Chapter Two (part five) - First Stage
Nancy’s recently purchased home is exactly seventeen doors, and a corner, away from my flat. It is her first home and her first time living alone. Nancy works for a company organising events for the leisure industry. The company recently diversified and landed Nancy with a big fat profit-share pay-out. This windfall provided her with a deposit and a leg-up onto the property ladder. I envied her. I longed to own my own flat and doubted I would ever be in a position to. Once upon a time I too had worked for the events company. Of course it was here that Nancy and I had met, and I wondered if it might have been me buying my first flat now, had I chosen to stay, instead of following my heart into the arts...“Dddriiing!” The sound of the doorbell, muffled through walls, announces my arrival at Nancy’s new place. Three minutes and the door is flung open,
“Hi Babe! God this is so good, I am loving being a home-owner, and you are my first visitor. Come in!”
Looking around I am impressed. She had managed to turn a tired, old-fashioned flat onto a whitewashed, fresh, bright and vibrant young professionals pad. A fair amount of wonga spent on large stylish pieces of furniture, and workmen, admittedly! But it had paid off, she had a home of ones own. It was great.
“Okay,” Nancy began “I have done all the food for our picnic. We’ve got parma ham. Yum! Pickled artichokes, olives, houmus and all that kind of stuff. Loads of fruit and cheese, wine and chocolate. We just need to pick up some bread and water on the way. I’ve probably made far too much but Kate and Debbie are meeting us at the park too so I’m sure it will all get eaten.”
Poking around in the bag I take a few nibbles where I can. Putting a cherry tomato into my mouth whole, I splurt,
“Thank you Nancy, this is great, I really appreciate it!”
“No problem” she chirps back. “Now, I’ve also packed my hospital bag – just so’s I’m ready. So we can drop that off at yours on the way to the park.”
I give her a hug and she beams.
“Okay, come on lets be off then!” Nancy shoos me out the door and into the warm outdoors.
Blue skies and bright sunshine! It feels more like August than April. With sunglasses in position Nancy and I walk, slowly, to the park.
***
“So is it Wednesday you are due Zoe, or Tuesday?” Debbie asks me, as she scoops a dollop of houmos with celery in one hand and updates her diary with the other.
With a dull period-pain clenching my stomach, I kneel on all-fours looking down at the tartan picnic rug,
“Uhh, Tuesday” I answer her in a strained tone.
“Are you sure you are okay Zoe?” Kate asks, looking a little worried and catching the other girls’ eyes.
“No, really I’m fine” I reassure them, still on all-fours, “It’s just the Branston Pickles.” I manage between breaths.
The two girls look to Nancy for guidance.
Laughing, Nancy explains,
“She means braxton hicks. They’re like practice contractions – not the real thing, don’t worry....”
“It just feels more comfortable in this position. You don’t mind do you?” I ask them.
“No”, “No” they chorus back looking a bit uncomfortable and fidgeting, “whatever makes you feel better...”
The pain subsides a little and I sit up and scan the rug contemplating my next mouthful of food.
“So, I’m busy now for the next three weekends and my diary is completely chokka with client meets most evenings, so when should we schedule our next night out together?” Debbie runs her own PR company and lives by her diary.
“Oh, I need to check my production schedule at work first” answers Kate, The Commercials Producer. I know I’m away in Prague on Wednesday, and then back for a day before going to Dublin for a week. But I’m not sure what happens after that.”
“Well, I’m free for the next ten days.” Nancy gloats, looking at me and winking.
Work have given her ‘paternity’ leave with full pay so she can properly fulfill her duties as birthing partner. A bit of a gift to me too! I made the company a lot of money while I was there and the owners have always excelled in recognising their (ex)staff’s needs.
The three girls discuss their work and social arrangements as I sit quietly waiting for my next bout of pain, as one might wait for a tap to drip or clock to tick!
“Omigod” Debbie gasps, “Can you believe I totally forgot you were going to have a baby there for a moment Zoe” she laughs, amazed at her own oversight. “Do you think you will be able to come out for a drink with us in three weeks?”
I stare at her waiting for the punchline. Realising she is utterly serious I splutter back, somewhat apologetically,
“Ummm, I doubt it Debs. I’ll probably be knackered, and besides what would I do with the baby?”
“Oh yeh” she says absent-mindedly, “Well, see how you feel nearer the time. I’m going to put in the 18th which is a Thursday. Let’s meet at the Covent Garden Hotel for a quick one and then work out where we want to go from there.”
“Cool” Kate agrees and taps the details into her phone.
“Can you text that to me Kate” Nancy asks, “I don’t have my phone or my diary with me, being on hol-i-day. I’ll get back to you later on it. I’m sure that date will be fine though.”
The three girls continue chatting about their work, their boyfriends and their plans, and I can’t help feeling a bit on the outside. It is a little like watching your life continue-on while you observe it through a pane of glass. It was unfamiliar, even alien to me, not to be jotting down dates and arrangements in my diary too. I had not seen much of the girls during my pregnancy; given busy schedules and the general pace of London life, and without noticing a gap had appeared between my life and theirs. A spidery panic crawls across my chest at the prospect of that gap widening as I move into motherhood, I swat it with a well-placed outbreath as my womb declares its presence once more.
Back on all-fours , Debs and Kate lean down to say their goodbyes, each taking their turn to kiss me once on each cheek as they make their departure.
“Good luck Zoe. Don’t forget to text me about the big event. I want to get all excited with you!” Kate grins.
“Yes” Debbie agrees, “We’ll be there in spirit – and champagne probably! Take care.”
They march off arm-in-arm, deep in chatter as I watch them cross the grass and disappear over the horizon.
“So, what would you like to do now?” Nancy asks, embracing her role as official companion to the pregnant lady on all-fours.
“Oh, I think I could do with a bit of a walk actually” I admit, whilst hoisting myself up to kneeling position.
“Okay” Nancy agrees, “Let’s pack all this food up and get going then.”
The food is packed away and we make our way back towards Church Street. Feeling much better for being on the move again I spot mine and Nancy’s shadows cast across the pavement ahead of us. I laugh to myself at the fatty and skinny impressions that stretch across the ground in front of us. With a couple of hats on they could have been the shadows of Laurel and Hardy. I link my arm in hers, glad we had come through the last couple of months unscathed. Glad she was my birth partner.
posted by Rebecca Valentine at 3:04 pm
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