Pink Flamingoed

by Steve Demaree

  As the time of the baby’s birth grew closer, Scott and Nancy gathered the troops to make a decision. Because their living room discussion had not gone well, they decided on the “kitchen table after church” method.

  “Okay, everyone, I have something to tell you that I don’t think will come as a surprise to anyone. We have decided to name this child. Since we don’t know whether it will be a boy or a girl, we are accepting suggestions for the baby’s name.”

  “Does the winner get a prize or something, Dad?” Mallory asked.

  “Yeah, the winner gets to hold the baby.”

  “Well, I’ve been thinking,” Kenny offered, “and I think if it’s a girl we should name it Rapunzel.”

  “Good choice,” Jill said.

  “So, you like it?” Kenny asked.

  “Oh, my yes. It’s a lot better name that what some people choose. Why some people have been known to name their offspring Kensington,” Jill said.

  “Or worse yet, Carrington,” Kenny countered.

  “Okay, kids. Let’s be serious, here.”

  We could name it Brad if it’s a boy,” Jill suggested.

  “Yeah, or Amy if it’s a girl,” Mallory added.

  “No kids, we’ve decided not to name this baby after anyone we know, so as not to confuse people. So, does anyone have any other ideas. If not, then your mom and I will go with our choices.”

  “Which is?” Mallory asked.

  “If it’s a boy Burlington Steven, and if it’s a girl Nicole Tarkington.”

  “First, Carrington, then, Kensington, then Binghamton, and now Burlington or Tarkington. You have a ton of names, but none of them are any good. Have you two ever thought of buying one of those books with babies names in it?” Kenny asked. “From what I’ve heard, they’re pretty cheap and a big help to people like you who don’t have a clue what to name a baby.”

  +++

  The women of the church decided that they had better hurry and have a baby shower. Nancy was due to have her baby soon. So, the women thought it would be best if it was not a surprise shower, because none of them felt qualified to deliver a baby in case Nancy got overly excited. Amy offered to have the shower at her place and all of the women flocked to Amy’s bearing gifts of all types. Nancy was so excited when she saw all of the gifts that she could hardly wait until she got home. She wanted to show the rest of the family what she had gotten.

  +++

  While everyone at the parsonage was excited or terrified about a new addition to the family, Brad got a case of the nerves because his new book would be out in about a month.

  Summer had changed into fall, which meant another season for Amy, and another opportunity to take photographs. While the coming of spring did so much for Amy’s spirit, the colors of fall excited her almost as much. But even with the beautiful colors of fall, some people craved black-and-white photographs.

  +++

  Harry and Ethel had had a wonderful visit with Rachel, but the thought of saying goodbye bothered all of them. As Rachel fought her emotions as the time to leave drew near, she entertained the possibility of moving closer to home so that she could spend more time with her aging parents. Just in case she could not find a decent job near Hopemont, Rachel was not yet ready to share her idea.

  +++

  While Harry and Ethel were fighting sadness due to the upcoming departure of their daughter, Melanie was elated because she would be getting a new next-door neighbor. Melanie did her best to follow Cora’s advice and tried to remain calm and be the pursued rather than the pursuer. Melanie struggled with when to be the helpful real estate agent and when to be the girl next door.

  +++

  Chuck and Allison saw so much of each other over the summer that it was difficult for them when Chuck started back to school. Although they managed to get together a couple of times each week, Allison could finally realize what Amy must have gone through when Brad was busy working on his book each day. Even though Allison had met Chuck before summer and had less time with him then, her love for him had grown as they spent more time together during the summer and had gotten to know each other better. While not expecting a proposal, Allison had hoped for one over the summer. When one did not come, she prayed that Chuck’s love for her would not diminish when they spent less time together. Was it possible that Chuck looked at Brad as an older brother? Did he feel that he could not propose until after Brad proposed to Amy? What was it with these guys? Stage fright? Lack of commitment? Or something else?

  +++

  Cora received an e-mail from Doris Orthmyer and hurried to share the news with the rest of the neighborhood. Doris e-mailed Cora to tell her that she and Ray had decided to live full time in Florida and that they would be selling their home on Aylesford Place. When Cora told everyone the news, many of them began to pray that God would send them wonderful new neighbors. Melanie, on the other hand, called the Orthmyers, who agreed to let her sell their house. Melanie liked the Orthmyers, but she didn’t feel that she knew them as well as her other neighbors, so she tried to look at their decision to move as another commission. While Melanie liked friendships more than money, she knew she could not continue to live on Aylesford Place unless she sold enough houses. The houses were larger than most houses, so the commission checks were higher.

  +++

  While the brick wall stayed in place in front of Minerva’s house, the wall of separation came down. Many of Aylesford Place’s residents finally got a look at what was behind that huge wall. Pastor Scott was pleased that everyone on Aylesford Place was getting to know Minerva and that she was getting to know them. Whenever Pastor Scott thought of Minerva, he could not help but think of how God works in mysterious ways, and how He sometimes uses children and cookies in His work.

