Battle-Hardened, War Weary Ch. 05

"They will wait in the waiting room."

****

Daniel was warned from his teammates that the labor process was a long one. He didn't know that the process was going to be so long and arduous. He arrived to the hospital suite around a quarter after 11:00 PM. It was now close to 7:20 AM. According to her doctor, Mary Anne's cervix was dilated to ten centimeters and she was now given the 'okay' to push.

While holding onto Mary Anne's right leg, Daniel looked around the large room and took note of all of the guests that now inhabited the birthing room. His mother was sitting in a posh-looking, rocking chair that was positioned across the room and next to the incubator. His mother-in-law was standing on the left side of the bed while his father-in-law was standing at the foot of the bed, a few feet behind Dr. Peterson. His father-in-law was given recording duties. The only person who wasn't there was Daniel's father, who was in New York due to business.

His mother, Claudia, was the first person to arrive to the birthing room suite. She arrived around 1:00 AM. Despite being so early in the morning, his mother was dressed-to the-nines and her face held a coat of fresh makeup. Daniel also noticed that his mother had entered the room with an irritated expression on her face. He figured that she must've seen her family, waiting in the lobby.

It was around 3:23 AM, when his parents-in-law arrived to the room. Mary Anne's mother entered the room looking so unlike his mother. His mother-in-law entered the room wearing an ill-fitting sweat suit, a pair of white gym socks and a pair of gray Asics on her feet. Her usually-coiffed hair was rumpled. Her face was flushed and her eyes were slightly red. He had a feeling that the older woman was crying earlier. His father-in-law was dressed identical to his wife: a sweat suit, a pair of socks and a pair of sneakers. His eyes were slightly discolored as well.

Daniel knew why they were crying. He didn't want to think about those negative thoughts so he focused on the tasks at hand, which was to make his wife as comfortable as possible. He was playing the role of 'happy, father-to-be'. He counted softly into her ear as she endured her painful contractions. Together, the husband and wife performed several Lamaze positions, to help her deal with the contractions. He allowed his wife to hold onto his hands and squeezed the hell out of them. He massaged her lower back with his hands. He fed her chipped ice cubes, when she became thirsty. In order to lighten up the mood, he told jokes. He nursed the sore spot on his head that was created by Mary Anne, after he told one of his jokes. He complimented her and gave her plenty of 'Good job, Mary Anne' as she pushed. He thought he had done everything that was possible.

It was approximately 7:48 AM, when a miracle occurred. In Daniel's opinion, he had just witnessed a miracle and it began when he heard the sounds of crying. The wails were strong and powerful. Daniel had taken a look at his miracle, when Dr. Peterson held his son up in the air, after he cleaned out his son's air passageways. He watched his little boy kick his chubby legs and stretch out his long arms.

"Congratulations, Parents!" Dr. Peterson announced, as he settled the squalling baby onto Mary Anne's now-empty belly. A nurse started to wipe the amniotic fluid and birthing matter off of the newborn. Daniel still witnessed his son moving around and listened to him cry.

'He looks healthy. He doesn't sound weak. Oh, thank God.'

Daniel begin to cry with tears of rejoice. His son was healthy. Little Sean was healthy and breathing with a good pair of lungs. He was so emotional that he couldn't even sever the umbilical cord, when the nurse asked him. Dr. Tolley had done the honor. Daniel didn't mind, after all, he has just received the biggest scare in his entire life. But, now, he's just witnessed a miracle.

He gazed at Mary Anne. She was staring at their son. He changed her focus, when he gave her a sweet kiss on his forehead. She reached up for a kiss. He reciprocated.

"I love you, babe" he declared softly to his wife. Announcing the declaration didn't make his heart pitter-patter or his stomach to convulse, like he thought that it would. With Mary Anne, Daniel didn't have the same reaction, like when he had spoken the words into Kali's sleeping face, those few months ago. It was at that moment is when he decided that he was going to focus on forcing himself to fall in love with Mary Anne. He needed to stop loving Kali Richardson. He needed to be with Mary Anne. He needed his son to live in a household, where his parents actually loved each other.

Daniel watched Mary Anne's eyes watered, after he announced his love for her. "I love you too," he heard her say to him, as her brow wrinkled and tears spilled down her face. Both of them exchanged stares. "Go, see our boy!" she giggled to him.

