The Birth

"JOSE!!" Maura's scream was filled with all the fear, pain and uncertainty of childbirth. On this clear, starlit, wind chilled night, with her water already having broken, Maura was about to give birth.

Jose panicked as reality began to set in. It was becoming almost too much to bear. "This is crazy!" he thought. "How am I supposed to help deliver a baby - here, in this cold, in this filth?!" Jose had not felt this alone and scared since he had first crossed the border so many years ago. His thoughts were racing now. Why had he agreed to let Maura accompany him? This wasn't his child anyway. Visions? Virgin birth? Preposterous! "Yet," he said to himself, a calmness beginning to slow his heart rate, "Maura has always been honest with me. Her faith is real. Now is not a time to begin questioning." In fact, Maura's faith had renewed Jose's own. Over time her gentle manner seemed to calm Jose's quick temper. Her daily prayers were never intrusive, never for show, never judgmental. In the months they had been together, Jose's relationship to Maura had changed from protecting a needy woman to wonderment, almost awe, and even, as he thought about it now, to love. Yes, Jose had come to care for Maura very deeply and he knew now for certain, what was felt but had gone unspoken before, he would accept Maura's child as his - if she would let him.

Maura screamed again. When the pain subsided, Maura looked up at Jose with fear in her eyes. "Jose," she said, "I'm scared. It hurts so much. I didn't know it was going to be this terrible. What am I going to do?!"

Jose knelt beside her and, as much to reassure himself as her, said, "You are going to have a baby. We are going to have a child. I am here with you and together, with God's help, everything will be okay." Then stroking her forehead, he continued to speak to her in a calm, reassuring voice, trying to get her to relax a little, telling her to breathe deeply and slowly.

Jose was anything but relaxed himself. It was no longer the coming birth that was bothering him. He was struggling to keep his anger under control. Just two hours ago they had left the hospital emergency room. They had waited over four hours to see a doctor. When they were finally taken to an examining room the doctor said that Maura was not yet dilated. She told them despite the first signs of labor it could be days before the child was born. They would have to leave and come back later. Jose began to argue with her, but Maura did not want to make a scene, so they left.

When they left the hospital it was after eight in the evening. By the time they reached the shelter they had stayed at the previous night, it was full and the doors locked. They had wandered the streets looking for some shelter from the wind and the cold. As they passed a vacant lot, Maura could walk no further. Jose saw the burn barrel, some wood, and a door on the side of a building that might help to shelter Maura. They stopped and Jose built a fire in the barrel.

Once again Maura's scream broke into Jose's thoughts. The contractions were coming much closer together now. Jose helped Maura count through the pain, encouraged her to take a deep breath, and then he stood up. He knew that the baby would be born very quickly now. There was no time to look for help. Having made up his mind, Jose took off his coats, sweater, shirt and undershirt. He carefully folded the undershirt and shirt and laid them next to the burn barrel to keep them warm. He then put his sweater, sweatshirt, scarf, and coat back on.

Reaching into his pocket, Jose pulled out a large pocket knife. It had been given to him by his grandfather. He opened the knife and reached into the fire for a burning board. Laying the open blade on the burning wood Jose was careful to sterilize as much of the knife as he could. Thus prepared, he knelt again by Maura and held her hand. Watching this steady, careful preparation, Maura suddenly found comfort in Jose's presence and compassion, despite the great discomfort of birth.

Maura knew, was most certain, that she was supposed to be with Jose. She would never forget the look on her cousin Beth's face, when she told her that she was leaving with Jose. Nothing Beth or Zack could have said would have changed her mind. Being eighteen, her cousin could not legally stop her and, given how busy the business was at that time, Beth did not try. So, after the cherries were all picked, she joined with Jose in the migratory life. Until today, she had never questioned the correctness of her decision. When the next wave of pain struck, Maura sucked in air deep and quick. Gripping Jose's hand tight, clenching her teeth, and listening to him count, she waited for the pain to pass. She was beginning to develop a routine as the contractions came ever more frequently. The contractions were now less than a minute apart and each one seemed to be longer than the last. Jose let go of Maura's hand and moved down to her feet. Gently spreading her legs wider, he checked to see how much she was dilated and if the baby's head was close. The instant Jose had moved to look a light above him came on. Glancing skyward he saw a street lamp he had not noticed before. As Jose moved Maura's skirt higher, he could see the baby's head just beginning to show.

Filled with excitement, Jose practically shouted, "Push, Maura, push. The baby is almost out." She listened to Jose's words of encouragement and trusted him. The pain had become so intense that Maura could hardly hear Jose, yet she pushed. She pushed, because not to push hurt even more. She pushed, trying to push the pain way. Breathing hard, unable to catch her breath, exhausted, Maura pushed. How long she pushed she did not know. It seemed like forever.

Jose reached for his undershirt and slid it between Maura's legs. Suddenly the pain was gone. Maura saw Jose pick up his knife. Then she heard a cry; a baby's fearful cry; her baby's cry. Jose had cut the umbilical cord and tied it closed as best he could. Rapping the baby in his undershirt and shirt he handed the child to Maura.

"Be prepared," Jose warned. "The placenta still has to come out. That can be very painful as well." Not much later, Jose's warning proved true. A wave of pain swept her body once again, as it began to push the after birth out. Pulling on the umbilical cord, Jose helped draw out the placenta and threw it into the fire. He then cleaned Maura up, as best he was able, covered her legs again, and helped her to sit up closer to the fire to keep her warm.

Maura sat with the baby in her arms. Jose knelt next to her, looking at the baby, prepared to help as needed. Both were exhausted. Both shivered in the cold. Both had just had the darkest day of their lives. Yet in this moment, with the light shining on the face of the child, a calm and reassuring feeling gently came over them both. Looking lovingly at one another they said together, "Her name is Hope."