Untitled

Chapter Twenty Four

When Lisa awoke, the book she had been reading lay on the floor and her night stand light was still on. The clock read eight o'clock and, as always, the smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the air. Her first thought was of Doc Summers. Until yesterday it had been several days since she had seen him. 'Why have I been avoiding him and why did I suddenly feel uncomfortable and pressured by him that day after church?' she wondered. Shame and confusion instilled the resolve to establish and maintain contact with him.
"How you feeling this morning Mama?"
"Fare to middling," she replied. Her voice was low and raspy indicating fatigue.
"How about you honey?"
"I feel great. I planned on getting up this morning and fixing breakfast for you for a change, but..."
"You don't gotta give me no buts honey," interrupted Mama. "The day you gits up befo me, that will be the day. I got me a built in alarm clock I guess." She teasingly poked her daughter in the ribs with a spatula. "You just set yerself down here and breakfast is coming up. After that I'm gonna just take it easy today. My bones is tellen me it might gonna rain anyway."
"I think that's a good idea Mama, I'm gonna call the clinic and maybe go downtown."

"Good morning, Dr. Summer's office."
"Hi Leona, this Lisa."
"Hi Lisa, how ya doing?"
"I'm fine, I just called to see how all the kids are."
"They're all OK. I called the hospital first thing and it looks like they're gonna be coming home today. Ain't that great? Lisa, I tell you, it sure was a Godsend that you and your mother showed up when ya did to help us out.
"Did you find out what made them sick?" asked Lisa.
"Doc thinks it's salmonella poison they got at the day care center. When the kids got sick the lady in charge didn't know what to do so she called all their mothers at work to come and get their kids. That loss of time didn't help.
"I didn't tell ya but our paramedic and fire truck had been called to a farm emergency out of town and the ambulances from the city was busy and couldn't get here any faster than they did.
"So we was on our own until you and your mother got here. Doctor's not in today. He's taking a day off. First time he took a day off in the middle of the week as far back as I can remember."
"Leona, why doesn't he retire?"
"He would if he could. He's been trying to get someone young to take his place for some time now. Seems like no one wants to come to this small a town. For one thing, a doctor can't make much money here. Doc says that he will work as long as he has to and that he has faith someone will come along at the right time. And by the way, he said if you called for any reason and wanted to talk to him that it was OK to call. He said to only tell that to you and Martha. She's the one about ready to have a baby. The doctor thinks you're pretty special, ya know."
Lisa again felt that warm glow well up inside. They talked on for a bit, with Leona doing most of it. She talked about her nursing studies and her long-range plans to become a registered nurse. Before hanging up the phone Lisa had already decided to call Doc Summers.

"Hello, this is Doctor Summers speaking."
"Hi doctor, this is Lisa. How are you feeling?"
"Oh, I'm fine. I thought I would take a day off and rest up a bit. I want to thank you and your mother for all your help yesterday, we couldn't have done it without you."
"We were glad to help." A grin of pride and self-approval spread across her face. "Doctor Summers, I called for another reason. I owe you an apology."
"Apology, apology for what?" he asked.
"I think you know but I'll say it anyway. When I left your place the other day I intended to see you again soon. And then at church I refused your offer to come over. I have been avoiding you purposely and I don't know why.
But then after seeing you work your heart out to save those little kids yesterday I felt...well, I felt pretty rotten to tell the truth."
"Lisa, considering what you been through since your dad died I can't blame you one bit."
This stirred Lisa emotionally and a wave of relief washed over her. She took a deep breath, and she listened.
"Let me ask you, how many men have you been able to trust and depend on since your father? You have been abused, deceived and taken advantage of in the worst ways. Is it any wonder that you have a built-in suspicion and a fear of men? It's quite natural for doubts to automatically arise, as to the integrity of any man, including me. What I'm trying to say Lisa is, that it's OK.
