WOULD THERE BE HAPPINESS…
– How could you let this happen, you silly girl! Who’s going to want you now with a child? And how do you intend to raise it?! I’m not going to help you, remember that. I raised you, but I’m not taking care of your addition! I don’t need you here, pack your things and make sure you’re gone!
Katherine listened to the yelling without raising her head. Her last hope that her aunt would let her stay, at least until she found a job, vanished before her eyes.
– If only mum were alive…
Katherine never knew her father, and her mother was killed by a drunk driver on a crossing about fifteen years ago. The authorities were about to send her to an orphanage when a distant relative, some cousin of her mother, surprisingly turned up. She took Katherine in, thankfully having the house and salary to handle guardianship without much hassle.
The aunt lived on the outskirts of a southern border town, green and hot in the summer and rainy in the winter. Katherine was always well-fed, neatly dressed, and accustomed to chores; after all, there was plenty to do in a house with a yard and some small animals. Perhaps she missed maternal warmth and affection, but nobody cared about that!
Katherine was a good student. After finishing school, she was accepted into a teachers’ college. Her cheerful college years flew by quickly, and the carefree days ended, state exams passed, and the young woman returned to the town that had become like home. This time, however, she did not find joy in returning.
Shouting done, the aunt finally calmed down a bit:
– That’s it, leave the yard, so my eyes don’t see you again.
– Aunt Nancy, can’t I at least….
– I said everything!
Silently, Katherine took her suitcase and stepped onto the street. Who would have thought she’d come back like this? Humiliated, abandoned, and with a baby on the way, although it was still early days, Katherine chose to admit her pregnancy. She didn’t want to and couldn’t hide it.
She needed to find some lodging. Lost in her thoughts, Katherine kept walking without noticing anything around her.
The southern summer was in full swing. Apples, pears were ripening in the gardens, apricots turning golden. Grape vines, heavy with clusters, hung from numerous trellises and pergolas, while purplish-red plums hid beneath dark, firm leaves. From the yards came the sweet scent of jam, roasting meat, and freshly baked bread. She was very thirsty. Katherine approached a gate and called out to a woman standing by an outdoor kitchen:
– Excuse me, could you spare some water?
Pauline, a still robust, not-too-old woman in her fifties, turned around at the voice.
– Come in, if you’re here for good.
She scooped a mug of water from a bucket and handed it to Katherine, who sat wearily on a bench and drank eagerly.
– May I sit here for a while? It’s so hot.
– Sit as long as you like, dear. Where are you from? I see you have a suitcase.
– I’ve just finished college, hoping to get a job at a school. I just don’t have a place to stay. Do you know anyone who might rent out a room?
Pauline looked at her closely. She was neat and tidy but appeared exhausted, burdened with unhappy thoughts.
– You can stay with me, it’ll be livelier around here. I won’t charge much, but you must pay on time. If you agree, I’ll show you the room.
Pauline was glad to have a lodger; a little extra money never hurt, especially in their small town, so far from the regional center, where opportunities for side jobs were scarce. Her son lived far away and visited rarely, so this would provide some company for the long winter evenings.
Katherine, hardly believing her unexpected luck, followed the landlady. The room was small but cozy, with a window overlooking the garden, a table, two chairs, a bed, and an old wardrobe. It’d suit her fine. They quickly agreed on the rent, and Katherine, after changing, set off for the education office.
And so the days flew by. Work, home, work. Katherine barely had time to tear off calendar sheets, time passed so swiftly.
She became friends with Pauline, a kind and responsive woman. Pauline too grew fond of the simple and modest girl. As much as possible, Katherine helped with the household, and in the evenings they often had tea together, sitting in the garden gazebo, as the cold autumn came late in the south.
The pregnancy went smoothly. Katherine had no morning sickness, her face remained clear, only she’d visibly filled out. She shared her simple story with Pauline. Thousands of such or similar incidents happen in life.
In her second year, Katherine fell in love. And not just with anyone, but with handsome Gregory, the only son of well-off parents who were also lecturers at the same college. They didn’t let him go off to the capital; his path was predetermined: study, post-graduate work, teaching at the college or research. All, naturally, close to his parents.
Smart, well-mannered, and easy-going, he was always the life of any gathering and, of course, liked by the girls. Many would have been happy to date him. But he noticed the modest Katherine. Maybe he was taken by her shy smile, gentle brown eyes, or her slender figure with slightly curly hair? Perhaps he sensed a kinship in her or the inner strength of someone resilient against the blows of fate? Hard to say. But during the remaining study years, they were almost inseparable. Katherine saw her future with Gregory through rose-colored glasses.
