A misfortune 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 that. Ive already raised you and now this extra burden! I dont need youpack your things and dont let me see you under my roof again!
Marie listened to the shouting, head bowed. Her last hope that her aunt would let her stay, at least until she found a job, faded before her eyes.
If only Mom were still alive
Marie had never known her father, and her mother had been run over at a crosswalk by a drunk driver fifteen years earlier. Social services were about to place her in a childrens home when, unexpectedly, a distant cousin of her mother stepped forward. The woman took Marie in, and thanks to her house and salary, she easily obtained guardianship.
The aunt lived on the outskirts of a border town in southern France, green and warm in summer, rainy in winter. The girl lacked nothingalways neatly dressed, accustomed to household chores. Perhaps she missed maternal affection, but who really cared?
Marie was a good student. After high school she entered a teachertraining college. Her study years passed quickly, and with them the carefree days, until she returned to the town that had become her home. This time, however, she felt no joy at returning.
After venting, the aunt softened a little:
Leave this place, I dont want to see you again!
Aunt Françoise, cant I at least
Its over, I said!
Catherine silently gathered her suitcase and walked out. She hadnt expected to leave in such an ashamed, rejected, and pregnant state, but she had decided to tell everything.
She now needed a roof over her head. Marie walked, 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 the weight of grapes, plum trees hid behind their green leaves. The streets wafted with the 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 a summer kitchen:
Madam, could you give me something to drink?
Louise, a sturdy woman in her fifties, turned.
Come in, if youre here in good faith.
She scooped water from a bucket into a cup and handed it to the young woman. 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?
Ive finished my studies and want to teach, but I have no place to live. Do you know anyone who rents a room?
Louise studied Marie carefully. She was clean, a bit tired, and seemed worried.
You could live with me. I wont charge much, but you must pay on time. If you agree, come see the room.
Louise was pleased to have a tenant. A few extra coins never hurt, and in their small town far from the regional capital opportunities were scarce. Her son lived far away 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 tiny yet comfortable, overlooking the garden, equipped 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 turn. She got along well with Louise, a kind and compassionate woman. They grew attached; whenever possible Marie helped with the chores. Often in the evenings they shared tea in the garden, enjoying the gentle autumn air.
The pregnancy progressed without trouble. 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 welloff university professors. They had refused to send him to Paris. His future was already mapped out: studies, doctorate, then teaching or research alongside his parents. Intelligent, courteous, sociable, he was popular with the girls, yet he chose Marie. Was it her shy smile, her hazel eyes, her slender figure, or a hidden inner strength she possessed? It was hard to say. What mattered was that they scarcely separated until the end of their studies. Marie imagined a rosy future with Paul.
She remembered that day vividly. One morning she suddenly couldnt tolerate food; certain smells repulsed her, and she felt nauseous for days. And most of all, she was late! How could she have forgotten? Marie bought a test, returned to the dorm, drank a glass of water, and waited. It was positivetwo lines. The exam stress, and now this! How would Paul react? Children werent in their plans yet.
A wave of tenderness for the little life inside her surged.
Little one Marie 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 town after exams, alone. Paul had to focus on his career; 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 inside herher child. Life would be hard, with no one to help, but after much 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 by keeping the baby. Hes innocent and will be a comfort. With time, things may improve.
But Marie no longer wanted to hear Pauls name. The memory of that rejection was still raw. She couldnt forgive the humiliation, let alone imagine reconciliation.
Time passed. Unable to work, she moved about like a cane, counting the days until her babys birth. Ultrasound could not determine gender, but she only cared that the child was healthy. At the end of February, on a Saturday, contractions began. Louise took her to the hospital. She delivered a sturdy, healthy boy calmly.
Pierre, my little Pierre, she murmured, stroking his round cheek.
Marie befriended the women in the maternity ward. They told her that the captain of the customs services partner had given birth two days earlier, then abandoned the baby, feeling unready.
Can you imagine? He covered the child with flowers, gave gifts to the staff, visited daily! Yet she didnt want children and left a note of abandonment. Crazy!
And the baby?
Hes being fed by bottle. A nurse suggested breastfeeding, but who would do it? Everyone has her own child to feed.
During lunch, a tiny infant was brought in.
Anyone to breastfeed? 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 newborn.
Oh, shes so white and tiny! Shell be called Manon.
Compared to Pierre, she seemed minute. Marie cradled the infant and began nursing her eagerly.
So weak, the nurse remarked.
Thus Marie was feeding two babies.
Two days later, a nurse announced that the captainfather of the little girlwould visit to meet the woman who was nursing his child. Marie then met Captain Dubois, a man of average height with penetrating blue eyes.
The events that followed became talk of the entire hospital and soon of the whole town, their outcome destined to be remembered. On the day of her discharge, doctors, nurses, aides, and staff gathered outside the hospital where a car adorned with pink and blue balloons waited. The young officer, shoulderpadded like a captain, helped Marie into the vehicle, where Louise was already seated, handing her first a blue parcel and then a pink one. The horns blared, the car rolled away around the corner.
Thus life moves onunpredictable, filled with unimaginable surprises.
It Took a Misfortune to Spark a Blessing
