FIVE ALIVE

Deejay

Finally, April came to a close. When the girls left for the ravine a day or two apart, they both ordered Sarah to hold off until they got back.

May 5, Debbie returned, to find Sarah doubled over with pain. It did not last long but in a little while it came again. "I wonder if that is the baby trying to come." Jamie began to pray for her.

"I don't know but it sure hurts. Don't anybody leave me alone."

"God," I prayed, "if this is the baby coming, does it have to hurt her so bad? Please take away the pain."

"'And unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow, and thy conception; In sorrow thou shalt bring forth children . . .' Genesis 3:16." Debbie recalled the scripture.

"Oh! God!" I cried. "Sarah's just a little girl. She's too young to suffer like this. Won't you use your miracle power and relieve her pain? Please, God, have pity on her. She loves you so, and I know you love her. How can you stand by and watch her suffer like this. In Jesus' Name I ask you to ease her pain."

The others also prayed for her every time she had an attack. In between the attacks, she felt pretty good. We went to the lake for a little while, and she fixed our lunch and cooked our supper. We tried to get her to rest and let someone else do it, but she would not. She said it took her mind off what was ahead. She had to do something.

After I had prayed, Sarah said the pains were not as sharp. She quit crying with them, so we thanked God for his help. Throughout the night the pains continued, every half hour or so. By morning they were getting more frequent. Sarah was up early and fixed breakfast, but had to stop four times for the cramps.

After breakfast Debbie said, "Julie should be back today. Jamie, will you run over to the ravine, and let her know it's time. She'll miss it if she stays any longer than necessary."

"Shouldn't you go? I don't want to embarrass her?"

"She won't mind. This is important to her. Just yell and let her know you're coming before you get there."

Jamie said no more. He left on the run. "I'll bet they'll both be back in less time than it usually takes for us to go one way," Sarah remarked, "and it's all for nothing. The baby won't be born at least until after supper."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"That's a silly question. How do we ever know anything before we experience it?"

"It was a silly question," I agreed.

Sarah was right about the speed at which they would return. Julie had been getting ready to take a bath and leave when Jamie got there, so she took a quick dip, while Jamie rested, and they ran all the way back together.

After lunch, Sara asked us to gather in a prayer circle around her and pray for her. When we finished, she said, "Sit down, and I will tell you what we need, and what to expect. First, Timmy, make sure the pocket knife is clean and sharp, and have a foot, or so of clean fishing line. You probably better put them both in a cup and boil them for a few minutes. We need to get the table rock as clean as possible. That's where I'll have the baby. I want lots of water boiled and cooled to bathe the baby and wash me. You girls will probably have to wash me, I won't feel like doing it. Timmy and Jamie can bathe the baby. All of you make sure when you hold the baby to keep your hand or arm under his head. His neck will be too weak to hold it up."

She continued to tell us in detail, as though she had already experienced it, what to expect during each stage of the procedure, and what needed to be done. "Don't worry about me. I'm gonna be okay. I might think I'm gonna die; and maybe, I'll wish I could, but I'm gonna be okay. There will be a lot of blood, but that's normal. I won't bleed to death."

We set about getting things ready. I sharpened the knife, and got the string and boiled them. Jamie put on a big bucket of water to boil, while the girls scrubbed the table rock. When the water was boiling, Sarah asked Jamie to pour it onto the table rock to kill any germs on it. He did so, and put some more on to boil. We set that in the stream to cool. We were informed that we should have boiling water in the fire continuously until it was all over.

Sarah was in almost constant pain by supper time. We had helped her to the toilet four or five times within the last half hour. Then, without warning as the rest of us were finishing our supper, Sarah wet all over everything. "It's time!" She called between cramps. "Help me to the table rock."

Like the day I had picked her up at the cove when she burned her foot, she weighed nothing. She nearly floated to the table where I laid her. Jamie and I stood on each side of her, holding her hands; letting her squeeze ours when the pains were the worst. Ten minutes went by, maybe fifteen. It seemed like an hour. We were all praying for Sarah. The terrible pains were coming one after another. The two girls stood at the end of the table by her feet. "I can see the top of his head. Push!" Debbie ordered when Sarah had another pain, and out popped his head.

"He's beautiful!" Julie tenderly supported his head.

That was the last time any of us ever called our baby "He."

