A misfortune turned out to be a blessing
There would be no happiness
What a disaster, you idiot! Who needs you now that you have a child? How do you expect to raise it? Ill never help you, understand that. You raised me and now youre adding another burden! I dont need youpack your things and get out of my house!
Marie heard the shouting, head bowed. The last flicker of hope that her aunt might let her stay, at least until she found work, faded before her eyes.
If only mother were still alive
Marie never knew her father, and her mother had been struck down at a crosswalk by a drunk driver fifteen years earlier. She was about to be placed in a shelter when a distant cousin of her mother suddenly appeared. The woman took her in, and thanks to her own home and salary, she easily secured guardianship.
The aunt lived on the outskirts of a border town in southern Francegreen and warm in summer, rainy in winter. The girl lacked nothing there, always neatly dressed and accustomed to housework. Perhaps she missed maternal affection, but who really cared?
Marie was a diligent student. After high school she entered a teaching college. Her years of study passed quickly, as did 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 coughing violently, the aunt finally calmed somewhat:
Leave this place, I dont want to see you again!
Aunt Françoise, cant I at least
Its over, I said!
Catherine silently grabbed her suitcase and walked out. She hadnt expected to leave in such a humiliating, rejected, and pregnant state, yet she had decided to tell everything.
She needed a roof over her head. Marie wandered, lost in thought, oblivious to her surroundings. Summer was in full swing. Apples and pears ripened in the gardens, apricots turned golden under the sun. Vines bowed with heavy clusters, pruned plum trees hid behind green leaves. The air carried sweet scents of jam, grilled meat, and freshly baked bread. Her throat was parched. She approached a doorway and called out to a woman in the summer kitchen:
Madam, could you give me 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 girl. Marie sat on a bench and drank greedily.
May I stay here a while? Its so hot.
Rest, dear. Where do you come from with that suitcase?
I finished my studies and want to teach, but I have nowhere to live. Do you know anyone renting a room?
Louise studied Marie carefully. She was clean, a little tired, and wore a worried expression.
You could live with me. I wont charge much, but you must pay on time. If thats okay, come see the room.
Louise welcomed the prospect of a tenant. A few extra coins never hurt, and in their small town far from the capital, opportunities were scarce. Her son lived far away and visited rarely, so she would have someone to share the long winter evenings with.
Skeptical yet hopeful, Marie followed Louise. The room was modest but cozy, overlooking the garden, furnished with a table, two chairs, a bed, and an old wardrobe. It was enough. They quickly settled on the rent, and the newly changed Marie headed to the education office.
Days flew bywork, home, work. Marie had no time to watch the calendar slip away. She got along well with Louise, a kind and compassionate woman. They grew attached. Whenever possible, Marie helped with household chores. Often in the evenings they shared tea in the garden, enjoying the gentle autumn air.
The pregnancy progressed smoothly. Catherine experienced no nausea, her face stayed bright, though she had put on 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. His parents had refused to send him to Paris; his future was already mapped out: studies, a doctorate, then teaching or research alongside them.
Intelligent, courteous, sociable, he was popular with the girls. Many would have liked to be with him, yet he chose Marie. Was he drawn by her shy smile, her hazel eyes, her slender figure, or perhaps a hidden inner strength? Its hard to say. One thing was clear: they scarcely spent a day apart until the end of their studies. Marie imagined a rosy future with Paul.
She remembered that day in vivid detail. In the morning, she suddenly couldnt tolerate food; certain smells repulsed her, and shed been feeling nauseous for days. And above all, she was overdue! How could she have forgotten? Marie bought a test, returned to the dormitory, drank a glass of water, and waited. It came back positivetwo lines. Exams were looming, and now this! How would Paul react? Children werent part of their plans yet.
A sudden wave of tenderness for the little life inside her washed over her.
Little one Marie whispered, stroking her belly.
Informed, Paul suggested introducing her to his parents that evening. Recalling that meeting brought tears to Maries eyes. Pauls parents urged her to have an abortion and to leave town after exams, alone. Paul needed to focus on his career, and they felt she wasnt good enough for him.
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 tough, with no one to help, but after careful thought she decided to keep the money Paul had left, knowing she would need it.
After telling Louise her story, the older woman comforted her:
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.
But Marie no longer wanted to hear Pauls name. The memory of his rejection was still raw; she couldnt forgive the humiliation, nor could she imagine reconciliation.
Time passed. Marie, forced to stop working, moved around like a cane, counting the days until her childs birth. An ultrasound couldnt determine the babys sex, but it didnt matter as long as it was healthy.
At the end of February, on a Saturday, labor began. Louise took her to the hospital, where she delivered a robust, healthy boy.
Pierre, my little Pierre, she murmured, stroking his round cheek.
Marie befriended the women in the ward. They told her that the captain of the customs service had a partner who had delivered two days earlier but had abandoned the baby, feeling unready for motherhood.
Can you imagine? He covered the baby with flowers, gave gifts to the nurses, visited every day! But she didnt want a child and left a note of abandonment. Crazy!
What about the baby?
Theyre feeding him with a bottle. A nurse suggested itd be better to breastfeed, but who would do it? Everyone has their own child to care for.
During lunch, the newborn 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 beside the small infant.
Oh, look how white she is! So tiny! Shell be named Manon.
Compared to Pierre, the girl seemed minuscule. Marie put the baby to her breast, and the little one began to suck eagerly.
So weak, the nurse remarked.
Thus Marie was nursing two babies.
Two days later, a nurse announced that the captain, the little girls father, would visit to meet the woman feeding his daughter. Marie met Captain Duboisa man of average height with piercing blue eyes.
The events that followed filled the hospital with gossip, and soon the whole town heard the story, as their outcome 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 awaited. The young officer with captains epaulettes helped Marie into the vehicle, where Louise was already seated, handing her first a blue package, then a pink one.
The horn sounded, the car rolled away, disappearing around the corner.
Thus life moves onunpredictable, full of unimaginable twists.
