A hardship turned out to be a blessing
There would be no happiness
What a disaster, you fool! Who would want you now that you have a child? How do you intend to raise it? I wont help you, understand this. I raised you, and now youre an extra burden! I dont need youpack your things and never set foot under my roof again!
Marie heard the shouting with her head bowed. Her last hopethat her aunt might let her stay at least until she found a jobwas slipping away before her eyes.
If only Mom were still alive
Marie had never known her father, and her mother had been hit by an intoxicated driver at a crosswalk fifteen years earlier. She was about to be placed in a childrens home when a distant cousin of her mother suddenly appeared. The woman took her in; with her house and salary, she secured guardianship without difficulty.
The aunt lived on the outskirts of a border town in southern France, green and warm in summer, rainy in winter. The girl lacked nothing there, always neatly dressed and accustomed to domestic chores. Perhaps she missed a mothers affection, but who really cared?
Marie was a good student. After high school she entered a teachertraining college. Her study years passed quickly, along with the carefree days, until she returned to the town that had become her home. This time, however, she felt no joy at seeing it again.
After the aunt finally ran out of breath, she calmed slightly:
Leave this place, I dont want to see you again!
Aunt Françoise, cant I at least
Its over, I said it!
Catherine silently grabbed her suitcase and walked out. She hadnt expected to leave in such a humiliating, rejected, and pregnant state, but she had decided to tell everything.
She now needed a roof over her head. Marie wandered, lost in thought, oblivious to the world around her. Summer was in full swing. Apples and pears ripened in the orchards, apricots turned golden under the sun. Vines bowed under heavy bunches, plum trees hid behind their green leaves. The air swirled with sweet aromas of jam, grilled meat, and freshly baked bread. Her throat was parched. She approached a door and called out to a woman working in a summer kitchen:
Excuse me, maam, could I have something to drink?
Louise, a sturdy woman in her fifties, turned around.
Come in, if youre here in peace.
She scooped a cup of water from a bucket and handed it to the young woman. Marie sat on a bench and drank greedily.
May I stay here for a while? Its so hot.
Rest, dear. Where are you coming from with that suitcase?
Ive finished my studies and want to teach, but I have nowhere to live. Do you know anyone who rents a room?
Louise studied the girl. She was clean, though a little tired and worried.
You could live with me. I wont charge much, but you must pay on time. If thats okay, come see the room.
Louise welcomed a tenant. A few extra coins never hurt, and in their small town far from the regional capital, opportunities were scarce. Her son lived elsewhere and visited only rarely, so she would have someone to share the long winter evenings with.
Astonished by the unexpected offer, Marie followed Louise. The room was modest but cozy, overlooking the garden, equipped with a table, two chairs, a bed, and an old wardrobeenough for her needs. They quickly agreed on the rent, and the newly changed Marie headed to the education office.
Days slipped by: work, house, work. Marie barely noticed time passing. She got along well with Louise, a kind and compassionate woman; they grew attached. Whenever she could, Marie helped with household chores. Often in the evenings they shared tea in the garden, savoring the gentle autumn air.
The pregnancy progressed smoothly. Catherine experienced no nausea, her face stayed bright, though she had put on some weight. She confided her story to Louisea tale all too common.
In her second year, Marie fell in love. Not with just anyone, but with Paul, the only son of affluent university professors. They had refused to send him to Paris; his future was already mapped out: studies, a doctorate, then a career in teaching or research alongside his parents. Intelligent, courteous, sociable, he attracted many girls, yet he chose Marie. Was it her shy smile, her hazel eyes, her slender figure, or the inner strength and rare resilience she possessed? It was hard to say. What mattered is that they hardly spent a day apart until they finished their studies. Marie imagined a rosy future with Paul.
She remembered that day vividly. One morning she suddenly could no longer tolerate food; certain smells repelled her, and she felt nauseous for days. Most of all, she was late! How could she have forgotten? Marie bought a test, returned to her dorm, drank a glass of water, and waited. It was positivetwo lines. Exams were looming, and now this! How would Paul react? Children had never been part of their plans.
A wave of tenderness for the little life inside her surged.
Little one, Marie whispered, rubbing her belly.
Informed, Paul offered to introduce her to his parents that evening. Recalling that meeting brought tears to Maries eyes. Pauls parents suggested she abort and leave town after exams, alone. Paul needed to focus on his career, and they felt she was not his equal.
The next day Paul entered silently, placed an envelope on the table, and left. Marie refused to abort; she already loved the fragile being growing inside her. Their life would be hard, with no one to help, but after careful thought she decided to keep the money Paul had left, knowing she would need it.
Louise comforted her afterward:
These things happen, its not the worst. You did right keeping the baby. Hes innocent and will bring comfort. With time, perhaps things will improve.
Marie no longer wanted to hear Pauls name. The memory of that rejection was still raw; she couldnt forgive the humiliation, let alone entertain reconciliation. Time moved on. Marie, forced to stop working, shuffled about like a cane, counting the days until her childs birth. The ultrasound couldnt reveal the babys gender, but she only wanted a healthy child.
At the end of February, on a Saturday, contractions began. Louise took her to the hospital, where she delivered a robust, healthy boy.
Pierre, my little Pierre, she murmured, caressing his round cheek.
Marie befriended the women in the ward. They told her that a customs captains wife had given birth two days earlier, then abandoned the baby because she didnt feel ready for motherhood.
Can you imagine? He covered the baby with flowers, gave gifts to the staff, visited daily! But she didnt want children and left a note of abandonment. Crazy!
And the baby?
Theyre feeding him with a bottle. A nurse suggested breastfeeding, but who would do it? Everyone has their own child to nurture.
During lunch, the small infant was brought in.
Anyone to nurse her? Shes so fragile, the nurse asked the new mothers.
Give her to me; we cant let a baby suffer, Marie said, gently placing her son down and taking the little one.
Look how white she is! So tiny! Shell be called Manon.
Compared to Pierre, she seemed minuscule. Marie put Manon to her breast, and the infant latched on eagerly.
So weak, the nurse remarked.
Thus Marie was feeding two babies. Two days later, a nurse announced that the captain, the little girls father, would come to meet the woman who was nursing his child. Marie met Captain Duboisa mediumbuilt man with piercing blue eyes.
The events that followed became the talk of the entire hospital, then of the whole town, as their story deserved to be remembered. On the day of her discharge, doctors, nurses, and aides gathered outside the hospital where a car decorated with pink and blue balloons waited. The young officer, shoulders adorned with captains epaulettes, helped Marie into the vehicle where Louise was already seated, handing her a blue package first, then a pink one. With a honk, the car rolled away around the corner.
Such is lifeunpredictable and filled with unimaginable surprises.
Sometimes You Need a Bit of Bad for a Whole Lot of Good