"As you continue to grow spiritually, and develop self-awareness you will gain self-confidence and self-esteem, and these doubts which are merely reflective of your own self-doubt, will fade. Excuse me for sounding blunt, but since you let go of the booze and decided to redirect your life you have made nothing but steady progress. Don't be so hard on yourself, you're doing just fine."
"I guess you're right doctor. Besides Daddy, Pop and now you, there haven't been many men in my life that I could trust. Thanks, I feel so good when I talk to you!"
"Well then, that invitation to visit me out here or at the office is still open."
Lisa was now excited at the prospect. "If you're up to it can I come today?"
"I do my best resting when I'm talking," he laughed. "I'll be waiting."
Adequately consoled, Lisa prepared herself for the trip.
"You be careful now honey, it's gonna rain out there," said Mama with a good-bye kiss.
She was right. It wasn't long before the windswept rain came down with torrential force like it often did in Georgia. Windshield wipers labored but succumbed and Lisa had to pull over and wait for the rain to lighten up.
It was still raining when she arrived at the doctor's house. He was waiting with the door open to whisk her inside. An elderly black lady took Lisa's rain hat and coat. As she greeted the doctor, she observed the lady place her garments over a coat hanger to dry.
"Lisa, I would like you to meet my friend Anna." Anna, with a slight curtsy, and retaining her smile, extended her hand to meet Lisa's. Anna was quite heavy. She was wearing a light blue ankle-length dress and shiny black, patent leather shoes, the type often worn by maids because of their comfort and firm support. She also had on a freshly pressed white apron. Her hair was steel gray and her brown eyes sparkled, complementing a jolly smile that bridged her bulging cheeks.
"Hello Anna, it's nice to meet you," she said, puzzled as to why Doc Summers would refer to his maid as a friend. 'Certainly not protocol, especially in the south,' she thought. She tried to hide her astonishment but not very much got by the wise doctor.
"Anna, would you mind getting Lisa and I some coffee and sweet rolls and bring them into the library."
"Won't be but a minute, Doctor, it's all ready." Her face reflected a sense of pride for having been prepared in advance. When she turned and walked away Lisa was amazed at how this heavy set woman seemed to glide across the floor as if walking on air.
"Please sit down and make yourself at home." The doctor directed Lisa to a comfortable sofa. He sat in a leather upholstered chair facing her with a small coffee table in between.
"She's quite a lady, that Anna. Believe it or not she started working for me and Frannie when she was only twenty years old. Now she's seventy. If you're counting, that would be fifty years that she's been with me. Incredible, isn't it?
"She could have comfortably retired long ago. I remember what was supposed to be her last day. I caught her crying in the kitchen. I said, 'What's the matter Anna? This should be a happy day for you?' 'I don't want to do no retiring,' she said. This is my home and I don't wanna go.' I kicked myself for not seeing this earlier. 'Anna,' I said. 'You don't have to go if you don't want to. You can stay in your little house back there as long as you want. I'll find another place for the new maid.' 'No sur,' she said in a huffy voice. 'If I stay ain't nobody gonna take care of my house but me. You don't even gotta pay me.' 'OK' I said, laughing out loud and throwing up my hands. 'You're the boss.' Relief and happiness transformed her sad face and she came over and she gave me this big bear hug. I felt pretty good about that.
"I fixed her up with Social Security and still paid her wages. You know what she did with most of her money.? She put her grandchildren through school and is now doing the same for two great grandchildren. Not many kids down there in her neighborhood get the opportunity to go to college.
"Her daughter, family, and friends all live close. Someone is always picking her up to go to church, church meetings, or family gatherings. She's beloved and held in high esteem down there.
"She wants to live here though, and frankly, that makes me happy too. You don't find them any better than Anna." Doc Summers was clearly enjoying this time of reminiscence.
"Here we is sur." Anna set a silver platter with a silver coffee urn and two cups on it on the coffee table in front of them. There was also a little basket of sweet rolls. The coffee was barely served when Doc Summers jumped to his feet. "Oh! Oh!" he exclaimed in alarm.
