Good Samaritan

By now, we had met most of the people in the circular part of the court and they were mostly all newly-weds, except for the lady at number 2, who was obviously older than all of us. Her name was Mrs McLeod and I guess she was in her fifties. Her house was at the end of the straight section of the court, just where the circular part opened out. Mrs McLeod was not a social person; she kept to herself and only occasionally spoke as people passed by.

Carol's condition was quite evident and it became the talk of the court as each week passed. So, it wasn't surprising that rumours started. It seems Mrs McLeod told her next-door neighbour she saw me go to visit Carol when my wife was away. It didn't take long before the news filtered via the 'grapevine' that Nadine heard about it. Now, I was being questioned by Nadine with the vehemence of a prosecuting attorney on my whereabouts four months earlier.

"You know where I was, I was with Carol. I told you that. You phoned me there; I was having coffee with her. I told you this would happen. This gossip will be justified if the baby of either sex looks like me," I explained to Nadine.

Nadine was quiet for a while, obviously thinking then she spoke. "You didn't, did you?" I suppose it was a question, and I was expected to respond, "Did what, Nadine?"

"You know... with Carol, I mean?" There was doubt in her question, so I had to defend myself.

"You mean, did I fuck her? Is that it? I told you this would happen. It only takes one person to start a rumour and soon it becomes fact. I said this could happen before we started collecting my sperm. You said it would be all right. Do you still think the same now?" I asked her.

"Well, did YOU, do it?" obviously she needed an answer, so I gave her one in a loud voice.

"NO, I DID NOT. I have already told you that." I became furious. "Is that what you wanted to hear?"

I could sense there was a lingering doubt in Nadine's mind, that maybe I did have sexual intercourse with our neighbour. That this idea was hers at the start was no longer the topic, but the question of 'did I fuck Carol' was still the underlying question. How could I defend myself any better than saying it was the sperm that Nadine took from me to her friend? Mrs McLeod would not believe it, I know that. She was an old gossip and the facts would make no difference. Maybe she hadn't heard of artificial insemination.

A few weeks later, I went for a walk to the park at the end of the court, just across the main road, where I saw a man jogging along the walking track. He stopped, "Hi, you are Neal, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am Neal, Neal Peters, who are you?" I asked in return.

"Oh, sorry, I am Trevor Simonds, I live at number 12 with my wife Susan," he said.Mcleod

"I am pleased to meet you. You have the red Porsche, don't you?" I asked as we shook hands.

"Yes, sure do, a model 356. Do you know about Porsches?" he asked me.

"No, I am afraid not, just what they look like. I appreciate good cars," I told him, hoping to end the conversation.

"Do you know Mrs McLeod? The older woman at number 2?" he asked me.

"No, I don't. Why? Should I?" I questioned him.

"I suppose not, but she told Susan that you are the father of the child your neighbour is carrying. Did you know that?" he persisted.

"No, but why would she say that?" I asked trying to sound innocent, but somehow, not surprised, because that woman was a known gossip.

"She's convinced you were at your neighbour's house about four months ago, when your wife was not home. Is that true?" he asked.

"I don't keep a diary, but I have been at her place a few times, but whether my wife was home or not, I cannot recall," I told him. "Did you know where my wife was on the day, you mentioned?" I questioned him.

"No, I don't know, but I don't have the clear view that Mrs McLeod has of your place. I often see her looking through her curtains. She must be taking notes, because she has information on most of us in the court," Trevor told me.

"It's been a long-held view of mine that people do seem to put their own spin on what they see has transpired, whether it is true of not, but if they see a result that lines up with their ideas of what they want to believe then that becomes the fact. Just look as the social media pages on the internet for proof of that," I suggested.

"I guess you're right. Maybe she needs something to do to keep her mind on real things. Personally, I think she is in the wrong location. All the others in the court are about our age." Trevor was right, she doesn't fit in, that's for sure.

At that point, I wanted to tell Trevor that I was requested to be the father, which would prove Mrs McLeod correct, but Mike wanted the father's name kept secret, which I agreed to do. So, I am damned whether I tell the truth or not. I could tell Trevor to ask Carol who the father of her unborn child was, but I am sure she would say Mike was. Carol didn't want anyone to know Mike was incapable of getting her pregnant, and I definitely know that Mike wouldn't want it known either, so the gossip will have to stay as a false fact.

Now I find out that my wife doesn't believe me, that she also denies that our close neighbour's insemination was her idea and that I cannot be trusted. The proof will be in another five months when the child is born. I can only hope that the DNA favours Carol, rather than have any traits of mine.

One of my reasons for acting as I did with Carol, was not so much because of the opportunity, which I enjoyed, but the transfer arrangement that Nadine had created was flawed, with little or no chance of success by the overnight storage and delays in delivery. To resolve both problems and to give Carol what she wanted and limit her frustration of the ongoing failures of the donor process, like any other problem solver, I solved the problem. My company pays me for solving problems -- it's my job.

