“Mummy’s water just
broke” Stacey called out to her other siblings “call for an ambulance. Sonia,
come get mum’s hospital bag, I am helping her down”. Rosario unable to contain
the pain screamed because contraction started immediately. All others scrambled
from around the house to her room. Susan still had the house phone in her hand.
“Have you called the ambulance” Stacey asked “Do you mean I should call Dad”
Susan replied. “I said call the ambulance, does dad and ambulance sound
alike?!” Stacey yelled back at her sister feeling the pressure from her mum
leaning on her and holding tight any part of her she could as she felt
contraction. Rosario felt some relief and rushed to her bed, breathing out fast
through her mouth “Didn't I tell you to call the midwife when I went into
labour? I am not giving birth in the hospital I am giving birth at home. I want
to do things differently this time so I can get a different result” “ I hope
you don’t think giving birth at home determines the sex of baby, mum.” Stacey
queried her mum “call me the Midwife little miss I know it all, I put you
through school” Rosario scolded Stacey.
Not long after she was
called the midwife arrived, and a few minutes after they heard the cry of the
baby. The mid wife popped her head out of the door and said to all gathered
outside the room waiting anxiously. They all held their breath as they
saw her; she said “your mum has a boy”. They breathed a sigh of relief at
the good news and that mother and baby are also doing well. Stacey called her
dad at the office; he initially requested that if Rosario went into labour
while he away they should ring him first. Stacey however felt he would be
of little assistance when labour finally came. “Hello dad, mum just gave
birth.....” but before she could finish she heard the busy tone. About an hour
later, with the placenta out and mother and baby cleaned up, the mid wife
opened the door to the room.
Rosario had given
birth seven times to all girls. Each time she insisted she will try again. She
already had an all girls basket ball team and extra, when she got pregnant
again even her girls wondered if their mum was aiming for a football team.
While the girls celebrated their new brother, Selma the last child stayed
out of it, she felt jealous that she wasn't the baby of the
house anymore.
The battalion gathered
in their mother’s room where she sat resting her back on the bed. “It’s a boy”
Rosario said weakly as she sighted her girls. “You see why
I didn't want to give birth in to the hospital. I remember they
told me you were going to be a boy and you too”, she said pointing to the
fourth and fifth born Sophie and Sonia, “but you came out as girls”. All the
other children maintained silence but Sophie the most outspoken one of
them responded saying “I wonder what kind of hospital you went
to then that they couldn't even scan correctly” “will you
shut up your mouth” her mother answered her and the other children burst out
laughing.
Soon afterwards the
baby was brought back into the room by the mid wife for breasting feeding but
Rosario asked that the children came in order of their birth to have a feel of
their brother. Stacey led, and then Susan followed. Each one of them kissed his
cheek and passed to the next. When Selma’s turn came she held him and turned
straight to the window, they all watched to see what she wanted to do. She
placed him on a chair by the window; she opened the window and carried him up
again. Stacey rushed up to her and carried the baby from her. She asked her
“what are you doing?” Selma replied sincerely “I want to throw him out of the
window, so I can be the baby of the house again” Sandy her immediate senior
laughed at her hysterically and said “that’s how I felt when you came”. Rosario
shut her up saying “That’s not true. You were too young to remember anything”
“mum that’s my point at least she enjoyed being the baby longer than I did” Sandy
defended herself. “Rosaria called on Selma who had already begun to cry “I got
a better title for you. You may not be the baby of the house anymore but you
are still the last girl in the family and no one can take that from you” “until
you have another one mummy” Selma replied. “No Selma I won’t have any more
children. “Mum, can you give birth to six other boys so we can all be equal and
I still remain the last girl” “Stacey helped her mum answer by yelling “hell
no” then she place the baby in their mothers hand.
They all stood there
watching as their little brother started sucking their mothers breast for the
first time, shocked at his expertise Rosario thought out loud “this boy sucks
just like his father” the girls stood there wide eyed shocked at what their
mother just uttered out while Susan closed Selma’s ear “mum too much info” they
all chorused, she simply raised her palm up and down signifying “get over it”.
Stanley joined the
rest of the family “I stopped at the hospital, and then I figured you must have had
a home delivery when I didn't find you there. Well, what is it?”
“He is a boy” they called chorused. Stanley leaped up in Joy
“Thank God finally I have a boy” .He held his son rejoicing in his hand, then he
led the family in prayer and announced....... “And he will be called” , Susan
cut him off before he finished “dad it doesn't have to be another stupid
S name again” Stanley gave her a stern look and continued “he will be
called Stanley Johnson jnr.”
“Mum how come no one
has an R name just like you? Sophie questioned. Rosario agreed and then turned
to her husband. “I don’t think he should be called Stanley, why not Robert with
an R like me”. “Where is Robert coming from?! He should be called Stanley like
his father. You can give one of the girls an R name”
“That’s stupid Stanley
they already have names” Rosario said
“Yes but you can
rename them”. Stanley still insisted
With their parents
going back and forth with each other, the older girls left the room leaving the
two youngest girls with them. Rosario fired on “I am the one popping out the
babies and then you come and name them” “I provide for them” Stanley responded
“I cater to them, nurture them” Rosario didn’t give up “well that’s your duty
Rosario” “Then it is our duty to name them, not solely yours Stanley” the
bickering went on and on until she had complained enough. She turned to Selma
and said “from today you will be called Rosario Johnson”, but Selma shook her
head and said “no mummy I want to be called Rihanna, it also starts with an R”.
Her mother thought for a minute and agreed. Selma screamed, jumping, then she
ran to meet the rest of her sibling singing “oh na na what’s my name”
they asked her “what” and she said “Rihanna” they remained mute and starred at
each other wide eyed in amazement. Sophie commented “Well I guess we won’t be
sending out IV’s for only a naming ceremony but for also a renaming” “I really
can’t wait for that” Stacey remarked also and they all laughed at what had just
happened.
“Our son is special;
he popped out without me having to push too much, he was no trouble at all.
This is by far the easiest birth I have had” Rosario said to Stanley while they
were alone in the room with their son. “Could be
because you've gotten used to it” Rosario didn't find that
funny she gave Stanley a silly look and he retraced his comment saying “I
bet he is a special Kid, can’t wait till he is all grown”.
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