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Elpitha
Sept 7, 2006 1:22:08 GMT -5
Post by zinovia on Sept 7, 2006 1:22:08 GMT -5
Elpitha: Chapter 37: Little One
A/N: Here it is, folks. The final chapter. A warning: No matter what you may read, here, please avoid the urge to throw your computer out the window and/or send me a letter bomb. I promise it will all be worth it in the end. Enjoy!
Jack entered his house and walked into the kitchen. There was no one there. He searched the bathroom, kitchen, living room, and master bedroom, but found no one. Frowning, he went upstairs to search the other bedrooms. He had asked Elpitha repeatedly to stop climbing the steps without his help. They were steep and much more dangerous now that her center of gravity had shifted so much. As a matter of fact, Jack was beside himself making sure that Elpitha followed doctor’s orders. In all fairness to Elpitha, Jack had become so ridiculously overprotective, that even Elli would have told him to lay off. One day, he scolded her for everything from bending down to pet the dogs to taking too long a walk (from the kitchen to the bedroom), and wouldn’t be satisfied until she was sitting in the softest, most comfortable chair they owned and not moving. Privately, Elpitha told Elli that she was ready to get out of that chair and give him a good swift kick in the rear end… but she got stuck.
It turned out that Elpitha wasn’t upstairs, however. Jack came down, bewildered and stepped over to peer out a window. He sighed and smiled. Elpitha sat on the bottom log of the wooden fence that separated the farm from the river that surrounded it. She rested her chin on the top log and wrapped her arms around it. Jack had seen her there often since she found out that she was pregnant. She would sit there for hours and just stare at the water and the mill. Jack stepped outside and snuck up behind Elpitha. He put his hands on her shoulders and bent down to kiss her cheek.
“Here again?” He asked, stroking her hair. “You seem very thoughtful these days, babe.” Elpitha looked up at him and smiled, but didn’t answer. “I really wish you wouldn’t sit here… You could fall, and it’s right in the sun! I could get you a nice reclining chair and put it right there under the tree. You’d still have a very nice view of the mill and the water. Wouldn’t that be better, baby?”
“I like it here.” Elpitha replied. “I can hear the water rushing, and it’s more comfortable than it looks.”
“That’s fine, but it’ll be much better and safer over here under the tree. I don’t like you sitting so close to the water. If you slipped… Plus, it wouldn’t be any better if you fell backwards. Can you even get up from there? No. I don’t want you to hurt yourself. Come on now, why don’t you come with me. I don’t want to find you sitting over here anymore. There are much better places to sit if you want to watch the water. How about…” Jack stopped at the glare that he was getting from his wife. “Baby?” He asked. “What is it?”
“I’ve had enough of your scolding!” Elpitha shouted.
“But honey! The baby!” Jack stammered. He took a breath and continued. “I’m not scolding you, babe. I just want you and the baby to be safe…”
“The baby will be fine! Even Elli and the doctor told you to lay off last time we were there, didn’t they?” Elpitha demanded.
“Yes, they did say I was a tad over zealous, but I just want to make sure that you and the baby are…” Jack began.
“Fine!” Elpitha finished. “We’re both fine! There’s nothing wrong with me sitting here! It’s perfectly comfortable!”
“Sweetie, you’re getting upset. Please don’t… I’m sorry, alright? You can sit there if you like. Just… just be careful.” Jack replied soothingly. Elpitha snorted and faced the water again. After a few moments of silence, Jack attempted to speak to her again. “Baby? I could use some company. Want to sit on the porch with me for a while?”
“Alright, Jack.” Elpitha sighed. She was getting stiff from sitting in the same spot for so long, anyway.
“Up you go.” Jack said cheerfully. He helped Elpitha up, half lifting her. When they got to the porch, he helped her into a rocking chair and then sat down opposite her in a regular chair.
Elpitha was very quiet as they sat there. Her gaze kept roaming back to the mill. Jack noticed and placed his hand on hers.
“So, are you going to tell me what’s so fascinating about that mill? I seem to find you over there more and more these days.” He said.
Elpitha smiled faintly. Her free hand rested on her belly, and she rubbed it thoughtfully. “It’s not just the mill.” She replied. “It’s everything. I watch the mill pick up the water and drop it. I hear the water rushing and splashing against it. It’s very relaxing.”
