Woman of Courage (12 page)

Amanda’s lips compressed.
So Jim must have been married before. I wonder what happened to his wife. It seems strange that they had a Bible yet he wouldn’t let me pray out loud at the table
.

Clutching the Bible, Amanda rose to her feet. She hoped Jim hadn’t left yet, because she wanted to speak with him about this.

Jim had just taken a seat at the table to have one last cup of coffee before heading out to check on his traps, when Amanda emerged from the bedroom, holding a Bible. He didn’t recognize it at first, not until she placed it on the table in front of him and opened it to the first page where his and Lois’s names had been written.

“Where’d ya get that?” he shouted, his face heating.

“I-I found it one of the dresser drawers,” Amanda stammered.

“Well, ya shouldn’t be snoopin’ around where ya don’t belong!”

“Me put her clothes in there,” Mary quickly interjected.

Jim glared at her. “Nobody asked you!”

“It’s true,” Amanda said, coming to Mary’s defense. “My clothes were in the drawer, and when I was looking for a shawl to wear I stumbled upon the Bible.”

Struggling with his emotions, Jim snatched up the Bible. It was all he had left to remind him of Lois, yet he could barely stand looking at it. Lois had been religious, but where had that gotten her? Nowhere but an early grave!

Because of Lois and her strong religious beliefs, Jim had gotten to know God better, and had wholeheartedly thanked the good Lord every day for bringing Lois into his life. Now God was a stranger to him. All those prayers of thanks had fallen on deaf ears, when this so-called God allowed Lois’s life to slowly drain away to nothing. Lois had told Jim once that when a person died and went to heaven, their soul lived on. Jim hoped that was the case for his precious wife, but he felt as if his own soul no longer existed.

Jim pushed back his chair so quickly that it toppled over. Then he stormed across the room, opened the stove, and tossed the Bible in. Barely hearing the women gasp, he stood watching as the flames consumed the book, but it did nothing to soften the anger he felt toward God. Slamming the stove door shut, he turned to Mary and said, “I’m goin’ out to set some traps, and I won’t be back till dark. Make sure you have my supper ready.” He grabbed up his things and went out the door, letting it bang shut behind him.

Amanda couldn’t believe how upset Jim had become when he’d seen his first wife’s Bible. And throwing it into the fire—well, that was incomprehensible! What in the world had the man been thinking? Didn’t he know or even care that God’s Word was holy?

Amanda glanced at Mary, who sat at the table with a pinched expression. The way Jim talked to his wife was terrible, yet Mary never objected. Why, it wasn’t a marriage at all. Mary was nothing more than a slave to that man!

“Jim angry,” Mary said. “He blame himself for death of first wife.”

Amanda’s mouth dropped open. “Did he tell you that?”

Mary shook her head. “Just know. I see on his face.” She winced and placed one hand on her stomach.

“What is it, Mary?” Amanda asked with concern. “Is your baby kicking?”

“No kick,” Mary said. “Baby coming soon.”

“Yes, in a few more weeks, right?”

“No.” Mary rose from her chair. “Pains have started. Baby come today.”

Amanda’s eyes widened. “You can’t have the baby today. It’s too soon, and Jim’s not here.”

Mary began pacing, while rubbing her lower back.

A sense of apprehension crept up Amanda’s spine. She’d never helped bring a child into the world or even witnessed the birth of a baby, and she wasn’t prepared to do it now. Maybe Mary was wrong. She might not be in labor at all. Amanda hoped that was the case, because there was no way she could help Mary deliver her baby!

N
o worry, Amanda,” Mary Yellow Bird said, seeing Amanda’s fearful expression. “Baby will come when ready.”

“But I don’t know what to do.” Amanda’s voice quivered.

“Do nothing now.” Mary touched her chest. “Me birth baby.” Having grown up with nature’s ways and the knowledge of herbs, she was fully prepared to deliver her own child. She wished, however, that she was at home with her people, where their medicine woman would be on hand in case there was any trouble. But so far, her labor seemed to be progressing normally, so this helped her feel more confident.

“Are you sure you won’t need my help?” Amanda asked, her forehead etched with wrinkles.

“I let you know when.” Mary continued to pace, and every once in a while she stopped to take a drink of the birthing tea she had concocted earlier that morning when the pains first began.

Amanda sat at the table, with hands folded and head bowed, like she did when she prayed silently before a meal. Mary didn’t think she needed the white woman’s prayer, but she guessed it couldn’t hurt. In the meantime, Mary sent up her own prayers to Hanyawat, asking that her guardian spirit would protect her and the child and offer a speedy delivery, without complications.

When the pains came closer, Mary reminded herself not to fight them. She remembered her mother telling other expectant women in their tribe to flow with the pain, just as a leaf falls slowly from a tree.

Another pain, sharper than the last, came and went. Beads of perspiration gathered on Mary’s forehead, and she hurriedly greased her loins with bear grease she kept in a can. Then, moving over to be closer to the warmth of the fire, she squatted down.

“Wh-what are you doing?” Amanda called, jumping to her feet.

