Freaks Cum Out PT1 Kindle (4 page)

Sabrina smiled. “He looks like a Corey,” she said as she wiped his mouth and gently lifted him to her shoulder for a burp. Now that she held him, he didn’t seem as fragile as she thought.

“Corey it is,” the nurse said. “I’ll go get the papers so we can get things rolling. I’ll give you a list of organizations that can help you with items and getting your home ready.” Sabrina nodded in acknowledgement.

“As soon as you’re done burping him, you can lay him back down in the crib and pull down this latch.” The nurse said, pointing to the incubator. “We are probably going to put him in a regular bed tonight,” Tina said before disappearing to the other side of the room.

Sabrina kept patting his little back until she heard a small burp. She switched arms and cradled him again, looking into his face. He was asleep. He would have looked like a normal baby if his little arm wasn’t bandaged with an I.V.

Sabrina gently stood up from the rocking chair and placed him back in his plastic bed.

“I love you, little Corey. I’m here and you’re going to be ok. You’re going to make it,” Sabrina whispered to him as she leaned down and kissed his cheek.

Walking over to the nurse’s station, Tina grabbed papers from a filing cabinet and placed them on a clipboard. She handed Sabrina a pin and the board.

“He’s back in the crib?” Tina asked. Sabrina nodded yes. “Ok, sit here and fill out these forms. I’ve called the social worker and she will be here shortly to talk with you about the process. I’m going to go make some notes on his charts about his feeding.” She walked off and left Sabrina sitting on a stool, filling out paperwork.

I can’t believe I’m doing this, Sabrina thought as she put her name on the papers. I’m going to be a mommy and a sister. Sabrina began filling out the paperwork before she was able to think and change her mind.

*   *   *

“You did what?” Momma Montgomery said. She would have screamed but they were in the hospital.

“Momma, what else are we gonna do? You can’t go through this again. I’m not going to let him go to foster care.

We both know damn well she isn’t going to take care of him. So I’ll do it,” Sabrina said as she nervously paced the waiting room.

Momma Montgomery sat on the couch in shock, shaking her head. “Do you think you can do it?” Momma Montgomery finally asked after a few minutes of silence. 

“Of course I can. School ends in another week and a half. He won’t be home for two weeks at the earliest.”

“But what about your house?” she asked.

“I called my landlord and explained the situation. He has a two bedroom available downstairs from me. I can take that and the rent is only one hundred dollars more.” The plan made perfect sense to Sabrina. “He said I can sign the new lease and move in this weekend if I want.”

Ashamed, Momma Montgomery shook her head and stared at the floor.

“Momma, you’ve done all you can. It’s my turn to help out. I can’t have him in foster care and you can’t take care of another baby. I’ll do it.” Rubbing her hand, Sabrina sat down next to Momma Montgomery and continued to explain. 

“The nurse gave me a list of organizations that will help me. I’ll be ok with him. If you can watch him sometimes while I go to school, we should be alright.” Sabrina said it like she had been planning this for years, instead of a few hours.

“Me, you, and Corey will be fine.”

“Who is Corey?” Momma asked.

“That’s what I’m naming him. I think he looks like a Corey.”

She smiled hearing that. “We used to call your Uncle Cornelius that when he was younger.”

“Well, you see, he’s in the family. We can’t let him go.”

They were the only ones in the waiting room. The dark brown carpet, soda machines, and blue walls were the only listeners in the room. They began making decisions and trying to figure things out.

“Well, I can come over and be with him when you go to school or you can bring him to my house.” Momma Montgomery started rambling off things. She picked up her cell phone and started calling people. All Sabrina could do was smile. 

Momma Montgomery could make the best of any situation. Sabrina’s entire house would be furnished with baby items by the end of the week. She would call her church, job, and woman’s group and have everybody helping out. As Sabrina wiped away a few loose tears, she heard her name.

“Sabrina Montgomery,” a young woman called as she entered the waiting room. The woman wore her hair in a tight bun. Her shirt was white with a hospital name tag fixed to her blouse.

Sabrina knew instantly that she was the social worker. Standing up, she greeted the woman with a handshake. 

“Terry, I gotta call you back but I’ll let you now what we need,” Momma Montgomery said, abruptly ending her conversation. “Hi, I’m Mrs. Montgomery” Momma said, extending her hand to the social worker.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Cynthia Townes, one of the hospital social workers,” she said, returning the hand shake.

“This is my grandmother,” Sabrina stated.

“Oh, ok. Great. So you’re JoAnn’s mother, correct?” Cynthia asked, making notes.

“Yes, I am,” Momma Montgomery replied as they all began sitting down. 

“I’m glad you’re both here. I’ve looked over JoAnn’s case in the system. I see that in the last three years she has had another child besides this one. She unfortunately didn’t make it, correct?” Cynthia’s eyes met theirs and she didn’t like what she saw. 

“WHAT?” Sabrina did scream this time.