"Another dumb girl!" Jamie exclaimed, when Sarah had pushed again. "I thought I told you I wanted a baby brother."

The girls knew just what to do. They cleaned out her mouth and had her breathing in seconds. "Let me see her." Sarah cried. "It ain't fair. You get to see her and hold her and my belly's still so big I can't see anything."

"Here," Debbie laid our daughter on her mother's breast. Sarah picked her up. "Deborah Julia Davis, you are named after the two most important women in my life." [The two girls looked at each other in astonishment. They had no idea what we had decided to name the baby.] "I'm sorry Jamie, I hope you're not too disappointed. Maybe Timothy James will come out next time."

"I don't mind at all. Little Deejay is the most beautiful baby sister in the world. She's a lot better than an ornery boy would be. Thank you so much for letting me be a part of this. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Jamie kissed Sarah on the cheek. "I love you Mom."

"Hey!" I softly rubbed the baby's back and kissed her mother. "The husband's supposed to be the first one to tell his wife how beautiful the baby is and kiss her. You've already done that, and nicknamed the baby."

"Oh! Oh! No! I thought this was all over." She pushed again and out came the big glob and all the blood she had told us about.

"I think it is over now." Debbie affirmed. "Timmy, do you want to tie and cut the cord like Sarah said to."

We did as Sarah had instructed. Jamie and I went to another clean rock to give my daughter her first bath. "I'll bet your grandparents would love to see you, Deejay," I washed her little face and head. "Maybe it won't be long now."

I returned little Deejay to her mother, and we admired her together for a few minutes. "She does look like you, I think." So, I forgive you for not giving me a son."

"No, she looks just like you. She's got your eyes and nose."

"Help! Help!" I yelled, and scared the girls, who were on the other side of the patio doing something. "I'll never see or smell again, Deejay stole my eyes and nose."

Everybody laughed, especially Sarah, but Julie screamed, "You silly thing, I thought something was wrong with Sarah! You about scared me to death."

"I think I'd like to take my baby to bed now, would you help me down."

You would have thought Jamie was the husband. He was so attentive and protective of Sarah. He jumped to her side, and we helped her off the table.

"Wait!" Debbie yelled. "You've got blood all over your back! Oh! It's in your hair and everything." Sarah's long dark brown hair hung well below her hips. It was soaked in blood.

"Just throw some water on me out of the stream," Sarah said. "Here, Jamie you take the baby where she won't get splashed." Jamie was hesitant, but he took the baby. Julie threw a couple buckets of water on Sarah's back, and Debbie came with a bucket, and washed the blood out of her hair. "I should have thought of that, and put it up," Sarah continued.

"We got the sheet all wet. We'll have to get you another one," Julie said. "This one is soaked anyway. I'll wash it so it will be dry tomorrow." They had rolled up another sheet to soak up any more blood that she might lose.

While mother and daughter slept after a very hard day, the rest of us finished cleaning up, took a dip in the lake and got around to watch the night fall. We were all overflowing with joy, thanking God for his blessings. "We all new exactly what to do," Julie remarked.

"Sure." Jamie was unimpressed. He had expected as much. "The Lord and Sarah had it all planned. She told us all about it, and what we were supposed to do, and if we needed to know something, God made sure we knew it."

"You're right, Jamie," Julie agreed. "It always amazes me to see Him at work in our lives."

"It only happens that way because we trust Him and follow His leads without questioning." I watched the first bats come out. "If we need to do something, we do it without asking why, or what the consequences will be if we're wrong. It's the same with things we say spontaneously."

I went to check on my wife and baby. They were fast asleep. I sat down in the double lounge, and decided to sleep there because I did not want to disturb Sarah. I wonder, if every man feels this way when he has a new baby. I gave a big sigh of contentment and fell asleep.

"Timmy! Timmy!" Sarah woke me sometime in the night.

"Yes, Dear, I'm right here."

"Why aren't you in bed?"

"I didn't want to disturb you."

"Come to bed. I want you close to me."

I carefully climbed into bed trying not to jar her.

"You don't have to be so careful. We won't break." She put her arm over me. "Come close and squeeze me really tight. I was frightened when I woke up and couldn't find you."

"I was right here all the time. You just couldn't feel me."

"That's just like it is with Jesus sometimes, isn't it? but it's . . ." She snuggled against me and slept.

"So much nicer when we can feel his presence." I finished her sentence.

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