Patricia Rockwell - Essie Cobb 02 - Papoosed (27 page)

Chapter Thirty

“When the first baby laughed for the first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces and they all went skipping about.”

James Matthew Barrie

            The tall spruce was gleaming as it seemed to look down in pride at the large group gathered beneath its branches in the Happy Haven family room.  On the far end of the room, a chorus of young children all decked out in red and white choir robes, holding hymnals, were serenading the residents.  Most all of the residents were seated on sofas and chairs and many additional folding chairs that had been set up to accommodate the overflow crowd.  Indeed, it was an overflow crowd, as many residents had invited family members to join them for the concert that had been postponed for days due to a bad stomach virus and a raging snowstorm.  Both had now passed.  Behind the seated residents, many staff members stood, also enjoying the Christmas music.  The air was filled with a wonderful holiday aroma that Essie now knew was composed of traditional frankincense and myrrh.

            Essie herself was in the last row of folding chairs near the tree.  On her right sat her three children–Prudence, Kurt, and Claudia.  On her left, sat her three best friends–Opal, Marjorie, and Fay.  Her friends had by now heard all the details about the discovery of Antonio’s mother.

            “Oh, this takes me back to my days of teaching elementary school!” whispered Marjorie. She sighed as several of the smallest carolers came forward and sang solos.  “Aren’t they adorable?”

            “Not as adorable as Antonio,” said Opal, leaning in to her friend.

            “Of course not!” agreed Marjorie.  “Oh, I miss him!”

            Fay and Essie smiled at their two friends and all four women beamed at each other in a spirit of solidarity. 

            “Thank you, dear friends,” whispered Essie, when the program had ended and the audience members began to chat and move around, “thank you, all, for your help.”

            She reached over and squeezed their hands.  Then, realizing that they were ignoring Essie’s children, the friends concluded their private discussion and focused their attention on Essie’s family.

            “It’s wonderful that the quarantine and the snowstorm are over just in time for Christmas,” said Opal to Essie’s children.

            “And it’s wonderful that the children’s choir was able to reschedule to perform for us at the last moment!  It just wouldn’t be Christmas without them!” added Marjorie.  Prudence, Claudia, and Kurt agreed and smiled warmly at Essie’s three friends.

             A man in the row directly in front of them turned around.

            “Hello, Miss Essie,” said Hubert Darby.  “Merry Christmas,” he said to all of Essie’s family.

            “Hello, Hubert,” replied Essie.  She introduced the man to her children.  The woman sitting next to Hubert also turned around and greeted Essie and her children.

            “Hello, Essie,” said Clara.  “Merry Christmas to you.”  Essie’s children greeted Clara.  Opal, Marjorie, and Fay looked at Clara knowingly and each glanced back at Essie.

            “You all may not know,” whispered Essie to her friends, “but my next door neighbor, Clara, is a former NICU nurse and knows a lot about taking care of infants.”  She gave Clara a nod.  Opal, Marjorie, and Fay all bent forward and each gave Clara a warm hug.

            Essie felt a soft tap on her shoulder.  She turned and found herself looking up at Santos.  Maria was standing beside him, holding Antonio in her arms.

            “Merry Christmas, Miss Essie,” he said.

            “Oh, Santos, Merry Christmas,” said Essie,  and quickly added,  “I’d like you to meet my children–Prudence, Claudia, and Kurt.  I’m so delighted they were all able to come and enjoy this concert with us.”

            Essie’s children greeted Santos, whom Essie introduced as her favorite waiter.  They informed him that they were taking Essie out to dinner after the concert.

            “Um, Miss Essie,” said Santos, awkwardly, “this is … uh … Maria and her son Antonio.  She work in kitchen with Santos.”  Santos was not a good liar, but Essie appreciated his efforts. 

            “Is very Merry Christmas for Maria and Antonio,” continued Santos.  “Immigration Office says it not deport Maria.  Says Maria and baby both
licit
ó
… how you say? Legal.  Can stay in America!”

            “That’s wonderful, Santos!” exclaimed Essie.

            “I go stay at Maria’s apartment,” Santos said.  “I help Maria with baby.”

            “Very happy,” said Maria.  She looked adoringly at Santos.

            Essie beamed at them and reached out for baby Antonio. 

            “Could I hold him?” she asked Maria.  Maria smiled and handed the child down to Essie.  Almost immediately, Essie’s friends noticed the baby’s presence and they all moved in around her closer to see him.  Prudence, Claudia, and Kurt stood dumbfounded nearby as the group of elderly residents focused completely on one small, totally unknown–to Essie’s children, at least–child.

            “Hello, Antonio,” said Essie. “Aren’t you a little charmer?  I doubt that the other residents will be able to resist you.  We don’t see many newborn infants here.”

            “Is okay,” said Maria to Essie.  “Antonio is Happy Haven resident too.”

            “He certainly is,” agreed Essie, as a crowd of residents … even those who had no idea who he was … had formed around the little infant.  Essie’s children smiled from the sidelines.

            “Hey, it’s a baby!” cried one of the young carolers and a whole pack of youngsters quickly encircled Essie and the infant.  “Can I touch him?” asked one little girl.