Daniel turned his attention away from Mary Anne. He realized that the nurse had carried Little Sean over to the incubator. He returned his attention to Mary Anne. "Are you sure? You don't want me to stay?" inquired the happy daddy, who sounded like an excited little boy.

Mary Anne laughed at his rampant excitement. "Go, go ahead," she said to him.

Daniel placed her right leg down, gave her another kiss and eagerly walked over to the pediatric examining station. Claudia and his parents-in-law were standing nearby while the nurse examined the baby. Daniel approached the gathering. He received congratulations from his in-laws before they walked over to Mary Anne. Then, he received a soft-spoken 'Congratulations' from his mother, who continued to stand by the incubator. He walked over to the examining station and stood next to the nurse.

"Is my son okay?" inquired Daniel while staring at the infant who was now quiet. "Is he breathing all right? There is nothing wrong with him?"

The nurse giggled in delight. She adored witnessing new fathers act so nervous and excited about their babies. She proceeded to swaddle the eight-pound, 10-ounce baby boy in a blanket. "Yes, he is fine, Mr. Logan. His vitals is fine. He is breathing normal. He is a big boy. He weighs eight pounds, which is one of the biggest babies to be born here in Mount Pleasant. It shouldn't be too surprising. We're just happy that we didn't need to give Mrs. Logan a dose of Pitocin," the nurse informed Daniel. "Every has gone great."

He nodded gleefully. Daniel was pleased. The nurse's news had made him feel happier. He asked the nurse if he could hold his son. The nurse giggled once again. She handed the baby to his father.

"Here you go, here's your son, Papa!" the nurse said to him as she handed the baby over to Daniel.

"Thank you," he said to the nurse while staring at his son.

He surprises the nurse with his knowledge of how to hold the infant. He made sure that his son's head was secured in his hand. For the nurse, she usually sees fathers fumble with their babies while having a 'scared shitless' expression on their faces.

"Well, look at you!" she said cheerfully.

Daniel laughs. He carries the baby over to Mary Anne. She gives the child a quick glance before she resumes her conversation with her mother. She doesn't ask for the child. A small part of his brain tells him that something is off. He quickly ignores it.

He walks across the room to where his mother was sitting. He stands next to her chair. His mother is staring over in the location where Mary Anne is located. He sees the 'glaze' look in her eyes.

"Hey Grandma," Daniel announced, cheerfully.

"Hey baby," she said unemotionally while staring at Mary Anne.

Daniel notices that something is off with his mother. 'What is going on with everybody?'

"So, how does it feel to be a grandma again?" he asks, trying to make conversation.

"It's the same as before," was her answer. She stood up from her chair. "Listen, I am going to go outside and smoke a cigarette," she announced to him. She walked over to her son and grandson. Claudia's green eyes stared at her son and then she gazed at Little Sean. She smiled wistfully while staring at the sleeping infant. Then she stared up at her son's face. "I'll be back, Danny." She touched at his left cheek. She smiled. "I'll be back soon." Then she removed her hand and walked away.

Daniel watched his mother leave out of the birthing room. There was something wrong with his mother. She wasn't herself. Usually, his mother is ecstatic about being a grandmother. She should've been playing the role of 'over-bearing but doting' grandmother. After all, Daniel has witnessed his mom play that role five times already. She was so good at that role, he thought that his mom could snag an Academy Award, an Emmy Award, a Screen Actor's Guild Award and a People's Choice Award. He knew that it had something to do with his deceased brother. He knew that his mother also experienced child birth during her fifth month of pregnancy. But, in this case, Little Sean was born healthy.

'Maybe she is feeling like God has cheated her from experiencing the same thing.'

Daniel passed Little Sean to his maternal grandma. "I'm going downstairs to tell my grandparents the news," he announced to his wife.

"Daniel, your grandparents are here? I didn't know that they were here. They should be up here—

"Mom, they can't come up here..." Mary Anne informed her mother, curtly. She shook her head slightly. "They are the ones that I've told you about."

Daniel growled in irritation.

Mary Anne stared at him. "Okay, but hurry back soon," she said to him. He felt as if she had dismissed him from her presence like she was a royal figure and he was a leper. He growled once again. Daniel gave his baby one last glance, before he exited the room. He traveled down to the lobby of the hospital, where the waiting room was located. He found his family members. His grandfather was awake while his grandmother and great-aunt was stretched out over a few chairs, asleep. His grandfather stood up and strolled over to his grandson.

