m the one here having dinner with her dad?’ I heard James saying as I peeled off my soggy jeans and shoes.

  ‘Just because you get on with her dad doesn’t mean she wants you to take her to the hospital, you lame brain.’ Rob said.

  ‘Can you two keep it down a bit, I’m on the phone?’ I could hear Dad saying.

  ‘I’m not the lame brain, you’re the one who ran away.’ James said only slightly quieter after Dads admonishment.

  ‘If you say I ran away once more I’m going to . .’ Rob started to say.

  ‘You’re what? Going to run away from me too?’ James answered derisively.

  I finished changing and Dad was waiting for me with my hospital bag in one hand and his car keys in the other, and we walked straight past Rob and James to the front door.

  ‘Try not to break anything, and remember to lock up when you’re finished.’ Dad said as we left.

  44

  27th February – Week 39 + 1 Day - Continued

  ‘Do you think they’ll kill each other?’ I said as we got in Dad’s car.

  ‘Maybe, but we won’t worry about that until after the baby’s born.’

  Dad started the engine, but as he did I had a really strong contraction. It took my breath away and instinctively I grabbed Dads hand as it rested on the gear stick, so we waited a couple of minutes until it had passed.

  ‘Okay?’ Dad said as I started breathing again.

  ‘Yeah. That was . . it really hurt. Let’s get to the hospital before I have another one.’

  ‘Right I’m on it.’ Dad said putting the car in gear and pulling away.

  As we rounded the corner I glimpsed Rob and James getting in their cars and guessed they wouldn’t be far behind us.

  We pulled into the hospital car park and as usual had to park a mile from the hospital entrance, Dad had offered to drop me off and save me walking but I didn’t want to be left on my own. As we walked across the car park another contraction started and Dad held me up while my legs buckled and I hung on to him.

  When the pain began to fade I was able to stand up straight again. ‘How long was that?’

  ‘Um don’t know, couple of minutes?’ Dad said worriedly.

  ‘I mean how long since the last one?’

  ‘I didn’t look at the time when you had the last one. Bout ten or fifteen minutes I guess.’ Dad said checking his watch as if that had the answer.

  We started walking again slowly. ‘You phoned the hospital right?’ I said.

  ‘Yes phoned them, told them we were on our way.’

  ‘Good so they’re expecting us, and Mum did you phone Mum?’

  ‘I tried but I couldn’t get hold of her but I left a voice mail and sent a text message.’

  ‘So she’s on her way?’

  ‘Well as soon as she gets the messages she will be I’m sure.’

  We reached the entrance just as another contraction hit. Dad held me up again, and this time the pain was so intense I shouted out making everyone turn and look at us.

  Naturally when we finally reached the reception desk we got the sneering disdain from the lady on reception that I’d come to expect, and when Dad explained why we were there she seemed surprised, like you couldn’t figure it out, I mean anyone with half a brain could have worked out hello large pregnant lady having pains guess she must be in labour, but not this woman. Recovering from her surprise she sneeringly looked us up and down as if to say ‘You? Having a baby?’ and then grudgingly told us we should be in the maternity unit which was in a completely different building at the back of the hospital.

  Dad offered to go and get the car and drive me there, but I really didn’t want to be left on my own and by the time he’d done that we could have walked anyway. He asked Ms NHS Charm if they had a wheel chair he could borrow, but of course they didn’t, so we started walking really slowly.

  I had another contraction before we reached the maternity unit, and yet another one was starting as we arrived. Rob and James were both waiting for us and r
ushed over the minute they saw us asking what had taken us so long. Dad pushed the button on the intercom to explain to the disembodied voice who we were and that we’d phoned earlier, while I hung on to Rob. This place was harder to break into than the bank of England, but after a short interrogation and as the pain began to pass we were all buzzed in.

  We were told to take a seat in the waiting area and that someone would be along to see to us soon. Rob and James seemed to have forgotten their differences at least for the time being, well almost anyway as they’d both resorted to sulkily glaring at each other, and the four of us sat waiting and talking in hushed whispers as if we were in church. Dad tried phoning Mum again but couldn’t get a signal so ended up sending another text message that he couldn’t be sure had actually sent. After a quarter of an hour and another contraction a nurse finally came to show me to a delivery room. I was only allowed one person in with me so Dad came and Rob and James stayed in the waiting room and I prayed that the amnesty between them would hold up, and that I wouldn’t be in labour for too long, as much for their benefit as for mine.

  I got changed into the nightdress I’d bought with me and with Dad’s help climbed onto the bed. The nurse who told us rather pompously that actually she was a midwife when Dad referred to her as ‘Nurse’, asked for my prenatal record, that was the card I’d had to take with me for all my check-ups and had all my pregnancy information on. Dad rummaged around in my hospital bag until he found it and handed it over, while the midwife completely ignored the fact that I was having another contraction.

  They were coming quite often and on a fairly regular basis now, at least every five minutes, and Dad asked wasn’t there something they could do to help with the pain, to which the midwife told us ‘all in good time’ as she filled out my hospital chart. Evidently she wasn’t going to acknowledge the fact that I was in labour until all the appropriate paperwork had been completed. Heaven knows what happens if you go into labour on a bus or in town or something when they didn’t have all the necessary forms to hand, probably you had to stop having a baby long enough for someone to nip back to the hospital to get them.