            “Me too!” chimed in another girl.  Soon all the children were stretching out their hands to touch the baby.

            “I think you all had better just look at him,” suggested their choir director behind the excited group of carolers.  “Babies are very delicate.”  The children instantly calmed and watched the infant from a respectful distance.  Many got on their knees so they could touch the baby’s feet.

            Across the room, Essie noticed a tall, older man come through the front door.  He was wearing a long overcoat and snow boots.  He had a full head of snow white hair and matching full white beard. 
Hmm
, she thought. 
Maybe, he’s going to play Santa Claus!  That would be perfect!
 The man spoke to Phyllis at the front desk.  Phyllis pointed towards the crowd and the man headed in their direction.  When he arrived, he stopped and beamed at the infant in Essie’s arms.  Then his eyes scanned the crowd until they landed, a bit uncertainly, on Maria, standing behind Essie, next to Santos.

            “Ms. Compton?” he asked Maria.  “I’m delighted to see you up and about.  The hospital told me where to find you.  I’m Nick Shepherd.  I … .”

            “Oh!” cried Maria, with a look of sudden recognition on her face.  She rushed to the large man and wrapped her small arms around him.  She had to stand on her tiptoes and she could barely reach from one of his arms to another, let alone behind the large man’s back.  “Mr. Shepherd!  Of course!  Thank you!”

            Essie, Santos, and the few other residents who were aware of Maria’s recent trauma looked curiously at the young Hispanic woman and the rough-hewn older gentleman.  Maria broke her hold of Nicholas Shepherd and turned back to the group.

            “Senor Shepherd,” she explained, “is person who found me when I fall other day.  He bring me to hospital.  He save my life … .”  She looked up–way up–into the face of the stranger.  His cheeks–noticeably red from the cold outdoor weather–gave him a cheery, dimpled look.  He smiled down at the young woman.

            “It’s wonderful seeing you up and around, young lady!” said Shepherd.  “No one should be stuck in a hospital during Christmas.”  He laughed heartily.  It sounded like “ho-ho-ho” to Essie as she looked the huge man up and down.

            “
Gracias
, Senor Shepherd,” Maria repeated sincerely.  “Thank you, so much!”  She gave him another hug.  As Maria and Shepherd began to tell the group about their adventure, the group of residents and children gathered around the unlikely pair.  Essie handed the baby to Marjorie and moved out of the center of attention.  She turned around to see Hubert Darby moving closer to her.  He held the blue Kreigsted box in his hands.

           
Oh, no,
she moaned to herself. 
I thought I’d convinced him to forget about giving me that necklace.  Now, what does he want?

           
Hubert came up to Essie and held the box before him. 

            “Miss Essie,” he said.  “About the necklace … .”

            “Hubert,” she replied, “I told you I can’t accept that necklace.  It’s just not appropriate.”

            “I know, Miss Essie,” continued Hubert, “but do you think it would be appropriate for me to give the necklace to baby Antonio?”

            “What?” she asked.  “What would a baby do with an expensive piece of jewelry?”

            “He likes it, Essie.  Remember?  In your living room?  I think he liked the way the gold sparkled,” said Hubert, and then when Essie looked shocked, Hubert Darby laughed.  He had a very nice, warm laugh, thought Essie.  “I’m teasing you, Miss Essie.  I’m not teasing about giving the necklace to Antonio though.  Antonio has had a very difficult start, I’m thinking.  His mother is now a widow and will need help to care for him.  If you don’t want the necklace, then I would like to give it to him.  I don’t want to return it to the store.  I don’t need the money. I have more than I need.  His mother may keep it for his future or sell it to help cover her expenses.”

            “That’s very generous of you, Hubert!  Maria will need money now that she has a baby to support all by herself.  You are a wonderful man,” replied Essie.  “Oh, my mud pie!  And I hadn’t even thought about how she would be able to pay for her recent hospital stay.  She’s only a kitchen worker.  Hospital bills can be horrific!”

            Nicholas Shepherd evidently heard this discussion between Essie and Hubert and had left the group surrounding the baby to join them.

            “I heard you mention Maria’s hospital bills,” he whispered to Essie and Hubert.  “You don’t need to worry.  I took care of her bills.”

            “But, Mr. Shepherd,” argued Essie, “you don’t even know Maria.  Why would you do such a thing?”

            “Let’s just say I was struck with the Christmas spirit,” he said, with a mischievous smile and a jiggle of his large stomach.  Then he walked around behind them as he took a good long look at the Happy Haven tree and its decorations.  He appeared especially smitten with the little train at the tree’s base, and gave the tiny conductor a jaunty salute.  Essie glanced back to look at the baby for a moment, and when she turned around to see where Nicholas Shepherd had gone, he was nowhere to be seen.

            “Where did Mr. Shepherd go?” Essie asked Hubert.  Hubert looked around and shrugged.  Essie and Hubert rejoined the group of their friends and family gathered around the little infant now back in his mother’s arms.  Essie looked over at Hubert at her side and grabbed his hand and gave it a little squeeze.  Hubert blushed a fire-engine red, looked at the ground, and rocked back and forth on his feet.