Momma Montgomery didn’t utter a word. She was just as shocked and found it better to stare at a wall to hide her shame. 

“Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry. I thought you were both aware of the other child.

She was born premature and passed away. She was also born addicted to controlled substances.”

Sabrina felt her anger rising. In the pit of her stomach there was a burning fire. All she could think about was marching into JoAnn’s room and smacking her.

“We have ruled her unfit to care for a child. We are also aware that you were given custody of Sabrina some fifteen years ago, Ms. Montgomery.”

“Yes, ma’am. My daughter is sick and we don’t want Corey to be with her. Sabrina and I would like to take care of him. He would stay with Sabrina and I would supplement monetarily and with babysitting while she attends college courses,” Momma Montgomery stated matter-of-factly.

“I see. I believe that would be great. I see, Sabrina that you have filled out the paperwork already, so that’s great.” Cynthia thumbed through some papers in her lap and found the one that she was looking for. “I just need you to sign this and I’ll schedule a walk-through of your apartment. Is this your correct address, here?”

“Yes, it is,” Sabrina said, glancing at the address on the paper. “I’ll be moving into a new unit this weekend. Since Corey is coming home with me, I will be moving into a two bedroom..”

“Wow, you guys move quick. Just let me know later what the unit is and I’ll schedule the walk-through for next week.”

As Sabrina signed the paper Ms.Townes continued to explain the process.

 “Myself, or someone with family services will come look at the home and make sure it’s a safe environment. After that, we will make a determination and I’m sure, once the doctor signs for the baby’s release, he should be ready to go home with you.”

Those words made Sabrina smile.

 “All I need you to do, Sabrina, is sign right here stating that I have gone over everything with you and you agree to take care of the child.” Sabrina quickly took a pen from Cynthia’s hand and signed the document. “So you’ve decided to name him Corey?” Cynthia asked, smiling.

“Yes, ma’am. Corey DaVon Montgomery,” Sabrina stated proudly.

“Nice name, Ms. Montgomery is recovering from the Cesarean and I haven’t been able to have a coherent conversation with her.”

“That’s no surprise. She won’t be much help. Once she is feeling better, Ms. Townes, she will be out of here without a care in the world,” Sabrina stated.

Cynthia gave a nervous smirk. She didn’t like getting into these conversations. She got up and extended her hand to Sabrina and Momma Montgomery.

“I’ll be in touch and make sure you let me know what unit you will be moving to,” she said before leaving the room.

Sabrina and Momma Montgomery both hugged each other before Momma’s cell phone broke the silence in the waiting room.

“It’s Trudy,” Momma said, hitting the green talk button. “Trudy,” Momma answered her phone. “Yes, girl. you got the right message.Yep she’s had a baby and Sabrina is gonna take him in. She’s gonna need some help. I’m about to head over to the church now.” 

Grabbing her  purse, Momma walked into the hallway. Seeing Momma Montgomery on the phone made Sabrina think of the calls she needed to make.

 “Damn, I forgot to call work,” Sabrina cursed as she reached for her phone which was nestled in her jean’s pocket.

“Hey Rick, sorry I’m just now calling you back but I’m going to need some time off.”

“Is everything ok?” Rick asked, sounding concerned.

“Actually, it’s not,” Sabrina said, pausing and taking a deep breath. “I’m going to be a mother.”

CHAPTER 3

Nervous and scared, she walked through the green tiled floors of the hospital. Her apple red nail polish was chipping away at the tips from her constant gnawing throughout the day. 

She had abandoned chewing her nails and began popping her knuckles as she waited for the elevator to open. Today was the day she would take Corey home.

“You ready?” Momma Montgomery asked as they waited.

“Yep, been ready for awhile,”

Momma Montgomery nodded in agreement and watched the numbers of the elevator descend to one. Sabrina focused on her shoes and prayed, searching her mind for the words and trying to find the strength to embark on this journey of sister turned mother.

Thinking of the word, “mother,” made her mind drift to her egg donor

“Have you seen or talked to JoAnn?” Sabrina asked over the dinging sound of the elevator. It finally made it to their floor and alerted everyone of its arrival.

Momma Montgomery shook her head as she handed Sabrina the car seat she had been carrying. Weeks ago, Sabrina would have laughed at the sight of a car seat that big for Corey. That was four weeks and six pounds ago. Corey had ballooned since then and both of their lives had changed drastically.

Sabrina pressed the round elevator button for the sixth floor. Quickly, she and Momma Montgomery ascended to the floor of miracles, where the babies were delivered. This floor had been Sabrina’s second home for past few weeks.

Sabrina’s decision wasn’t so much about Corey, but about her. She didn’t want her own brother growing up like she had. More so, she wanted to return the favor. It was a no-brainer to take on the responsibility of caring for Corey.

They arrived to the sixth floor and walked towards the nursery room. Sabrina had walked these floors so much, she felt like she worked there. Many long nights, she had slept in the waiting room, studied in the cafeteria, or made a mattress out of the couches.