“It must be.” Jack said in a tone of mock sadness. “You never hang around me anymore!”
“Oh, shutup. It’ just that… the closer it gets to when the baby is going to come, the more I’ve been thinking about my family. I wonder if they’re looking down right now. I wonder if my parents know they’re going to have a grandchild and if my sister knows she’s going to be an aunt… I wish they were here… I think they would have been really happy. Do you… do you think they’re happy, Jack?”
Jack’s first reaction was to take Elpitha into his arms and squeeze her tight. Afraid of crushing the baby, however, he contented himself with squeezing her hand. “I know they are, babe. They know you’re not alone anymore.”
Soon, Jack had to get back to work, and after Elpitha told him that she didn’t want any milk, water, tea, cookies, sandwiches, lemonade, iced tea, leftovers, or crackers, he got her all of the above, and headed off into the fields. Elpitha wanted to throw her shoe at him, but she couldn’t bend down to reach it. It was lucky for her, however, that Jack had left her with so many refreshments. It wasn’t long before she had a visitor.
“Hey, Elpitha! It looks like you’re ready to pop.” Cliff laughed as he took Jack’s chair. “I came by to see how everything’s going.”
“Oh, everything’s fine, if you don’t count the fact that my husband thinks I’m a bottomless pit. Do me a favor and eat and drink some of this, will you?” Elpitha replied.
Cliff laughed. “I think I can handle that.” He helped himself to some of the food and took the glass of iced tea.
“So how are things with you going?” Elpitha asked.
“Great! Me and Ann have really hit it off. She’s lets me do all of her house work for her, and even said she’ll let me propose to her soon!” Cliff replied with a big smile.
Elpitha smirked. “Well it’s nice to see that you’re in control of things. So do you wear the salad bowls for her when you’re alone?”
The smile vanished from Cliff’s face. “Who told you that?!” He demanded.
Elpitha filed that one under “too much information” and changed the subject. “So was there a reason why you dropped by, or did you just want to say hello?” She asked.
“There is a reason why I’m here as a matter of fact.” Cliff laughed. “I heard that Mikri is going to have puppies soon.”
Elpitha glanced over at Mikri who lay panting in the shade of a tree. Mikri looked up at her to give her a look which said quite distinctly: “You think you have it rough? Try carrying around ten!”
“Can I have one of the pups? I want to give it to Ann as a birthday present.” Cliff continued.
“Sure, Cliff. I just hope that she gives birth in time. Plus, you can’t really separate the pups from their mother for at least a couple of weeks.” Elpitha replied.
“Well, I was hoping on bringing her over and letting her choose one, if that’s OK with you. That way, when the puppy is ready, it can come over to the inn.”
“That sounds fine.”
Cliff thanked Elpitha and left, waving goodbye to Jack as he did so. Elpitha watched him go and smiled. It was nice to have her friend back. He seemed happy with Ann, even though she was one step above leading him around on a leash. For a moment, Elpitha entertained the idea of teasing him about it later on, but afraid of discovering another file in the “too much information” folder, decided to forget about it. She wouldn’t be surprised at anything with those too. They way things were going, if those two got married and had kids, it wouldn’t be that much of a shock to find that Ann had made Cliff carry the babies.
With Cliff gone, Elpitha became restless. After all, she had been sitting for quite a while on the wooden fence, and the transition from log to chair, wasn’t very comforting. She decided to stretch her legs and go see Elli. Jack had put extra padding on the rocking chair just for her, so of course, Elpitha had sunk into it and found herself unable to get out. After struggling for a few minutes, she devised a plan. She began to rock back and forth in the chair, using the momentum to propel herself forward until, finally, she managed to struggle to her feet. Of course, Jack had placed a small folding table nearby so that Elpitha could reach any of the refreshments without having to get up. Elpitha tripped on one of the legs and fell backwards. She grabbed onto the table for support, but only succeeded in tipping it over so that when she fell on her back, all of the refreshments that Jack had brought showered her. Elpitha tried to sit up, but failed.
