Chapter 13

The weeks roll by quickly, the snow is heavy and hearts are cheery as everyone is in the spirit for the Christmas holiday. Betsie had been a bit under the weather, and just as she was getting better, it seemed I had come down with the illness. This particular day as I was darning some old socks, I began to feel very dizzy. I made my way to the powder room to get a cold towel, but once there I found it harder and harder to stand. I leaned over the sink to balance myself, but suddenly felt myself falling. 

I slowly open my eyes as a bright light shines into them, causing me to squint. "Nora! Oh, good you're awake! I was hoping it would be soon. How are you feeling?" Betsie asks. Confused I sit up and look around noticing that I am at Dr. Jenkins office, on a hospital table. "I-I guess I'm alright. Why am I here...what happened?" I ask curiously. "Well you-" Betsie starts, but before she has a chance to explain there is a knock at the door and Dr. Jenkins walks in and gives me a smile.

"Well hello there young lady! Quite a fainting spell you had earlier. Nothing to be alarmed about though. You may feel dizzy from time to time over the next few months. Just get plenty of rest and don't over do it. You wanna take it easy you know?" he says brightly. 

In utter shock I stare at him. Betsie giggles and claps her hands together holding them to her chest in delight. "You....you mean I'm pregnant?!" I almost yell. Dr. Jenkins chuckles and answers, "Yes, just over a month. 5 weeks and 3 days to be exact. It looks like you will be welcoming your little one into the world on Monday August 20th, 1945. My secretary will set you up with your next appointment. Congratulations!" Dr. Jenkins pats my shoulder and leaves the room. 

Betsie squeals with glee, "I'm so happy for you Nora! Are you alright?" I sit smiling in absolute joy and respond, "Alright? I couldn't be happier! Oh my goodness! What will Freddie say?" "You know you don't have to worry about that! He'll be overjoyed! I told him that I was taking you to the doctor, but he doesn't know about the pregnancy" Betsie smiles. Just then Freddie practically bursts through the door in a frantic state. "Darling! Are you alright?" he says worriedly. Turning I smile at him and tell him everything is fine. "I'll give you two some privacy" Betsie politely offers before exiting the room. Freddie looks truly confused and comes over to me. "Sweetie, I have some wonderful news. Late August we will be having a baby!" I tell him. 

Freddie's jaw drops to the floor, then he takes me in his arms and spins me around before kissing me. "This is glorious news darling. I can't believe it, I'm gonna be a Papa." Freddie stands smiling at me, then as a thought pops into his mind, his expression changes. "There's so much to do! Sunflower, I have some things I need to take care of. I'll see that Betsie gets you home safe" he says hurriedly. I nod and smile, shaking my head at his frenzy about the situation. 

8 MONTHS LATER . . .

The morning of August 10th, 1945 was just like any other morning for me, with the exception of feeling extra uncomfortable. My feet were swollen and my back was achy. Freddie had insisted to his parents that I move in with them, and they had agreed. They even invited Freddie's cousin, Eloise to come stay with them, and to help me. I was all too grateful!  Betsie visited every day after school, and of course Freddie was right by my side whenever he wasn't working at the shop. 

As I awoke that day wondering how much longer it would be until the baby arrived, Eloise knocked on the door softly and entered the room. "Nora.." she whispered "Are you up?" "Yes" I called. I let out a groan, and she helped me up, out of the bed. "Not long now" she says. On my way to the powder room I gasped and gave a frightful but excited look at Eloise. "I think it's time!" I shouted.

"Oh my goodness! Ok now, stay calm. Let's get you to the doctor, and I will call everyone and let them know" she tells me. I nod with an apprehensive expression and voice my concerns about the baby being early. "Nora, I promise it's going to be just fine. C'mon then let's get you to Dr. Jenkins office" Eloise says gently guiding me out the door.

We arrive at Dr. Jenkins office and I get settled in. Freddie comes flying into the room still in his work apron and looking frazzled. "Nora my darling are you alright?" he questions slightly out of breath. I softly laugh and tell him I'm just fine. 

"Ready to have a baby?" the doctor asks. "Everyone out! Scoot, scoot!" Dr. Jenkins says as he shoo's everyone out of the room. "Now Nora, be strong and do just what I tell you, ok? Everything is going to be fine" he comforts. I lean back and prepare to push, as sweat is already forming on my brow.