"Is something wrong doctor?" asked Lisa in nervous apprehension.
"I'm afraid so Lisa."
The phone rang once and stopped. Within seconds Anna came hurriedly through the library door.
"It's Martha, Doctor Summers," she said excitedly. "She says she needs ya to come out there right away."
"Oh great," he said, taking the phone from Anna. Lisa listened as the concerned doctor talked.
"How far apart are the pains now? You just go lay down now and try to relax. Everything is going to be alright. I'll be there soon. Now let me talk to Henry.
"Henry, now I want you follow my instructions. First, put a big pot of water on the stove and get it boiling. And I'm going to need lots of clean towels when I get there. I want you to call Ellie at my office and explain the situation and she will tell you what to do until I get there. The main thing is to keep her calm and reassure her. Keep a cold damp cloth on her forehead, too. I tell you the truth Henry, this is gonna be a close one so you gotta hold up."
Upon replacing the receiver he turned to Lisa. "I'm sorry Lisa but as you can see I have to go."
He squeezed Lisa's hand apologetically and left the room to get ready. Anna sat down in the chair the doctor had been sitting in and turned her worried face toward Lisa.
"Miss Lisa, hope you don't mind me tellen ya this, but I git so scared when the doctor goes out like this. Especially in the bad weather like this or in the middle of the night when he ain't had the right rest."
"I don't mind Anna. I think very highly of the doctor too. Would you get my hat and coat? I'm going with him," she said on impulse. Anna stood up looking partially relieved and smiled approvingly.
While waiting for the doctor to come back down stairs, Lisa quizzed Anna. "Anna, how did Doc Summers know Martha was in trouble before the phone call came in?"
"I don't know, but he does it all the time. A gift from God, I call it. Good thing too because some folks don't have telephone out there. And sometimes the phones go out on account of bad weather."
Doc Summers appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
"I would like to go with you Doctor."
"No, no, I don't think so," he replied in a hurried voice as he exited the house.
"Wait, wait a minute," called Lisa, chasing behind him. "You said you had things to teach me. Was that just a bunch of BS? Because I can't learn from only listening to words. I have to participate, don't I?" Lisa's voice was strong, authoritative, almost angry. "And besides, you had a rough day yesterday and you ain't no spring chicken."
The doctor stopped in his tracks and turned. He was noticeably annoyed and the rain was pouring over both of them now as they stood nose to nose in front of the garage.
Lisa softened her voice and pleaded, "I could drive, and I know I could help."
The doctor laughed outloud. "OK, you win!" he said. He saw her eyes light up, and her face displayed a little girlish look of conquest.
In a special way, he very much loved this petite little lady that he had brought into the world. "Let's get going then," he said hastily. "It's gonna take us about forty minutes to get there."
During their drive down the water-drenched highway, Doc Summers prepared Lisa for what she might expect to see and do to assist. "Martha is a diabetic, which means her baby is larger than normal. I was going to put her in the hospital next week in the event I had to do a "C" section. She was supposed to call me if she had any pain at all. She waited too long and here we are.
"If patients would only listen," he said in an exasperated tone of voice. They turned off on a dirt road, now slick and muddy. The rain was pouring down so heavily that Lisa's vision became blurred and she slowed down...fortunately just in time.
"Stop!!" yelled the doctor. Lisa reacted immediately by slamming on the brakes. The car went into a skid and stopped with a jolt. Seat belts saved both of them from injury.
Lisa, in a state of shock looked over at Doc Summers. "You all right?" she asked. He nodded. She looked out the window and saw that a large tree had uprooted and fallen across the road in front of them. She turned to face the doctor. "How did you know that tree was there? It was impossible for you to see it."
"My guide told me," he replied.
"Your WHO told you?" she bellowed in a perplexed and exasperated tone of voice.
"I said my guide. Haven't you ever heard of guides and guardian angels? Well, whether you know it or not, we all have our own guardian angel."
