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Small Miracles |
Deliver With Mother
I moved in with my paternal grandmother
when I was 4 years old. My mother was too poor to care for us and she had just learned
that she was expecting twins. I saw my mother on rare occasion and always cherished the
time I spent with her.
One night that I was visiting her, just
after we went to bed, someone knocked at the front door. "Lamercie," said a
female voice. "This is Mme. Baptiste. Please come quick." I heard my mother get
out of bed and open the front door; I ran after her. "You have to hurry," the
woman said. "I was just passing by Mme. Millien's house, and I heard her scream. I
knocked on the door many times, but nobody answered.
The door was open, so I went in. Mme.
Millien was lying on the floor panting; she me she was having a baby. The bag of water has
broken. I told her I would go for help. I thought of you, Lamercie, right away. You
are the one who always helps in emergencies around here." My mother replied,
"Let me put some decent clothes on, and I'll be right back."
My mother had a young helper, Leone.
She entered the room, having been awakened by all of the noise. My mother asked
Leone to get her a "lamp tete gridappe." "Yes Ma'am," said Leone, as
he/she headed toward the kitchen. A lampe tete gridappe is actually a lamp made from an
old milk can with a hole in the top, and a short and narrow metal cylinder is soldered on
top of that.
The cylinder is wide enough to pour
kerosene through. A thin cotton rope fits through the cylinder and provides a small,
yellow flame when lit. The lamp is not very bright but it is bright enough for one
to see well in a small room. These makeshift lamps were commonly used at night
during blackouts.
"I would like to go with you,
please," I said. "There is no place for a child in a situation like this,"
Mme. Baptiste's quickly replied. "Please, mother," I begged. "You know that
I want to be a doctor. Please let me go with you."
My mother looked at me and started to
laugh. "So, you want to help deliver a baby. Let's go. Leone, give the lamp to
Carolle." Mme. Baptiste opened her mouth to say something, but my mother did
not give her the chance.
I gave my mother a big kiss on the
cheek, suddenly realizing that I was almost as tall as she was. Leone handed me the lamp
and I proudly walked out the front door. It was very dark outside; the lamp was nearly
useless. A dark smoke rose up from the flame, making it difficult to breathe. I had to
hold the lamp as far above my head as possible.
Mme. Millien was lying on the cement
floor, in the dark, her legs wide open. She was screaming at the top of her lungs.
"The baby is going to come out, please help me." "Don't worry,"
my mother said, "we are here to help." Mme. Baptiste took the lamp and held it
so we could see what was going on. Suddenly, after another big scream, something came out
of Mme. Millien. I thought I would faint.
"It's a boy," my mother said,
with tears in her eyes. "A very healthy boy."
"My baby," said Mme. Millien,
touching the infant my mother placed on her belly. She did not stop crying while she
touched the baby. Everyone was sobbing, including myself.
My mother had brought some clean shoe
laces; she used these to tie the cord. She cut it with a clean razor blade, which she had
also brought along with her. The baby was wrapped in a clean towel. My mother then
instructed, "Go and sit in that chair by the door and hold the baby while Mme.
Baptiste and I take care of Mme. Millien. Be careful not to drop him."
"Oh, yes, mother," I said,
"I will be very careful." I carefully carried the baby to the chair. I was glad
to be away from Mme. Millien because she had started to bleed and I did not like the sight
of all that blood. My mother placed more sheets on the bed. Mme. Baptiste and Mother
helped Mme. Millien into the bed. Leone started to clean the floor.
Suddenly, Mme. Millien screamed as my
mother pulled out something from between her legs. "That's the placenta," my
mother told me. So that's how a placenta looks, I thought: a dark, bloody blob.
Mme. Millien soon stopped crying and
was resting comfortably. I looked at the baby, who was trying to suck his fingers and open
his eyes. This felt very strange; I had never seen a newborn baby before.
My mother's voice called me away from
my thoughts. "Mme. Millien needs to breast feed the baby," she said, taking him
away from me. She placed him in Mme. Millien's arms; she smiled as she looked at her son.
The place was now very clean. Leone had
done a good job. Since Mr. Millien was away, my mother decided that Leone would stay with
Mme. Millien and the baby until he came home. Mme. Millien could not stop thanking us for
helping her.
I realized that I had just witnessed
the miracle of life. We headed for home. The moon was now out from behind the clouds. We
did not need the lamp to find our way home. My mother took the lamp and blew out the
flame.
"Maman, do you this very often? I
asked."
"I have helped a few women who
could not afford to go to the hospital," she replied. It is always a joy to help
bring a new life into this world."
I was so proud of my mother. Maybe,
when I became a doctor, I would help bring babies into this world. But, first, I would
have to find a way to deal with all of the blood.
Small Miracles Archive
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Deliver With Mother
The Placebo Effect
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