It took a misfortune to bring about something good
There would be no happiness
What a disaster, you fool! Who would need you now that you have a child? How do you intend to raise it? I wont help you, understand that. You raised me, and now youre a extra burden! I dont need you; pack your things and dont come back under my roof!
Marie listened to the shouting, her head bowed. Her last hope that her aunt would let her stayat least until she found a jobdissolved before her eyes.
If only mother were still alive
Marie had never known her father, and her mother had been run over at a crosswalk by an intoxicated driver fifteen years earlier. She was about to be placed in a foster home when a distant cousin of her mother suddenly appeared. The woman took Marie in, and thanks to 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 welldressed and accustomed to household chores. Perhaps she missed maternal affection, but who really cared?
Marie was a good student. After high school she entered a teaching college. Her years of study flew by, 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 she exhausted herself, the aunt calmed slightly:
Get out of here, I dont want to see you again!
Aunt Françoise, cant I at least
Its over, I said!
Catherine silently grabbed her suitcase and left. She hadnt expected to return in such a humiliating, rejected, and pregnant state, yet she had decided to confess everything.
She needed a roof. Marie walked, lost in thought, oblivious to everything around her.
Summer was in full swing. Apples and pears ripened in the orchards, apricots turned golden under the sun. Vines bowed beneath heavy bunches, pruned 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 door and called out to a woman in the summer kitchen:
Madame, could you give me something to drink?
Louise, a sturdy woman in her fifties, turned around.
Come in, if you come in peace.
She scooped a cup of water from a bucket and handed it to the girl. Marie sat on a bench and drank greedily.
May I stay here 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 no place to live. Do you know anyone renting a room?
Louise studied Marie carefully. She was clean, a little tired, and looked worried.
You could live with me. I wont charge much, but you must pay on time. If that works for you, come see the room.
Louise welcomed a tenant. A few extra coins never hurt, and in their small town far from the capital, opportunities were scarce. Her son lived elsewhere and visited rarely, so she would have someone to share the long winter evenings with.
Skeptical yet grateful for the unexpected chance, Marie followed Louise. The room was small but cozy, overlooking the garden, equipped with a table, two chairs, a bed and an old wardrobeenough. They quickly agreed on the rent, and the newly changed Marie headed to the education office.
Days flew by: work, home, work. Marie had no time to watch the calendar slip. She got along well with Louise, a kind and compassionate woman. They grew attached; whenever she could, Marie helped with chores. Often in the evenings they drank tea together in the garden, enjoying the gentle autumn air.
The pregnancy progressed smoothly. Catherine had no nausea, her face stayed bright, though she had put on weight. She confided her story to Louisea story all too common.
In her second year, Marie fell in love. Not with anyone random, but with Paul, the only son of wealthy university professors. Their parents had refused to send him to Paris. His future was already mapped: studies, doctorate, then teaching or research alongside his parents. Intelligent, courteous, sociable, he appealed to many girls, yet he chose Marie. Was it her shy smile, her hazel eyes, her slender figure, or the inner strength she possessed? Hard to say. In any case, they barely left each others side until the end of their studies, and Marie imagined a rosy future with Paul.
She remembered that day in vivid detail. One morning she suddenly couldnt tolerate food; certain smells made her retch, and shed felt nauseous for days. Moreover, she was overdue! How could she have forgotten? Marie bought a test, returned to the dormitory, drank a glass of water and waited. It was positivetwo lines. Exams looming, and now this! How would Paul react? Children werent part of their plans yet.
A wave of tenderness for the little life inside her washed over her.
Little one she whispered, caressing her belly.
Informed, Paul offered to introduce her to his parents that evening. Recalling that meeting, Maries eyes filled with tears. Pauls parents suggested she abort and leave the town after exams, alone. Paul needed to focus on his career, and she wasnt good enough for him.
The next day, Paul entered silently, placed an envelope on the table, and left. Marie had no intention of aborting. She already loved the fragile being inside herher child. Life would be hard, with no one to help, but after careful thought she decided to keep the money Paul had left, aware 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, things may turn out for the best.
But Marie no longer wanted to hear Pauls name. The memory of that rejection was too fresh. She couldnt forgive the humiliation, and reconciliation seemed impossible.
Time passed. No longer able to work, Marie moved like a cane, counting the days until her babys birth. Ultrasound couldnt tell if it was a boy or girl, but she only wanted a healthy child.
At the end of February, on a Saturday, contractions began. Louise took her to the hospital. She gave birth calmly to 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 a customs captains partner had delivered two days earlier, then abandoned the baby, feeling unready.
Can you imagine? He covered the child with flowers, gave gifts to the nurses, visited daily! But she didnt want children and left a abandonment letter. Crazy!
And the baby?
They fed him with a bottle. A nurse suggested breastfeeding, but who would do it? Everyone has their own child to feed.
During lunch, a 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 handing her son over and taking the little one.
Oh, shes so white and tiny! Shell be called Manon.
Compared to Pierre, she seemed minuscule. Marie breastfed her, and the infant latched eagerly.
So weak, the nurse remarked. Thus Marie was now feeding two babies.
Two days later, a nurse announced that the captain, the little girls father, would visit to meet the woman who was nursing his daughter. Marie then met Captain Dubois, a mediumheight man with penetrating blue eyes.
The events that followed made headlines throughout the hospital and eventually the whole town, for their story deserved to be remembered.
On the day of her discharge, doctors, nurses, and aides gathered outside the hospital. A car adorned with pink and blue balloons waited. The young officer, shoulderpadded with captains insignia, 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 around the corner.
Thus life unfoldsunpredictable and full of unimaginable surprises.