"Yeah...but."
"We don't have time to talk about it now Lisa, we've got a problem here." Lisa signaled agreement with a concerned nod, however, she set in mind that she wasn't going to let this one go.
"Henry and Martha's place is about two miles up the road." They stepped out of the car to survey the situation. The car, after rounding a sharp curve, had swerved, and slid its way through a path of branches, and was resting against the tree's trunk. All they could see was that both headlights were broken and the bumper was bent. They quickly reentered the car because of the driving rain.
"I hate to say it but we only have one viable option." The doctor was serious and obviously concerned, and his tone of voice captured Lisa's attention. "You have to walk to the house. You must alert Martha and Henry and send Henry back here with his truck to pick me up.
"I have to be honest, Lisa, I don't think I should try it. Like you said I'm no spring chicken." Lisa was amused to note that the doctor's reputation for injecting a little humor into most any situation was still intact. He reached in his bag and withdrew a syringe and a small vial filled with a solution.
"Have you ever given an injection?"
"Yes I have," she said without hesitation and hoped the doctor wouldn't ask for any specifics on the subject.
"Good, then put this setup in your jacket pocket and give Martha the shot as quickly as possible. Now off with you."
There was no further discussion and Lisa soon found herself in a muddy irrigation channel trying to navigate around the fallen tree. She fell several times trying to climb the slippery slope. The doctor looked on helplessly, watching her make her way. Once on the road she tried to run but the driving rain held her back. Her progress was further impeded by the bumpy surface of the road. Finally, she could see a small frame house in the distance. This gave her strength to step up her pace and soon she was jogging. A bewildered looking farmer met her at the door. Within minutes he was in his truck heading back down the road.
Lisa proceeded to the bedroom. Martha was laying on the bed. Tears, indicating the severity of her pain, were rolling down her face.
"Martha, my name is Lisa and I'm with Doctor Summers. We got stuck in the road about two miles back and your husband is on his way to get the doctor. I know you're scared and in a lot of pain so I'm going to give you a shot to relax you and ease the pain, OK?" Martha gave her an approving nod. There was a definite sense of urgency in her eyes. In a very professional looking manner Lisa administered the shot.
"You're going be fine now," she assured the other woman, but in her own mind she wasn't sure of anything. Martha managed a grateful smile, indicating that she had already felt some relief from the shot.
"I better go clean up a bit." Lisa patted her on the hand before departing to the bathroom. Her body and hair were covered with mud from falling and tramping down a road that in some places had been ankle deep in mud. She removed her clothing and cleaned up as best she could. She wrapped a towel around her head, changed into one of Martha's day dresses hanging over a hook on the door, and slipped into a pair of warm slippers that were lying on the floor. She sat on the toilet seat to catch her breath.
She was startled from her momentary respite by Martha's scream. She ran to the bedroom.
"The baby's coming! The baby's coming!" screamed Martha. "I can't stand the pain."
Lisa's knees became weak and she felt light headed, afraid she might faint. She took a deep breath and somewhat regained her composure. Staring at Martha lying there, helpless and in near panic, she said to herself, 'What in the hell am I doing here?' She wanted to run away. Instead though, she reacted instinctively. She kneeled beside the bed and clasped her hands over Martha's. Martha tried to smile but the pain came strong again and she let out a scream. Lisa, again instinctively, pulled Martha's nightgown up, placed her knees in the upright position and examined her. She saw the top of a tiny head at the opening.
She returned to face Martha saying. "It's coming and it looks like me and you gotta do it." Now you just lie there and take deep breaths and push when I tell you."
"OK doctor," Martha said, apparently thinking that Lisa was Doc Summer's assistant. Lisa helped Martha scoot closer to the back edge of the bed to allow her optimum positioning to handle the baby.
"Take a deep breath. Now push. Push again and push harder." The baby's head was partly out. Martha screamed in agony.
