Poppy, think a hundred times before you sign that abandonment form! the midwife warned, otherwise youll be kicking yourself later.
I cant just leave him, you have to understandI cant Poppy sobbed, clutching the edge of the cot.
All the staff at St. Marys Maternity Ward were watching the young mothertobe with a mix of concern and curiosity. It was clear the decision weighed heavily on her, and they wondered if a little persuasion might help.
My father raised me in the firmest of fashions, Poppy explained, eyes downcast. Hes always told me, Never, God forbid, bring a child into the house before youre settled. How am I supposed to tell him this happened? He still thinks Im still at university, studying for a degree. Ive been home for six months because of the pregnancy, and Ive been lying.
The matron tried to soften the blow. Life throws all sorts of curveballs. He might yell, scold, but in the end hell accept the little lad after all, hell be his grandson, the continuation of the family line.
No, you dont understand my father, Poppy protested. Hes incredibly strict If Mum were still alive, shed get me. A bitter tear escaped her eye.
The father, Arthur, immediately declared he was washing his hands of the whole thing no child for him. Poppy had believed in genuine love, which only made the sting deeper. She chose not to have an abortion; a healthy, chubbycheeked boy was born.
Poppys mother died when Poppy was in Year6. She and her colleagues were travelling for work when a crash took everyones livesexcept Poppy. From that day on her existence split neatly into before and after. Arthur, unmoored from his usual composure, vented every ounce of his bitterness and a sense of injustice onto his daughter.
Poppy, see that you never bring a child into the house, or Ill see you out the front door, he warned. Our family wont have that sort of scandal, got it? Study hard, get a profession, become a doctor, and be respectable.
Dad, what scandal? Im still young, doing well at school, Im not disappointing youso please, stop shouting.
She graduated with a gold medal, got a place at the medical schoolexactly as Mum and Dad wanted. She returned home a few times a year. Arthur would cook his famous roast potatoes and pepper his conversation with reminders of the house and the dreaded scandal.
What he feared eventually unfolded. In the second year, Poppy met a lad at a university dance. She didnt even realise shed fallen for him; he was her first boyfriend. In her mind she already pictured walking down the aisle, her father beaming with pride at his clever, beautiful daughterinlaw. But the fairytale crumbled when the lad walked out, and her wedding dreams fluttered away like dandelion fluff.
Labour was smooth, but motherhood was anything but easy. The moment Poppy saw her tiny, wrinkled face, her heart gave a nervous thump. Nine months she had carried him under her heart, and now she was being asked to hand him over.
The ward crammed three mums with their newborns. Poppy turned her back to the wall, refusing to watch them feed their babies. She never fed her own, despite the nurses gentle nudges, hoping she might change her mind.
The abandonment form was signed; no amount of pleading could move her. She gathered her belongings in a haste and slipped out of St. Marys, clutching the paperwork. The midwives watched, sorrowful, as the little boywhom theyd nicknamed Tommywatched them.
Little chap, youve been left on your own. Who knows what fate awaits you? Perhaps a good family will take you in, as they do with many stray tots.
Tommys tiny nose twitched, as if listening to the worlds whispers. Nurse Gladys, a kindly soul who remembered nearly every child whod been abandoned, cooed and fed him. Shed seen a few mothers repent and return, though rarely.
That night, Tommy, perhaps sensing the abandonment, wailed loudly, then fell asleep briefly, only to awaken with another desperate cry. By dawn he was quiet, listless, and oddly indifferent.
Ah, kiddo, youre crying for a mother whos gone. Shes not coming back, is she? the nurse mused.
During the morning rounds, Poppy burst in, eyes wide.
Where is he? He hasnt been handed over yet? I want my baby back!
Poppy, youre back! Thank heavens! Tommys still here; we havent processed the paperwork yet. Are you absolutely sure? This isnt a toy you can just pick up and drop.
Yes, Im sure! Hes my sonI could never abandon him!
And Poppy began to sob.
I havent slept a wink, hearing his cries all night. My heart nearly ripped apart! My little boy, all alone Let me feed him; the milk is on its way.
She was taken to a private room, and Tommy was placed on her chest. He began to suckle heartily, his tiny mouth working like a little pump. The staff gathered at the doorway, genuinely delighted. The childs fate was no longer one of abandonment.
I talked to my father, told him Id given birth and left him because of his words, Poppy recounted later, cheeks damp. I said I couldnt live without my baby and wanted him back. He was shocked at first, then admitted he wanted to see his grandson, called me a fool, a bad mother, and scolded me for not telling him earlier.
She continued, All my life Ive heard never bring a child into the house unless youre married. I never imagined my own father would weep with joy. Ill take Tommy home, introduce him to Granddad, give him my family name and my fathers patronymic.
The whole ward watched the fragile figure of a mother cradling her child, and whispered a quiet prayer for their happiness.
How often do parents frighten their daughters from a young age with the warning, If you bring a child into the house, well throw you out!? How many girls have terminated pregnancies or abandoned newborns because of those words? How many shattered lives have resulted? Moral lessons are vital, but girls also need to know their parents love them and will accept themno husband, pregnant, in the house or not.
May you all be loved and happy.
