A Future for Sparkhouse

Chapter 11

The next few months passed in a flurry of work on the farm and of course baby preparation. A bedroom was painted and smartened up ready for a new little occupant and appointments with the midwife and hospital were kept. Carol, who had always kept herself to herself, began to find that she was a little more open to people around her. As always when a pregnancy starts to show people would smile and comment. Where the old Carol might have snapped some sarcastic comment or told them to mind their own business, the new loved and loving Carol felt a sense of pride which she wanted to share. At John's insistence they signed up for antenatal classes even though Carol insisted she didn't need or want them. 

"But I do, Carol love," he stated gently. "This is my first baby and I want us to get it all right." He would never admit this to Carol but he also hoped that she might make a friend in the group, someone in a similar situation who she might get to know and spend some time with when she couldn't do any more farm work.

The first meeting was on a Thursday evening in the church hall. Four couples and one woman on her own sat nervously in a circle on the hard plastic chairs. Sally, the bright and bubbly earth mother type leading the group chirruped positively through introductions. She asked everyone to say their names and a little about themselves. Two of the couples were young professionals, all commuting to Leeds for work and relatively new to the area. John recognised the husband of the other couple from the pub in their village and they nodded to each other. The woman on her own gave her name as Kate and explained that her husband was working away and couldn't make it. Gradually as the evening wore on the atmosphere warmed and the parents-to-be listened and asked their questions. At various points Carol found herself catching Kate's eye as one or other of the young professionals asked Sally's views on things they'd been reading about and expressed strong opinions on the kind of birth they wanted. 

"What about you, Kate?" Sally asked. "Are you thinking of a home birth?" 

Kate winked at Carol. "No I'm bloody not! " she exclaimed. "Why would I want to do it all meself when I can go into hospital and be looked after for a change?"

Carol laughed out loud while the others in the room stared at Kate, not sure whether to take her seriously. At that moment Carol felt a warmth towards the young woman. 

"And you Carol? How are you feeling about the happy event?" asked Sally.

"Happy event?" Carol retorted. "If it's anything like our lass's birth with midwives treating me like a kid I'll be walking out and giving birth in the street!" This time Kate laughed while the others gasped and John blushed.

At the end of the session the young professionals crowded round Sally to continue their discussions. The bloke from the pub came over to shake hands with John and being more outgoing than him made conversation about pints and people from the pub. Carol was left facing the bloke's wife, whose name was Ellen, trying to think of something to say when Kate breezed over. 

"Blimey, it all gets a bit real when you come to summat like this, eh?" she commented. "But sounds like we've got an expert in our midst cos you've done it all before." She nodded at Carol. 

"Aye well it were a long time ago, and I think I've blotted it all out of my memory," Carol replied. She didn't really want to get into conversation about Lisa's birth right now and was beginning to regret her sharp response to Sally in the group. 

"My mam had four kids," said Ellen. "She says it's the most natural thing in the world and she can't work out why so many women make a fuss. But that doesn't stop me being scared senseless!" The three women laughed. Carol looked around her, standing making conversation with two strangers while John stood actually chatting with the bloke. A strange sense of normality washed over her and for a moment she felt really warm inside. She'd never been one to make friends easily and had always felt like an outsider. It was odd but nice to have something in common with these people who knew nothing about her history.

John turned to her and putting his arm around his shoulder he smiled at the other women. "Come on then, Carol love. Time to get you home." She felt a new sense of pride as this tall, handsome man took charge and she nodded. Saying their goodbyes until the next meeting they headed for home.

John too had felt something new this evening. Being part of a group, all in the same boat facing one of life's biggest events and all starting with a clean slate, he could feel he was coming out of himself a little. Life had certainly taken a turn he hadn't expected and he felt a spring in his step as he left the hall with his arm around his wife.