"Push!" cried Lisa. She placed her hands in a position to cradle the baby's head as it came out. "Its coming, it's coming, keep taking deep breaths and pushing." For ten minutes the room echoed with screams and Lisa's forceful but encouraging voice as she coached her on.
Finally it came-Lisa picked it up and it started crying. She cut the umbilical cord. She cried tears of joy as she wiped the baby off with warm damp towels. It's a baby!! It's a baby," she cried. "It's a baby girl." She passed it into the outstretched arms of a deliriously happy mother. Lisa knelt beside the bed staring wondrously at this beautiful little miracle.
She felt a tap on the shoulder and looked up to see Doc Summers' smiling face.
"About time," she said giving him a dirty look she didn't mean. And he knew it.
"Took a little longer than I thought to pull that tree away," explained Henry. "But I had to move it to get the doc out and turn around."
"I didn't think he could do it but he practically moved that tree with his bare hands when it wouldn't pull away using the truck," commented the doctor. Martha looked at her husband, and her eyes unmistakably expressed the greatest of love, admiration, and pride.
Bred from the school of men who don't cry, Henry turned his head to the side, so no one could see, and brushed a few tears away. But he was unable to hold back his emotion as he bent over to kiss his wife and new little daughter. And this time he didn't attempt to hide his feelings.
"Your assistant was just wonderful Doc Summers," said Martha looking gratefully over at Lisa.
"Yes, she sure is," he replied. Doc Summers stayed in the bedroom for awhile finishing up and checking out mother and baby. The doctor and Lisa then left after receiving a shower of thank yous and expressions of appreciation.

They stepped outside to find the sun shining brightly. Only a few powder puff clouds remained. The clouds silhouetted a deep blue sky as they swiftly made their way across the heavens, following the mother storm.
"Sure smells nice, doesn't it Lisa? I never tire of it. I might have cursed that storm a little while ago when I was helplessly sitting in the car behind that fallen tree, but it turned out to be a blessing. The earth is again washed clean and all living things received their bounty of life sustaining water.
"And, as far as we're concerned, I have to remember that if it hadn't rained, Henry would have been out in those fields and Martha would have been on her own until we got here."
Lisa looked up at this tall giant of a man who was gazing out over the open pasture land. Her love and admiration for this remarkable man was growing, and she intuitively felt that a unique, a special, bonding had developed between the two of them. It was as if she had a close relationship with him all her life. 'Or perhaps a previous life,' she pondered momentarily, thinking back on the reincarnation book he gave her.
As they walked toward the car the doctor looked over his shoulder and snickered. Lisa's still somewhat muddied hair hung in tangles down to her shoulders. Twisted bangs of hair lay over her forehead, covering one eye. Her makeup had been washed clean from her face, but, she looked all the more beautiful without it. "What are you looking at?" she asked defensively, but, with a shyly spoken tone of arrogance.
"You should see yourself in the mirror," he laughed. She unsuccessfully tried to run fingers through her hair and, simultaneously, they both burst out in laughter. "Let's go home, assistant," he said putting his arm around her and squeezing her shoulder. "I was able to drive your car the rest of the way up here with no trouble but I'm afraid you're going to have take it in to be repaired if you expect to drive at night."

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After dropping the doctor off and starting home Lisa re-energized her exhilaration by thinking back to the moment the baby was born. 'Such a magnificent experience,' she thought. 'One would have to be there and live it to understand it. Is this not the case though, with all significant challenges, adventures and experiences that life offers up to us? Nothing ventured, nothing gained.' Her heart saddened for a minute as the thought of her own aborted child passed through her mind. 'It is an innate need, expressed by a strange inner urge, to have a baby,' she thought. 'It is wonderfully compelling, and someday I too will have a child of my own.'
Lisa Simmon was well on her way to appreciating the value of awareness. She was beginning to realize that she creates and is responsible for her own life and all the attendant experiences-the positive as well as the negative side. And the balance between the two.