Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Baby blues


The following days were a little busy with us. Fred and I helped out Ann and Mike by doing small things here and there like cooking food and taking it to them. Ann was still not really strong. I didn’t want her to do chores that would strain her so much. She was also receiving many visitors who came to share with her the joy of the newborn. Most of her pals from work were among them who paid a visit.
By this time, Ann’s parents had come and gone although they contacted them often. Mike’s parents came after a week and met with the new baby. They came with a lot of presents for Brad. It’s a good thing they bought a crib for him since Mike had not purchased one for the baby. The premature birth changed all of their plans. Some diapers were brought along and they did the most precious thing a grandparent could do to his grandkid – they opened a savings account for Brad and deposited a good sum of cash with a promise of paying a little every month to be able to sustain his education and well-being.
Back to us, Fred and I had discussed our option on starting a family. Seeing baby Brad kicked our instincts right up. Now I want a baby too. We have been trying since Ann came out of the hospital and it hasn’t happened yet. Fred keeps on telling me to be patient but have you ever tried being patient when you want something real bad? Everyday seems like a month! I pray to God that it happens soon.
My mother called me today morning and asked if I could go home and see her. That phone call really disturbed me. I wasn’t sure if I was to expect some sad news or not. Ever since dad passed on, I can’t help but feel that I would get some bad news at the other end of the line. I told Fred about this and he suggested I go see her as soon as possible. Maybe she just wants someone to talk to. Or she is really lonely. I’ll go see her this coming weekend. I couldn’t leave during the week since I was the one incharge of the department. The HR had gone out of town with Mrs. Wright for a national meeting held for emerging companies. So I had to keep watch of the office.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Homecoming

The next day, Ann’s mother came. She was really excited to meet her grandson. She couldn’t stop staring at him via the glass at the nursery. The baby had changed so much. He was looking healthier than when he arrived just a few hours ago. He had gained a few pounds and the doctors were happy. It meant he survived the worst of times.
Fred and I made sure to visit them each day after work. Mike had taken a leave from his work to be able to tend to his wife and kid. He was there for each moment. He didn’t want to miss anything. Ann really appreciated his efforts.
After about three weeks, Ann was finally able to take his son home. The doctors gave the go ahead after Brad gained a good amount of weight and showed no health issues. Ann on the other hand, was healthy and excited to have the baby with her. With Mike and Fred’s help, we decorated the house and cooked some food to welcome mother and baby home. Her parents were going to join us in welcoming the baby. It was unfortunate that Mike’s parents had travelled out of town for business at the time but they promised to come later on to visit and see the grandson.
Mike drove Ann to the house at exactly 2pm. She was really happy to see us all. On her hands, she was holding the precious bundle. She handed the baby over to her mother who in turn was so thankful. She started swinging the baby immediately. Her eyes started to water as she looked at the boy. I grabbed Ann and led her to the sofa.
“How are you feeling?” I asked.
“Very excited. Finally I can bring the baby home!” she replied.
“I can tell. Would you like a drink?” I asked showing her a jug of blended fruits.
“Yes please.”
I poured her a glass and offered the others too. We spent the rest of the afternoon listening to Ann’s mother stories of her experiences in raising kids. It was lovely to hear how babies can change someone’s life. She was giving an example of Ann and how she brought her and her husband closer. I looked at Ann’s dad face and could see him smiling. True, babies are a blessing to our lives.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Brad is here!


I don’t know if it’s me alone or does anybody else notice that newly born kids all look alike? Most babies I have seen after they had been born all looked like potatoes! This was so different! He was really cute with big cheeks! Fred, Mike and I were all looking through the glass mirror to the kids’ nursery. We were not allowed to enter so we watched the kids sleeping in the beds with little name tags attached. The other kids in the incubator were not as many so they were all spread across the room near the walls. We were lucky to be able to see Ann and Mike’s baby. He was lying peacefully in the incubator right near the window that we were standing at.
“So, have you thought about a name yet?” I asked Mike.
“We had a couple of names selected but we had not chosen one yet.” He answered putting his hand on the window as if to pat the child.
“Ann will have to decide on the name of this handsome one.” He added. “She deserves to choose.”
“Congratulations man.” Fred said patting Mike on the back. “This is really big!”
“I know! I still can’t believe it yet that the baby is here! I thought he would come later on.” Mike replied.             
“Yea, most of us were thinking we had a few more weeks to see him. What did your parents say?”
“Oh shit! I haven’t called them.” Mike exclaimed. “Where is my phone?”
He searched his trouser pockets but he couldn’t find the gadget. He touched his breast pocket and found it. He quickly dialed his father and broke the good news to his family. He was so happy conveying the message. Next, he called Ann’s family and informed them. Her mum promised to come over the next day.
After a while, we had to go home. Ann and the baby needed to catch on some rest. This was also a good opportunity for Mike to grab some clean clothes for Ann. The ones she had on were soiled with blood as we were driving her to the hospital. Fred and I dropped Mike at his place then went home. I was so tired that I simply collapsed on the bed. My eyes were so heavy but I couldn’t help smile. The baby was here! No complications, no nothing! Ann was healthy as one could ever wish. On the other hand, the surprise coming of the baby meant change of plans. No more planning on how to prepare him to the world. He was here already. I wonder what they would name him.
“Do you want anything to eat?” I heard Fred shout from the kitchen.
“No, not really. A glass of warm milk would do.” I replied.
Early next morning, I received a short text from Ann. It simply said:-
            To an aunt who deserves applause, thank you so much. From Mike, Ann and Baby Brad.
Fred received a message also from Ann thanking him for what we had done. They were really excited about baby Brad.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Prematurely

Mike was finally able to come to the hospital an hour later. He had seen our voice messages that we had left on his phone while driving Ann to the hospital. He came running to where we were seated on the waiting room.