"Son, how did it go?" his grandfather asked him.

"It had gone wonderful! The baby is healthy! He weighs eight pounds! He's big!" informed Daniel, excitedly. The two men hugged. His grandfather congratulated Daniel.

"That's wonderful!" his grandfather told him. "I told you that everything will work out!"

"I know, thank you grandpa!"

"You're welcome, Son!"

"Hey grandpa, did you see my mama?" Daniel questioned.

"Yeah, Jackie O. had gone outside."

Daniel turned his attention to his Aunt Abigail, who was sitting up in the seats. She stretched her limbs and then rolled her shoulders. She rose to her feet and walked over to the two men.

"She had gone outside to smoke a cigarette," stated Abigail. She placed her hand on Daniel's shoulder. "Did I just hear that Baby Boy is doing okay?"

Daniel nodded his head. "Yeah," he said with a goofy smile on his face. "He's healthy and he's one big baby too!"

"Well, congratulations baby!" She gave her grand-nephew a hug. "Go ahead and talk to your mother."

"Thanks!" he said to Abigail. "I am going to see if I can bring Sean down to see you guys!" Daniel then left the waiting area.

"Okay!" his grandfather said loudly while his grandson left the room.

Abigail stood next to her brother-in-law. She sighed in disappointment. She placed a hand on his strong shoulder. He gave his sister-in-law a gentle pat on her hand. They both gazed at the broad back of Daniel as he walked across the hospital's atrium.

"Delly told me that you've guys cleaned out the back room, after I called her?" inquired Abigail.

"Yup," he grunted, as he crossed his arms over his barrel chest. "We did it, right after Delly had gotten off the phone with you. We were cleaning out a room at 2:30 in the morning, by the way. Plus, your phone call had interrupted the fun that I was having with my wife, all—

"Tin, I do not need to know about your fun with my sister," Abigail told him.

There was silence amongst the two of them.

"Are you sure about that dream of yours?" he asked his sister-in-law.

They watched Daniel walk through the exit to the building.

"My dreams never lie to me. Besides, I saw a cardinal on the day that Delly told me about the pregnancy. Whatever I see one of those birds, someone is being betrayed and lied to," she explained.

"I would scoff at that, if I didn't know that you're right," Tin said to her.

Abigail sighed. "Well, now you have to be there for the boy. Well, for the both of them until the girl arrives."

Daniel exited the building, in search for his mother. He spotted the woman, standing at the sidewalk's curb, which was fifty feet away from the hospital's entrance. She was standing in front of a lamp post while she was smoking a cigarette. She was staring at the traffic. He walked over to his mother.

On his stroll, he surveyed her looks. Claudia, his mother was an 'one-of-a kind' type of woman. She was forty-six years old, but she looked to be in her mid-twenties. Standing at 5'6 tall, she always commanded respect as if she was a 50-foot giant. She was extremely beautiful. She was very curvaceous and she kept herself in shape. On her diamond-shaped face, there were a pair of round eyes that held green irises, which would darken whenever she was angry. She had a up-turned nose and a pair of plump lips that were underneath. Her skin was flawless with the exception of the brown-reddish birthmark on the right slope of her neck. Her skin's color was similar to the coloring of a banana peel. He didn't think much of her skin tone before last night. Now, after learning about his ethnic background, she does resemble a woman of mixed-ethnicity. Her long, thick and black hair was styled in a fancy-looking bun.

Claudia stood out like a sore thumb as she stood in her spot. She looked too posh for St. Louis. She was wearing a floor-length, chinchilla fur coat and a pair of high-heeled leather boots. But, he did believe that the cancer stick that she was holding did cheapen her style a little bit.

Daniel casually strolled up to the curb and stood next to his mother. She didn't notice him. She was so deep into her ocean of thoughts that she didn't notice her company.

"Hey mom," he greeted her.

Claudia received a fright. She jerked in response. Daniel laughed at his mother's reaction. She slapped her son's thick, right arm. She tossed the cigarette into the street. "Got-damn it Danny, you've just scared the shit out of me!"

Daniel continued to laugh at his mother.

"It's not fucking funny!" his mother shouted at him. She proceeded to try to box with her son as he laughed at her. He just swerved and dodged her blows. The faux fighting had come to a climax, when Claudia suddenly threw a headlock around her son's thick neck. Using her right hand, she ran her fingers into his brown hair.