“It best if I sit on haunches. Need clean rags, water, and herb tea on stove,” Mary said between ragged breaths.

“I will get them.”

As she had been taught, Mary concentrated fully on bringing this new life into the world. Despite the sharp pains, she remained calm and composed.

Amanda dipped a piece of cloth into the bucket of water she’d brought over and wiped Mary’s damp forehead. When the next contraction subsided, Amanda offered her a drink of tea. She sipped it appreciatively, knowing the birthing tea would get things moving quicker.

“Tell me what else to do,” Amanda said in a panicked tone.

“Sit on floor behind me,” Mary instructed. “I lean on you.”

Amanda did as Mary requested, and as Mary took deep breaths, she was able to relax against Amanda’s chest between contractions.

When she knew the time was right, Mary began to push. “Head coming now,” she said, excitedly. As Mary gave one final push, the baby slipped from her womb and into her outstretched hands. “It’s a boy!” she cried, tears coursing down her cheeks.

A few seconds later, a loud cry filled the room. Mary breathed a sigh of relief, knowing her son was alive. “Thank you, Hanyawat,” she whispered in awe. Lowering herself the rest of the way to the floor, she said to Amanda. “Bring knife.”

Amanda’s face paled. “A knife? Why would you need a knife?”

“Cut cord,” Mary replied.

“Oh, I see.”

Once the cord was cut, Mary washed her son gently with a wet, clean rag. Then she wrapped the infant in a small blanket she’d made and handed him to Amanda.

Amanda looked at her quizzically.

“Hold baby while I clean up.”

Amanda took the child and sat in the hickory rocker near the fire while Mary tended to her own needs.

“You need to rest now,” Amanda said. “I think you should go to the bed and lie down.”

Mary shook her head. “Jim no like me sleep there. He be angry when he come home.”

Amanda frowned. “I don’t care what Jim says. You and the baby need to rest comfortably. When Jim gets here, I’ll tell him that I have decided to sleep upstairs in the loft, and that you need the bed.”

Mary, too tired to argue, followed Amanda into the next room. When she crawled onto the bed, it felt strange, but there was lots of room, and she knew it wouldn’t be long before she fell asleep. First, though, she must try to feed her baby.

Amanda placed the baby in Mary’s arms, covered them with a blanket, and quietly left the room.

After cleaning the cabin, she prepared something for Mary to eat and drink.
I wonder what Jim will think when he gets home and discovers that he has a son. I hope this baby will soften his heart and cause him to be kinder to Mary. She has such a sweet spirit and deserves only the best
.

After Mary finished eating a bowl of rabbit stew and fell back to sleep, Amanda took out her Bible and sat at the table, reading Isaiah 26:3–4: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.”

Those are such comforting words
, she thought.

Thunder barked outside. Fear clutched Amanda’s heart. Could Jim be back already? It wasn’t even dark. Or was someone else outside?

A few minutes later, Jim entered the cabin, dripping wet.

“What happened? Why art thou so wet?” she asked as Jim removed his jacket and coonskin cap.

“Slipped on a rock and fell into the river,” Jim grumbled. He looked around. “Where’s Mary? Did she get my supper made?”

Amanda motioned to the bedroom. “Mary’s in there, with …”

“She knows that room’s off-limits to her!” Jim slapped his hands together so hard that it caused Amanda to jump. She’d never met anyone with such a fiery temper. Before Amanda could offer an explanation, he stormed into the bedroom, dripping water from his wet clothes all over the wooden plank floor.

Amanda left her seat at the table and followed, fully prepared to defend Mary if necessary. She entered the room in time to see Jim screech to a halt at the foot of the bed. He stood with his mouth gaping open as he gazed upon Mary and the baby.

Mary’s eyelids fluttered, and a soft smile played on her lips. “Come. Meet son.”

“It’s a boy? You had the baby while I was gone?”

Mary nodded. “He a fine boy, too. Come see.”

“Well, I’ll be….” Jim moved to the side of the bed and grinned as he bent down to look at the baby. It was the first time Amanda had seen such a pleasant expression on the burly man’s face.

“You want hold son?” Mary asked.

Jim nodded, then quickly shook his head. “I’m all wet, Mary. My foot slipped, and I fell in the river when I was settin’ one of my traps.”

She smiled. “You change clothes. Then hold baby.”

Jim nodded. “I’ll do that in a minute. Right now I need to know something.”

“What?” Mary asked.

“How are ya feelin’? Are ya doin’ okay?”

“Me fine. Baby fine, too,” she assured him. “Amanda take care of us. She good woman.”

Jim turned to Amanda. “I’m glad you were here when the baby came. Thanks for helpin’ out.”

“Thou art welcome, but I really didn’t do that much,” Amanda replied. “Mary delivered the baby herself, and I did whatever she told me.”

“It’s a comfort to know you were here. If somethin’ had gone wrong, it wouldn’t have been good for her to be alone.” Jim cast another look at his sleeping son. “I’m gonna get outta these wet clothes now, but when I come back to the room, you and me have a job to do, Mary.”

“What job?” she asked, looking up at him with a curious expression.

“We need to name our son.”