Miss Julia Rocks the Cradle Read Free Page B

referring to the expressions on their faces.
    “Won’t be long now,” Hazel Marie said, as Mr. Pickens took her coat and eased her into a chair.
    “Well, thank the Lord,” Lillian said. “You look like you ’bout to ’splode any minute.”
    Mr. Pickens laughed. “Let’s hope the explosion holds off a little longer. Two more weeks and we’ll have us some babies.”
    “Two weeks?” I asked, as a surge of excitement ran through me. “If it’s that definite, we’d better call Etta Mae and put her on notice.”
    Etta Mae Wiggins, the home health care professional—if six weeks of night school makes a professional—had promised to tend to Hazel Marie and the babies for a few weeks after the birth, and her eagerness to be of help gave me peace of mind. I’d had no experience of my own, having had no children, and it had been so long since Lillian had had hers that I wasn’t sure how up to date she was. Etta Mae, on the other hand, had several years’ experience as a nurse behind her and had dealt with all kinds of health problems. Disregarding the fact that the health problems she normally dealt with were those of senior citizens, I was confident that Etta Mae could handle a pair of newborns as easily as she managed querulous and hard-to-please old people. Babies would be a cinch for her.
    Etta Mae was a highly capable young woman, and I should know because she managed one of those seedy trailer parks for me. The park had been one of my first husband’s less desirable properties, but I’d kept it and made Etta Mae the manager. She’d been thrilled to have the position, because, bless her heart, she was always trying to better herself. She’d jumped right in, cleaning house and taking names. The place sparkled now, and the sheriff rarely had to be called.
    “Up to this point,” I went on, “that doctor’s been mighty unsure of your due date. How did he figure it out now?”
    “He might have to take them,” Hazel Marie told me. “He’ll induce labor and see how I do. If everything goes all right, he won’t have to do a Caesarean section. But if it doesn’t, I’ll be right there in the hospital. So it’s all set up—two weeks from today, which means I’ve got to get to Velma’s for a pedicure.”
    “You’re talking about an operation?” I asked, immediately concerned for fear that something was wrong. “Oh my, Hazel Marie, is that really necessary?”
    “I doubt it. He just wants me in the hospital so he can supervise my labor. To tell the truth, though, I wish he’d go ahead and do it, but he wants the babies to get a little bit bigger.”
    “My word,” I said, “I’m not sure you can stand them getting much bigger.”
    “Me either. I have to sleep propped up on three pillows as it is. But,” she went on, her eyes sparkling, “I’m not complaining. This is the happiest time of my life, and I’m going to enjoy it if it kills me.”
    Mr. Pickens put his arm around her. “Well, we’re not going to let that happen.” He looked around, then said, “Where’s Lloyd? He doing something after school?”
    So of course that led into the retelling of what was the talk of the school and what would probably be the highlight of the school year.
    “Sam went to get him,” I said after finishing the telling. “But it’s time both of them were back. I don’t know what’s keeping them.” I got up and walked over to the window to see if they were coming.
    Lillian turned from the sink, a look of apprehension on her face. “You reckon Mr. Sam can’t find him?”
    “Lillian!” I cried, looking at Hazel Marie with concern. She didn’t need any sudden frights. “Don’t say that. They’re probably standing around listening to all the speculation. I’ll just run down there and tell them it’s suppertime.”
    As I went for my coat, Mr. Pickens said, “I’ll go. It’s too cold for you to be out.”
    And before I could insist, he was out the door. “Well, I guess if anybody can find