"Yes, it is!" he claimed while being subjected to his mother's play-fighting.

"No, it's not" she said to him, trying to sound serious. She soon failed in her attempt, when she burst into a fit of giggles. She released her son from her hold. Mother and son laughed together. At the moment, they didn't look like a parent and child, it was more like brother and sister.

"Hey Ma, did you see grandma and granddad in there?"

Claudia's face sobered up. She had taken a few gulps of air. "Yeah, I've seen them," she said as condensed air left her mouth and nostrils.

"Did you say hello to them?"

"No. I don't think they want to speak with me right now. They're upset—

"I don't think they're mad at you, Ma. I had dinner with them last night. Grandpa and Grandma seem happy," explained Daniel.

"They're angry about something that happened a long time ago."

"Are you referring to Johnny?" the son inquired.

Daniel's mother glared at him. "They told you about Johnny?"

"Abigail did—

Claudia scoffs. "The woman should've kept her mouth shut."

Daniel was offended. "Why should she? She just told me about our family—

His mother kissed his teeth in annoyance. In response, he leveled his mother with a glare.

"She told me about their parents and about Johnny. There is nothing wrong about that! Why are you making it seemed...?" He was struck with an idea. "You are ashamed, aren't you?" He glared at his mother. She was staring at her son with an extreme distaste. He felt his heart beating crazily. He has seen that look before, but it was usually tossed towards one of his sisters, after they have done something stupid. "You're ashamed of your family. Why? Is it because they are Black? So what, they're Black! Does dad knows? What about the girls?"

"Things were different back then—

"And what about now? Things are different now and it is a lot better—

"Yeah right, Danny! The only thing that is different now is that people learned how to hide their hate, when they are in public places! Once they are inside of their homes or when they are around like-minded individuals, their hate comes out! We may not be able to read about niggers in a newspaper now, but trust me, it is still being said! I have been on this Earth longer than you, I know this! I have attended dinners with your father and I have heard the word spoken by dignitaries and politicians! I have dined off of thousand-dollar plates while that word was uttered around me! Trust me, Danny, I know!"

With the exception of her panting, there was a tense silence between them.

Daniel ended the quietness with an inquiry. "Does Dad know about you?"

"No, he doesn't—

"Do you think that he should know?"

"No! And he's not going to know about me!"

Daniel's mouth had gone agape. "Are you serious? Did it ever occur to you that one of us kids could've been born looking a bit brown?"

"When I was pregnant with you, the thought had occurred to me. Then, after I gave birth and I saw you, I stopped worrying about it," his mother explained.

"What about the girls? Does Baby Dee, Caroline, Heather or the others know about you? Do they know that you can really check 'Black' on your Census Bureau forms?"

His mother temporarily scowled at her progeny. "Baby Dee, Caroline and Heather know. When they were seven years old, I made the mistake of sending the triplets to Arkansas to spend a few weeks of their summer vacation with my parents. Got-damn Abigail had taken the girls to the 'old folks' home' where my grandmother was living in and they saw pictures of my grandfather. Then, Abigail told them..." His mother muttered 'that bitch' underneath her breath. "I was livid, when I found out. I cursed them all out and have gotten my kids out of there. I think that is why Caroline and Delia don't like me too much... and they keep on pushing out babies with their Black boyfriends."

Daniel stared at his mother with anger. He was disgusted by her previous antics. His grandparents and his grand-aunt deserved better treatment.

"Don't you dare stare at me like that!" she shouted at him while seething. "I did what I had to do, in order to get what I want! You don't know what it's like! You don't know what it's like to wake up one morning and find a headless body on your doorstep and it's your uncle! You have no fucking clue about how it feels to hear white people talk about the death of him as if it was a great thing!"

Daniel watched his mother scream at him. He can feel the hate and anguish fall off of her words. Her beautiful face was red while her eyes dripped tears. He felt pity.

"Ma, I'm sorry—

"Danny, save it!" Claudia produced another cigarette from out of the pack that she kept in her coat's pocket. She lit the cigarette. "You are complaining about me keeping secrets? Fine, I won't anymore!" She had taken a puff out of her item before speaking again. "You want me to tell you the truth? Fine! Let me start with this one: Little Sean is not your son!"