As soon as physically possible, Freddie comes bounding through the door. He rushes to my side and declares, "It's a girl! A beautiful baby girl! I'm a FATHER!" He then proceeded to engulf the doctor in an enormous hug, at which point Dr. Jenkins gave Freddie a slightly odd look, and said he would give us time alone. At 2:32pm on August 10th, 1945 I had given birth to a bouncing baby girl, who we named Bonnie. Bonnie Judith Warner, our darling daughter. They even let us use Freddie's last name on the birth certificate, as we would be getting married in a few short months. More and more people came to visit, including Betsie of course. Who, squeaked with excitement and took Bonnie from my arms happily.

After everyone had gone, Betsie said she needed to be getting home to help her Grandfather, and Freddie had offered to go get me some food. Not long afterwards a knock at the door startled me slightly. "Wow! That was fast!" I call out to the opening door expecting to see Freddie. But, it wasn't Freddie, it wasn't Freddie at all. As the door opened, in walked Momma, and the smile I was wearing fell to the floor. 

"M-Momma...what are you doing here? How did you know..." I trail off. Momma approaches me, leans over slightly to take a look at Bonnie, and then wrinkles her nose. "Don't be silly Nora, why everyone in town knows all about how you've thrown your life down the toliet" she says smugly. Surely she was drunk again, for she reeked of alcohol. Laughing and hiccuping slightly she continues "Whatever will you do with it? As if settling for a grubby shop boy wasn't enough, now this?" Sitting upright I interject in a stern voice "It is my daughter, and her name is Bonnie." "Oh Nora, Nora, Nora. I tried to love you, I tried to teach you, but you were always such an odd girl. Always full of preposterous notions, and no interest in becoming a lady of society. I'm afraid I lost hope for you long ago, I don't think you are ready for this" she blabs on, her voice slurred. I sit in frustration, not even justifying her idiocy with a response. 

Just then Momma shouts, "This is for your own good!", and snatches Bonnie from my arms rushing out of the room. The blood in my veins pulsing angrily, I jump up from the chair, and get out into the hall where I yell for Bonnie, for Momma, for someone to stop her. 

Down toward the end of the hall I see a cluster of people, and run to them frantically. Exhausted from giving birth I collapse to the floor, but not before I am able to take in the scene that is in front of me. A group of doctors and nurses have tackled a woman to the floor and are injecting something into her arm to calm her as she kicks and screams violently. The deranged woman is Momma. A doctor stands holding poor Bonnie who is crying her lungs out. Momma is still trying to shout out the most horrible things, but my vision turns fuzzy, and I pass out.

When I awake I've been returned to my bed and Freddie is standing there talking on the phone softly but very angrily indeed. "Oh, I will call you later, she's just woken up" he tells someone. Turning he tells me that he was speaking with Betsie about what just happened. "Where's Bonnie!?" I interupt. "Sweetheart she is just fine. She is sleeping soundly, which probably what your mother is doing as well. I spoke with the doctors, and they said that they haven't seen a sight like that in a long time" he tells me. 

"What happened to her?" I ask Freddie. He explained that from what the doctors told him Marion Bracford was a heavy alcoholic, and that her mind was ill, because of it. They also said that Papa's death surely wasn't a help and sent her off the deep end. She was recommended to be institutionalized for the remainder of her days, but needed family consent. Because I was the only living relative, the decision was mine. "Freddie, can I be so cruel?" I ask him. "Sunflower, the decision is yours to make. You know what the right choice is" he points out. Thinking to myself I wonder if I could send her away like that. She had tried to be a good mother, but she had also failed miserably, and caused a lot of grief in the process. "She tried to steal our Bonnie..." I say under my breath. "She'll never stop, and she'll end up hurting herself or others. Where are the consent forms?" I ask Freddie. 

After I signed the consent forms, I requested to see Momma one last time, to try to explain things. Bonnie was safely with Freddie in our hospital room, and a nurse escorted me to where Momma was. It only took a moment being in the same room with Momma for me to realize that I had made the right choice. Approaching her I began, "Momma, after speaking with the doctors it seems that it would be best for you to remain here where you can get the help you need-" "Oh my word!" the nurse says and pushes a red button. Two other nurses come and escort a very angry Momma away. My nurse turns and says, "It's good that she's here", before wiping my face, where Momma had spit on me.