Roadside delivery
First-time dad, Henry, talks about his tribulations when his wife, Julia, went into labour in the city streets and almost delivered at a dirty sidewalk.
WHEN Henry left home with wife, Julia, they were going to do the last minute shopping for the soon-to-be-delivered baby. His wife was due in two weeks time so they still had time to do the wrapping up to prepare for her delivery. Little did he know his wife would go into labour in the busy streets of the city centre!
At first he kept urging her to ‘hold on’ he would get her to hospital as quick as possible but his pleas fell on deaf ears. Julia’s waters broke and she was writhing in pain at a sidewalk outside a textile shop. He helped her sit up and ran to look for a taxi, which he did find. Problem was it was a month-end Friday and the traffic at that part of the town had come to a near standstill.
Henry was frantic; his wife was hysterical. Why was the cab taking too long? And what was with the crowd swelling up around them? Both he and wife held hands tightly – for different reasons. She in pain and he was holding her to prevent himself from punching someone! They both tried to hold back their tears, but his wife wasn’t succeeding in that.
He could see the cab snaking its way to where they were – so near yet so far! He contemplated carrying Julia to the cab but the crowd had grown tremendously in just five minutes and everyone was ready for a ‘show’. The more the crowd grew, the more agitated Henry became, and the less the air Julia had. She even almost passed out! Coincidentally, all the people Henry could think of calling were out of town or stuck in traffic somewhere. He was totally on his own – and of course with the large crowd of curious onlookers.
This was their first baby and he had had a fairy tale idea of how it would happen. How his precious Julia was not going to go through any pain – they had settled for an epidural at a reputable hospital, and even paid upfront! And now this!
Suddenly there was a scuffle, and the crowd dispersed without as much as a glance backwards. When Henry tried to find out what was happening, the only word he could clearly make out was ‘City Council’. If things could get worse, he couldn’t imagine a worst scenario! People were running up and down, and the shop they were sitting outside was hurriedly closed.
Henry tried calling his colleagues but the story was the same: stuck in traffic; in a meeting; out of town! How could fate conspire against this couple in this way?
A man came and asked the two what was going on, and as Henry started explaining, the man didn’t even finish hearing the story. He walked away fast! By this time, Julia is lying on the road, using the baby shawls and napkins as her support and to cover herself. Henry is asking her to breathe in and out slowly, wondering where the taxi went to. In the skirmishes, the taxi had taken a wrong turn and had disappeared through a slip road to another avenue. Julia was not willing, nor able, to catch up with it.
Just then, the man who had come asking what the problem was re-emerged, and Henry had to restrain himself from ‘doing anything drastic’. Right behind the man were two young men and a lady running towards Henry and Julia. Oh no, is the City Council about to descend on us, thought Henry? The three people bent down at Julia and started taking her pulse, and asking her many questions, without even waiting for a coherent response. It was then that it occurred to them that help was there!
As if it materialised from the blue, an ambulance screeched to a halt right next to them. The three helpers hauled Julia into it while Henry was left collecting their scattered shopping. As they drove to the hospital, the whole scenario kept replaying in Henry’s mind and he couldn’t imagine a better ending!
Thanks to the ambulance, they reached the hospital in time for the baby to be delivered! But Henry does not have any kind words for the ‘unhelpful onlookers who only cared about satisfying their curiosity!
END: PG8/44