“Jack?” She called, calmly. “Jack, I need your help. Could you please come out here for a moment?” There was no reply. “Jack, get your ass out here and help me up or you’re gonna be the first man impregnated by a broken table leg!”
“Elpitha?”
Elpitha struggled to see who it was. “Yes? Yes, I’m over here! Please help!”
Elli scrambled onto the porch and rushed over to Elpitha. “Elpitha! I was just on my way back from the chicken ranch and decided to stop by to see if you need anything. It’s a good thing I did! What happened?”
At that moment, Jack’s voice floated towards them. “Hooonnnneeeeyyyy…” He sang. “Who wants some nice fresh milk? Moo-Stafa gave me two bucket loads today! Does my baby want some… what happened?!” Jack ran onto the porch.
“I was just asking the same thing.” Elli replied. She turned towards Elpitha who was sniffling. “Oh, no… Don’t cry, baby. Look, you’re OK! Here, let me help you up. Are you alright? How did this happen?”
Elpitha, now on her feet rubbed her eyes with one hand and pointed at Jack with the other. “Him!” She cried.
Elli turned towards Jack in shock. “Jack!” She cried savagely. “How could you let this happen to her? I don’t believe you!”
Jack nearly dropped his buckets. “What? I… she… you… I… what?!”
“Oh, never you mind! Come with me, honey. I’ll take care of you. How would you like some nice warm milk and cookies?” Elli asked kindly. Elpitha nodded and allowed herself to be led off of the porch.
Jack turned as they passed. “But… hey! Look! I have milk!” He waved the buckets at their backs. “I’m…sorry.”
Elli glanced sideways at Elpitha, who was rubbing her eyes and sniffling as they walked, and smirked. Elpitha caught Elli’s smirk and stopped mid-sniffle to scowl at her.
“What are you looking at?” Elpitha asked sulkily.
“You.” Elli replied with a chuckle. “You and those hormones. Crying over spilled milk.” She smoothed some of said milk out of Elpitha’s hair.
Elpitha’s scowl deepened. “I do NOT have hormones!” She huffed and then turned back towards her and Jack’s farm.
Elli laughed and caught her by the wrist, pulling her back. “Alright, missy. We’ll see if those mood swings of yours subside after you’ve gotten cleaned up.”
An hour later, Elpitha sat on one of the couches in Doc’s den watching as little Mike “played” with his baby brother.
“You’re due in a week, aren’t you?” Elli was saying. “Really, it’s any time now. After all, little Timmy here came two weeks premature. Are you nervous? There’s no reason to be. Once you’re a mother, you’ll see what a joy it is to… MIKEY! TIMMY’S HEAD IS NOT A KICKBALL!”
“Ball! Ball!” Mikey cried enthusiastically as Elli snatched him away from Little Timmy, who was lying on his stomach on the floor.
“So how many of those little joys are you planning on having?” Elpitha asked.
Elli set little Mike down and sat down next to her. “Oh, I don’t know. Doc and I both want at least three or four. I want to get a little girl if I can. Actually, between you and me, I think I may be pregnant again.”
“You people need to get a television set.” Elpitha replied.
“Very funny. Doc’s going to examine me later on today.”
“I bet he is.”
Elli chose to ignore the comment. “He doesn’t know anything, yet. I just told him I wasn’t feeling well. So what do you think? You want a boy or a girl?” She asked instead.
Elpitha rubbed her belly thoughtfully. “I’m happy with her.”
Elli laughed. “You seem sure of yourself.”
Elpitha smiled faintly in reply. It was a few moments before she spoke. “Actually, I’m not sure. I guess it’s sort of funny. I had a dream last night. I saw my parents and little sister. They were the same as I remember them… but somehow different. They were… I guess the term is otherworldly. They were happy for me. And my mother… she said she would always look after me… and her granddaughter… I’m probably just being silly about it… but it was so real.”
Elli gasped, her eyes wide and a hand covering her mouth. She reached out and placed a hand on Elpitha’s shoulder. “You don’t think it was… was it real?” She asked quietly.
Elpitha stood up suddenly. She walked over to where baby Timmy was wriggling on the floor. She squatted down and caressed the back of his head gently.