She remembered that day in vivid detail. That morning she suddenly realized that she couldn’t bear the sight of food, that she couldn’t stand certain smells, that she’d been overwhelmingly nauseous for several days. And most importantly, she was late! How could she have forgotten and overlooked this?! Katherine bought a pregnancy test from the pharmacy, returned to the dormitory, drank a glass of water, and waited. Sure enough, two lines. She stared at them, still unable to believe her eyes, yes, two lines. The state exams were over, and now this! How would Gregory take the news? Children weren’t in their plans yet.
A surprising wave of affection for the little person inside her suddenly washed over Katherine.
– Little one…, – she whispered, stroking her stomach.
Upon learning everything, Gregory decided to introduce Katherine to his parents that same evening.
Recalling that meeting, Katherine couldn’t hold back her tears. Briefly, she told how Gregory’s parents suggested she have an abortion and, after the state exams, leave town, alone of course. Gregory needed to focus on his career, and they weren’t a match.
Whatever conversation Gregory had with his parents, Katherine could only guess at. The following day, Gregory came to her room silently, placed an envelope of money on the table, and left just as quietly.
Katherine didn’t think of having an abortion. She already loved this tiny being inside her. It was her child, and hers alone. But life would be hard, with no one to help. After brief reflection, she decided to keep the money Gregory had left, reasoning that she would desperately need it.
Having heard Katherine’s story, Pauline empathized with her woman to woman:
– These things happen. It’s not the worst in life. You’re not the first, nor the last. Wise not to have an abortion, to not harm an innocent soul. The little one isn’t to blame for anything and will be a comfort to you, and who knows, things might turn out for the better.
But Katherine couldn’t even hear of any chance with Gregory. She was completely turned off. She couldn’t forgive the humiliation. And the memory was too vivid of how easily he rejected her, not even attempting to explain himself.
Time passed. Katherine no longer worked, waddling like a duck, swaying from side to side, eagerly awaiting the arrival of her child. The ultrasound technician couldn’t tell whether it would be a boy or a girl; it didn’t matter, as long as the baby was healthy.
By the end of February, on a Saturday, her contractions began, and Pauline drove her to the hospital. The birth went smoothly, and Katherine had a healthy little boy.
– Little George, Georgie,- she whispered, stroking the baby’s chubby cheek.
Katherine made friends with the other women in the ward. They told her that two days ago, the wife of the head of the border patrol unit gave birth here to a girl. However, it turned out they weren’t even officially married, just living together.
– You can’t imagine, he’s been showering her with flowers! Brought cognac and chocolates for the nurses. Came over in his jeep every day. But things weren’t great between them. She kept saying she didn’t want kids and it was an accidental pregnancy. Then she abandoned the baby and ran off. Left a note saying she refused any responsibility, wasn’t ready for motherhood. Can you believe it?!
– But how’s the baby?
– Well, being fed from a bottle, but the nurse said it’d be better to have proper nursing. But who’d volunteer? Everyone’s got their own kids to feed.
During feeding time, the baby girl was brought in.
– Would anyone nurse her? She’s so weak, – the nurse looked hopefully at the young mothers.
– Give her to me, it’s a pity for the child, – Katherine gently laid her sleeping son on the bed and picked up the little one.
– Oh, she’s so fair! So tiny! I’ll call her Minnie.
Compared to the sturdy George, the girl was so tiny.
Katherine put her to her breast, and the little girl suckled eagerly but soon released the nipple and slept contentedly.
– I told you, she’s very weak, – said the nurse.
And Katherine began feeding two.
A couple of days later, a nurse came into the ward and informed that the girl’s father had arrived and wanted to meet the woman nursing his daughter. This was how Katherine met Captain David Smith, the young commander of the border patrol unit, a man of average height with a firm gaze from his blue eyes.
The following events were talked about by the maternity ward staff, and then, thanks to their gossip, the entire town remembered for a long time, as the conclusion of this story was worthy of being remembered.
On Katherine’s discharge day, everyone: doctors, nurses, and orderlies gathered on the porch, where there stood a decorated jeep, adorned with blue and pink balloons. A young soldier, captain’s stripes on his shoulders, helped Katherine into the vehicle, where Pauline was already seated, and first handed her a blue bundle, then a pink one.
Tooting the horn as a goodbye, the vehicle drove off, soon disappearing around the bend.
Life is quite unpredictable; no one knows the outcomes of their actions, and they can be unforeseen because life often throws surprises that are impossible to imagine…
