Posted by
Barb1 on Thursday, March 05, 2009 4:23:11 PM
It was the best of times, it
was the worst of times…
Three babies, each given the
spark of life, each heading towards different paths that lay before them…
Baby One to an excited
couple, anxious and exhilarated at the thought of finally becoming parents
after several miscarriages, Baby Two to a frightened thirteen year old girl and
a long gone boy, and Baby Three to a seventeen year old honor student and her
eighteen year old boyfriend.
All of the babies grew in
size each day, with one’s progress being charted meticulously and compared to
what was in all the baby books and the other two’s growth anxiously watched on
the calendar.
Around the eight week point, Baby
Three’s life was abruptly ended by abortion at the behest of the maternal
grandfather. You see, the mother was
from one of the community’s fine upstanding families, her dad being the principal
at the local high school. An unwed
daughter of the man who was constantly lecturing the student body about
behavior, morals and school spirit producing his first grandchild in such a way
just wouldn’t do.
Babies One and Two continued on
their journey. Again, Baby One received
everything to guarantee a healthy beginning, with prenatal care and scrupulous
attention to diet on her mother’s part.
Baby Two plodded on, catching whatever sustenance she could obtain,
competing for nutrients from her still maturing young mother, a child herself.
Seven months had passed. Baby One was right on track and doing
well. Baby Two was in trouble and fighting
to survive. The weeks of minimal nutrition and no medical care were taking their
toll. Her mom gave birth in a flurry of
pain and secrecy, giving a false name upon admission to the hospital. The birth went well, but the baby was suffering
with respiratory distress and other premature birth issues. A nurse went to advise the mother, but upon
entering the room, discovered that she was gone, never to be found. Baby Two then spent that first month in an
incubator fighting for her life.
Baby One was born right on
time and placed into the loving hands of her mom and dad, grandparents, aunts
and uncles and myriad cousins. Baby Two struggled on through various bouts of
bronchitis and pneumonia for the next eight months while in foster care.
But at the end of that time,
Baby Two was handed to a U.S.
soldier and flown to the United
States, being placed in the loving hands of
her new mom and dad, grandparents, aunts and uncles and many loving friends
upon arrival at the airport gate. Her
new home was right down the street from Baby One and the little girls spent almost
everyday of their childhood together.
I often wonder what Baby Three
would have been like. He or she would be 25 years old right now and have
several siblings, for the parents eventually did get married. I know this because I went to high school with
them and Baby One’s mom is my neighbor and friend. She and I have spent many happy years raising
our kids, because Baby Two is my daughter!
Please note: Certain details
have been slightly changed to assure anonymity, but this story did happen.