Elli was on her feet. “Oh, honey, you shouldn’t…” But Elpitha was already standing once more.
“I wondered myself at first. But then…” Elpitha reached into her pocket and removed a piece of paper. It was nothing more than a scrap, faded and worn. She handed it to Elli who read it aloud:
“It shatted like a mirror, falling pieces from the sky,
raining stinging autumn showers on a soul that wonders why.
All the walls began to crumble, though it did not last for long.
Now the remnants join the fragments of a story gone so wrong.”
“What is this?” Elli asked after a few moments of silence.
“I wrote that on the bus ride that took me away from my home town. I’ve always had it ever since. I keep it hidden with all of the things I have from… back then. Well, anyway, that night, I woke up, shaking, wondering the same things you are… and I just got up and went to my little hiding spot in the house… and I found it…”
“Found what?”
Elpitha handed Elli a small, black, leather-bound book. There was no writing on the front cover, and the edges were ragged. Elli opened it and flipped through it.
“It’s poetry.” She said.
“It’s my mother’s poetry book. I told you she was a writer.”
“Yes… wow. You must have been really happy to have been able to recover it. It must have helped you all these years.” Elli replied softly, flipping to a random page and reading it silently.
“I didn’t recover it.” Elpitha whispered.
Elli stopped reading and stared. “What?”
“I didn’t recover it. It was… it should have been burned in the wreckage… but when I took the lid off of the little box that I keep those memories in that night, it was lying open at the very top of the pile. It was open to this page.” Elpitha said. She took the book from Elli and flipped it open. “My mom used to sing that to me to help me sleep.” She chuckled softly. “I was so jealous when she started singing it to my baby sister… I’ve been debating over whether or not to tell Jack. I think I will… Maybe tonight…”
Elli’s eyes were glassy. She hiccupped. “Oh, sweetie, I…”
Elpitha laughed nervously. “Please don’t…”
At that moment, Doc came upstairs from the clinic and entered the den. “Ah, Elpitha!” He said, cheerfully. “I was just going to ask Elli to get you in for a last minute checkup. Actually I wanted to speak to you about your options after birth. I have some pamphlets here for you about circumcision and the pros and cons. I figure there’s a fifty/fifty chance that you’ll have a boy and we need to know these things for after the delivery. If you’ll just look these over…”
At that moment, Elli turned on her husband savagely. She knocked the pamphlets out of his hands. “What are you talking about?! Of course she’s not having a boy! It’s gonna be a girl! Anyone can see that!”
Doc stared in shock. “I… but we don’t know… huh?” He stammered.
“Oh, be quiet and get out of here! Of all the absurd things… circumcision!” Elli cried, shoving her husband out the door.
Doc was half way out the door, when he turned and stepped back into the room. “Wait a minute.” He said sternly. “Elpitha, could you excuse us?”
“With pleasure.” Elpitha replied. She took a step towards the door, happy to escape another doctor’s exam, but Elli stopped her with a hand.
“I don’t think so. We’re still talking.” Elli huffed.
“Fine. She can see this if you prefer.” The Doctor replied coolly. He advanced on Elli and she stepped back. Doc took another step towards her, and she took another one back. They continued in this manner until, finally, Elli found herself in a corner with a wall of husband blocking her escape route.
Elpitha shuffled her feet nervously. She had never seen Doc actually angry before, and there were definitely sparks in his eyes. He was advancing on Elli as though he was going to put her over his knee, (Elpitha, who had already had an unwanted sneak peek into Cliff and Ann’s sordid affairs, had planned an escape route through the ventilation vent should such a catastrophe occur) and Elli, despite her defiance, actually looked frightened.
“Now, dearest, would you be so kind as to tell me why, for the past week now, you’ve been biting my head off one minute and acting as though nothing happened the next?” Doc asked, his voice a few octaves lower than usual. Elpitha felt this was much more effective in terms of showing anger than the other alternative. If he turned into a soprano every time his temper got the better of him, it would probably have been much harder to take him seriously.
“Never you mind! You just go on and get out of here so I can finish my chat!” Elli replied. There was a definite quake in her voice. Elpitha had never seen Elli lose control before. It was a shame. If she had a comfortable chair and some popcorn, it would have been a great show. Where was Jack now when she needed him?