  +++

  Rumors circulated that Barney and Bertha were contemplating marriage, but no one could confirm it. The rumor made people wonder if there would be more than one house on the street for sale, and, if so, whose house would be sold, Barney’s or Bertha’s? Both of them had lived in their houses as long as anyone could remember. Could this be what had kept them from getting married sooner? Or could it be that the marriage rumor was wishful thinking on the part of their neighbors?

  +++

  The Armbruster children were on pins and needles, jumping each time the phone rang. Their mother had gone into labor and their dad had rushed her to the hospital. Everything had been worked out in advance. Amy had agreed to come and stay with the children until their dad got home each night.

  When the phone rang, Jill leaped more quickly than her siblings and picked up the receiver.

  “Hello! Oh, hi, Mrs. Henderson. No, we don’t know anything yet, but we’ll be sure to let you know when we find out.”

  Jill dejectedly hung up the phone.

  “How long do these things take?” she asked her brother and sister, as if they knew more about the subject than she did.

  “From what I’ve heard,” Mallory offered, “usually it takes about nine months. However, there are occasions when the baby comes more quickly, or is stubborn in order to teach everyone patience.”

  “Mal, put a lid on it,” Kenny ordered.

  The wait was long enough that three children managed to go through three bags of microwave popcorn, a gallon of ice cream, and had talked Amy into fixing them some s’mores, all without Harry smelling the food and making a visit.

  Once again, the phone rang. This time Kenny beat his sisters to the punch. “Hello! Oh, hi, Dad! Is it here yet?”

  “Yes, Son, and it’s not an it.”

  “Oh, and what is it, Dad?”

  “Are you sure you want to know, Son?”

  “I don’t know. I’m not sure, but go ahead. I’ll have to find out sometime.”

  “Well, Son, it’s a baby.”

  “Dad, I figured out that much. What kind of a baby is it?”

  “It’s a little one, Son.”

  “Dad, when you get old you might want someone who’ll k
eep you out of a nursing home, so level with me because I might be that someone.”

  “Son, I’ve got good news and bad news.”

  “You mean it’s twins?”

  “No, there’s just one.”

  “At least thank God for that. Well, you’d better let me have it.”

  “Son, let’s put it this way. You’re still my favorite son.”

  “Thanks, Dad. Jill, it’s for you! Bad news!”

  “Hello, Dad. From what I could manage from lamebrain’s part of the conversation, I have another sister. Right?”

  “Yes, Jill. Nicole Tarkington was born a little over an hour ago. Could you call the neighbors and let them know?”

  “Sure, Dad. Do you want to give me any details?”

  “Well, let’s see. Nikki’s cute, bald-headed, weighs exactly seven pounds and she’s twenty inches long.”

  “Thanks, Dad. I’ll pass the information along. Oh, by the way, do you know when you’ll be home?”

  “I’m going to stay with your mom until tonight. Then I’ll be home to relieve Amy. Oh, and tell Amy I promised your mother that I’d bring all of you to see your sister tomorrow, so we won’t need her, but that we appreciate all that she’s done.”

  “I will. Goodbye, Dad.”

  Jill hung up the phone and rushed to tell Mallory and Amy about her baby sister. After the three of them jumped up and down and hugged, Jill went back to the phone to let the rest of the neighbors know about her new sister.

  +++

  Everyone on Aylesford Place wanted to see the Armbruster baby as soon as possible. They figured that it would be easier on mother and child if they made their first visit while both of them were still in the hospital. So, everyone planned to go to the hospital together the next day.

  +++

  All of Aylesford Place hurried to the viewing window and secured the best position possible to see little Nikki.

  “There she is,” Jill said proudly, as she spotted a beautiful little bald-headed girl.

  “Why, she looks just like Harry,” Cora said, noticing the similarity of the lack of hair.

  Everyone laughed.

  “Now that you mention it, she is cute,” Harry replied.

  When the nurse noticed so many people with their noses pressed against the glass trying to see the same baby, she commented about it to Scott.

  “We have a large family.”

  “A really large family,” the nurse said. “Do they live nearby?”

  “Yes, we’re thankful that all of them live very close. They’re so close that we can practically open a window and holler for one of them and they’ll be at the house in a minute.”

  Answering the nurse’s question helped Scott to realize, once again, how lucky his family was to have the neighbors and church congregation that they had. Scott’s recollection of his family’s blessing was interrupted by Cora’s question.

  “Can we see Nancy now?” Cora asked.

  “Yes, but only two people are allowed in the room at a time,” Scott answered.

  The children went in first, violating the two person rule by one. Nancy smiled as her charges rushed to her bedside. When time permitted, she would lie and reflect on what it was like each time she gave birth. She was not sure that would happen until Nikki left for college, but what was now hectic was also a blessing.

  When the children left the room, they were replaced by Cora and Minerva. The two women entered the room and saw an exhausted Nancy lying in the bed.

  “Hi, Nancy! You’re looking good,” Cora lied.

  “Well, I’m not sure about that,” Nancy replied. “Anyway, I was just thinking about something.”

  “What’s that, dear?” Minerva asked.