It is true that Mike and I do have similar skin, hair, and eye colour characteristics, which was the reason Mike and his wife chose me as the donor, that has caused all this uncertainty, but has given the neighbours food for thought, by taking notice of the rumour Mrs McLeod has generated. I need to know too, so we all wait for the outcome of this saga.

Carol's pregnancy became the prevailing thought in the court, people were taking bets -- really! Nadine caught wind of it in the delicatessen when making a purchase.

"Hello Mrs Peters, how are you." It was Geraldine Fransene, who asked the question.

"I'm well, thank you," Nadine responded.

"How is you neighbour, Mrs Sinclair, coming along with her pregnancy?" Geraldine asked.

"So far, she is keeping well, from what I hear. Why are you asking me?" Nadine queried.

Then came the punch in the guts, "It will be interesting to see who the baby looks like, don't you agree?"

"Surely, it won't be different to anyone else who has a baby, with the aid of a family planning clinic."

Nadine had let out the secret, probably to ease her mind, but it was still a doubt in her mind.

When she got home, Nadine went to visit Carol, who opened the door and invited her in, "Nadine, you looked flushed. Are you OK?" Nadine nodded then spoke,

"I was told today, that it would be interesting to know who your baby will look like."

"I know, Mike told me he heard something similar on the weekend," Carol said, looking rather downhearted as she responded to Nadine. There was a short pause, "What can we do, Nadine? It's Mrs McLeod who started it and apparently, she has been watching our two houses for months, trying to make something evil of our friendship," Carol explained.

The kettle had boiled whilst they talked and they sat down to a cup of tea, still talking about the baby and the neighbours.

Their talking resolved nothing, and when Nadine left to come home, the burning question on Nadine's mind was still smouldering. Did her husband fuck Carol? She had to tell Neal about today when he came home. When he arrived home, she was ready for him and gave him both barrels, "Guess what I heard today?" she started the conversation.

"Hello Nadine, did you have good day?" That was not what she wanted to hear.

"People think you are the father of Carol's baby. They are taking bets on the results when the baby is born."

"Well, that's true, isn't it? You were the carrier of the sperm, and if I remember correctly, this sperm donation thing was your idea in the first place. So, my answer is 'yes,' I am."

"Well, what are we going to do, Neal. You're the problem solver, so do something now." Nadine was almost shouting as if I were to blame.

"Quieten down, I do have an answer, but I need to talk to Mike and Carol first, before we can make any decision," Neal answered in his professionally cool way. "We can turn it to our advantage, if you would only wait," he added.

"How can you fix it?" Nadine asked rather impatiently. Her mind told her it was Neal who was the father.

"I will see if Mike and Carol would allow us to make a direct plea to the neighbours for consideration of their feelings," I told her.

The following weekend, Mike and Carol came to our place where I had set out a draft of what I think will sway the neighbours' minds to see it differently. It was a long-shot, but we all agreed on the text of the message.

It started with, "Dear neighbour, we have been considerably upset at your nasty gossip that has prevailed recently, about Carol's pregnancy, sadly, making it necessary to reluctantly explain the facts of the situation, rather than continue the malicious gossip started by one neighbour.

"Yes, I am the father of Mike and Carol's unborn child. Its conception was arranged through Farringdon Family Planning Centre, under the care of a specialist. This was done after Mike and Carol felt the procedure of searching a database of unknown donors was neither appealing or reassuring, but very expensive. It was Mike who approached me about being a donor, because Carol had noticed that Mike and I had similar features and shared this notion with Nadine and me. It was to be a secret process, but your malicious, unfounded actions have unfortunately destroyed that wish for them.

"It was a difficult decision for me to make, but I was persuaded by Nadine, who shared Carol's wish to have a child, after Michael was diagnosed with a rare medical condition preventing conception without third party assistance.

"Your unwarranted interference has exposed the embarrassment of their unfortunate situation, that has made this letter necessary. You should all be ashamed at your inconsiderate behaviour. We all hope that when their child arrives that you respect this request and not tell the child that it was conceived by donor sperm, that is for Mike and Carol to explain at the appropriate time.

"It is time to end your malicious gossip.

(Signed) Michael and Carol Sinclair.

(Signed) Neal and Nadine Peters."

After the letter was mailed out, the atmosphere in the court was frosty, to say the least, but some apologies came by mail. It took a long time after Carol gave birth to Maria Lee Sinclair, before attitudes were back to normal.

For my part, there was a problem to be solved and there was a logical answer. One method didn't work, but a proven alternative did work, so I believe I helped Carol and Mike find the happiness of having the child they so desperately desired. Mike is as excited as any new father could be. It was the correct solution to a serious problem that was solved, the outcome is Mike and Carol's happiness.