“Where is she?” Mike asked looking around.

“Hey chill, she is being checked out by the doctors.” Fred said while trying to hold him still.

“How could I be so stupid?” Mike said softly while holding head looking at the cold white tiled floor.

“It wasn’t your fault Mike.” I said to him.

“No, I shouldn’t have gone out drinking! I could have been able to assist her early. I could have done something about it if she felt pain first or noticed something. What if she loses the baby? What if…” He said.

“No, no, no. She will be alright.” Fred interjected while holding him on his shoulders. “We just have to wait for the doctors’ word when they finish with her.”

“But she asked me to stay with her but I didn’t listen!” Mike cried.

“Dude, it will be alright.”

We all sat down and waited for the doctor. The clock on the center of the room made the waiting seem longer. The minute hand seemed like it was not moving! The waiting room had eight chairs all facing to one side with a TV screen on one end and the clock in the center. Mike, who was sitting besides me, was weeping silently. His veins stood out across his forehead while his eyes were wet from crying.

Finally, the doctor came out. He looked across the room and spotted us. We all stood up and keenly listened to him.

“She is stable. She was bleeding profusely but we managed to contain it. We had to perform an emergency surgery to be able to save the child. He is doing well also but we have to keep him in an incubator since he was born prematurely.”

“It’s a boy?” Mike asked excitedly.

“Congratulations!” The doctor said with a broad smile.

“Can we see her?” I asked.

“Yes but you will have to wait a bit since she is being transferred to the wards. Ill send one of the nurses to come call you.” The doctor replied.

“Thank you so much.” Mike said while giving the doctor a handshake.

We were finally allowed to go see Ann. She was lying on the hospital bed half asleep. She looked tired, maybe from the drugs that she was given. Her hair was uncombed giving her a crazy look.

"Congratulations dear! So sorry on what you went through." Mike said while planting a kiss on her lips.

"Congratulations too. You are now a dad to a handsome son." Ann replied.

"You are a mother too! How are you feeling?" he asked.

"A bit tired. I wish i could take a nap but i can't. I want to hold the baby." she replied.

"I know but the baby is in the incubator. He needs to rest too."

I guess. Oh, Kate and Fred. Thank you so much for everything." she said as soon as she noticed we were in the room.

"Its nothing really. As long as you are okay and the baby too. Congratulations to your new addition to the family!" I said giving her a hug.

"Thank you."

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Hospital


The three of us all agreed and ended up calling the first and the last candidate for the job. They had performed well in the interviews compared to others. I called them and asked if they could start working on Monday. We needed them to start working as soon as possible.
That evening, we decided to stay indoors. Fred was to cook dinner while I went to do laundry in the other room. I heard my phone vibrate. I looked at the caller ID and saw it was Ann. I picked it up and said hello but all I could hear was gasps.
“Ann!” I called out.         
I could hear some movements but no one said anything.
“Ann, can you hear me? Are you all right?” I asked again almost shouting on the phone.
When I didn’t get an answer for the third time, my heart skipped a beat. Was she alright? She was pregnant and I was worried that something could have happened. I ran to the kitchen and told Fred about it. He suggested we go to their apartment and see if they are okay. I turned off the cooker and grabbed the car keys and shoes and went down the stairs following Fred. He drove us to Mike and Ann’s apartment.
The house light was on and could tell that there was someone in the house. The windows were still opened. I knocked the door then pushed it inside. Ann was lying on her back on the corridor floor. Her mobile phone was on her right hand side on the floor. I looked at her face and could tell she was in pain. She was cringing while holding her tummy with her left hand.
“Ann, where is Mike?” Fred asked.       
She shook her head.
“Okay, just try and relax. I’ll call an ambulance for you.” Fred said while trying to assure her.
Ann shook her head vigorously.
“What?” I asked.
She managed to whisper. “Just take me to the hospital.”
I raised my head and looked at Fred. He nodded and instinctively, we tried to carry her down to where we had packed the car. The stairs made it a bit awkward as we struggled to keep the balance. As soon as we were able to place her on the car, I raced to the apartment. I looked for the key at the usual place they put it on the table and locked the house.
Lucky for us, there was no traffic all the way to the hospital. As soon as we arrived to the front entrance of the hospital, Fred called out and a stretcher was brought out. Ann was quickly rushed inside and taken to one of the rooms while we were told to wait. I was so scared that I had not noticed I was crying all that time that we were coming over. I sat on one of the chairs in the waiting room and waited. Fred was trying to call Mike but it went straight to voice mail.