  “I was just thinking this is probably the easiest I’ll get to take it for quite some time. I think I’ll fight with the insurance company and see about getting an extra couple of weeks in this place. The food’s not much, but it’s quiet, except for feeding time.”

  “Well, Nancy, remember what we told you. This baby will have lots of parents and grandparents to help out,” Cora reminded her.

  “Amen!” Minerva added, “Only it will probably be a while before I can teach her how to shoot a paintball gun.”

  The three women enjoyed a good laugh, and then Cora and Minerva left so others could spend a few minutes with Nancy. Nancy, usually in the background, enjoyed her brief time in the limelight. At least she was in the limelight when her youngest daughter was in the hospital nursery. Nancy knew her main role was that of a pastor’s wife and mother and teacher to her children. Nancy did not relish the attention. A brief stay in the hospital was all of it she needed.

  As most of the neighbors stood in the lounge babbling about the baby, Kenny slipped away and went back to the window to get another look at his new sister and talk to her.

  “You know, for a girl, you don’t look too bad. I just hope you don’t grow up to be like Jill or Mallory.”

  His father overheard him, and walked up and cast an arm around his son’s shoulder.

  “You know, Son. It’s just you and me. The others are outnumbering us more each day, but you know. It’s not too bad.”

  Kenny turned to his dad and smiled. No, it wasn’t too bad. Well, sometimes it wasn’t too bad.

  +++

  The insurance company won. A couple of days later Scott went to the hospital to pick up his wife and their latest child. The rest of the Armbruster children ran excitedly to the door when their father returned with their mother and sister. Each of the children got to hold their baby sister for a few minutes, before their mother whisked Nikki off to her room.

  Things were about to change in the Armbruster household, at least temporarily. Scott sat down his troops for another rallying session. The children were told how busy their mother would be for a while, and how their father would divide his time between helping their mother and being a pastor. Scott told his three oldest that all of them would have to fend for themselves, which included fixing their own meals on occasion. Even Mallory knew where they kept the peanut butter, and she knew how to make a sandwich. This revelation was received less than enthusiastically, but each of the children understood how busy their parents were and agreed to cooperate. Just as the group bonding session was about to end, the doorbell rang.

  Figuring someone had come to see the baby, four excited people made a dash for the door. Scott and his three oldest children opened the door and looked out, hoping the vision they saw was not a mirage. Frank and Cora stood in front of them. If they had been bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, they could not have made the Armbrusters any happier. Instead of gifts fit for a King, Frank and Cora stood holding gifts for a hungry family. By the time their car was unloaded, Frank and Cora had carried in three casseroles, a couple of vegetables, bread, fruit salad, homemade snacks, and a couple of desserts. Before these hungry souls had finished devouring all that Frank and Cora had brought, other neighbors showed up bearing more food. By the time the food stopped coming, it turned out that none of the Armbrusters had to fend for himself or herself for a week.

  After a week, with their mother still getting used to taking care of a newborn again, all of the Armbruster children had perfected the art of sneaking out of the house and showing up at one of the neighbors just before mealtime with pathetically hungry looks on their faces. Neither parent was aware of what they were doing. After Kenny had eaten enough to regain his strength, he ventured over to Minerva’s to practice the art of perfecting a paintball gun. Kenny was impressed that a woman so old could wield an implement of that type with such skill. Kenny’s mouth flew open when Minerva pointed out an acorn hanging from a tree halfway across the park, then proceeding to change the acorn’s color.

  +++

  Nancy stayed busy with the baby, and thus stayed exhausted. Nikki was quite adept at waking up two or three times each night and letting everyone else know that she was awake. In no time at all, each of the other Armbruster children had perfect
ed the art of sleeping with his or her head under the pillow. Still, even this technique did not work all the time.

  Scott juggled his roles of being a pastor, a dad, and a husband. From time to time, he relieved Nancy of her parental tasks, so that she could take a much-needed nap. Each of the other children took turns holding their sister, but was not much help in any area except rocking her to sleep. Well, Jill could change a diaper when encouraged to do so.

  +++

  While changes abounded in the Armbruster household and those houses at their end of the street, things went on much the same in each of the other homes on Aylesford Place, except for those times when someone thought to provide food or offer to help the Armbrusters.

  Brett Stetson moved in, but caused less of a stir than when Brad moved in, since most of the residents on the street were concerned about the Armbrusters. Melanie, on the other hand, tried to be attentive to her new neighbor without making a nuisance of herself. At times, Melanie struggled with her new approach of how to act around men, but anytime she had a question about what was or was not the way to act, she knew all she had to do was call Cora.

  Cora kept busy. Frank was able to do for himself, so Cora used her extra time to check on the Armbrusters, counsel Melanie, and check in with Amy from time to time to see how things were going between her and Brad. In addition, Cora agreed to head the Thanksgiving dinner celebration at church, which was scheduled for the Sunday night before Thanksgiving. Everyone could celebrate with their church family, and then spend time with their blood family, if they had one. Unlike Christmas, much of Aylesford Place remained in place during Thanksgiving week.