“Ellen Roberta Shotinaz.”
“What?”
“I’ve been very patient with you so far.”
“If you say so.”
“But if you don’t tell me what crawled up your behind and died…”
“That’s very charming. They teach you that in medical school?”
“Elli, so help me, I won’t be held responsible…” Doc’s eyes were flashing, and his face was steadily reddening.
“Oh, I’m trembling. Someone save me.” She really was trembling, but Elpitha had no intention of saving her.
“Alright! That’s it!” Doc growled. He reached out suddenly, grabbed Elli, and hoisted her over his shoulder.
“What are you doing?! Put me down!” Elli cried in alarm.
“Maybe a nice cold shower will cool you off, Mrs. Shotinaz.” The doctor replied.
Elpitha, who had been merely a spectator thus far, chimed in suddenly. “Shotinaz? I never really considered your new name, Elli. It suits you. Shot-in-az. Was your maiden name Pain-in-az?”
Elli struggled to get down from Doc’s shoulder, but he held her firmly with his one arm. “Who asked you, you little… Sure! Hide behind your pregnant belly now, but the first thing I’m gonna do when that kid pops out is beat you over the head with a feather duster!” She cried.
Jack appeared in the doorway. He edged curiously around Elli and Doc and went to stand next to his wife. “What’s going on here?” He asked.
“I was just figuring the best way to fly across the room and strangle your wife.” Elli replied.
“Wouldn’t that be bad for your new baby?” Elpitha asked calmly.
Doc’s eyes widened. “New baby…” His eyes ceased to flash and began to sparkle. A smile replaced the scowl on his face. “Dearest, a new baby? Are you pregnant again?”
Elli sighed and shot a glare at Elpitha. “Well, it was SUPPOSED to be a surprise, but I think I might be.”
“That’s wonderful! I mean… well we better be sure then, eh?” Doc cried. He hoisted her higher onto his shoulder. “Let’s get you examined, then, you little brat.” He gave Elli’s bottom a playful smack and turned to leave the room so that Elli now faced Elpitha and Jack.
“Don’t you go anywhere, missy. You’re next.” Elli called.
Elpitha grimaced. “Yuck! No thank you!”
Jack turned to her. “What’s going on?”
“Oh shut up and hoist me up to that ventilation shaft, will you?” She replied irritably.
It turned out that Elli was indeed pregnant again. Another three weeks had passed, and though Jack had vowed to stop being so fussy over Elpitha, he was failing miserably at keeping his word. Elpitha had too many worries of her own to care, however. As the time of delivery approached, she was getting more and more frightened. Aside from the usual fear of doctors, hospitals, and medical treatment in general, she worried that something would go wrong and harm the baby. Jack was more than happy to comfort her, particularly due to the fact that whenever Elpitha had a panic attack, she was a lot more likely to let him pamper and baby her.
Jack now knew of Elpitha’s dream and had already begun tailoring the nursery to suit his new baby girl. Mikri had given birth and Anne had chosen the puppy she wanted – a little male pup that she named “Zeus.” Stu had taken another of the males and named him “Killer.” Jack and Elpitha decided to keep a female for their new daughter, and Zack found homes for the rest of the litter. It seemed as though everything that had to be done before Elpitha gave birth had been done and now only the act itself remained. However, Elpitha, who was normally always prepared ahead of time, refused to help Jack prepare for the big event. For days beforehand, the matter of the overnight bag plagued poor Jack. The doctor had told them to prepare an overnight bag for Elpitha’s stay in the hospital. Elpitha, on the other hand, maintained that she would not be staying overnight at the hospital, and therefore would not need a bag. As a result, every time that Jack would pack a bag, she would find it and unpack it. It was becoming a game of hide and seek. To make matters worse, more time had passed, Elpitha had gone past her delivery date, and the doctor said that he would have to induce if she didn’t give birth soon, something that Elpitha was firmly against. She wanted the process to be as natural as possible. This particular morning was very similar to the ones leading up to it in that it began with an explosion.
“Baby?! Sweetie?! Honey?!” Jack cried in a tone that would have been better suited to a string of curses than to those terms of endearment.
Elpitha, who had sunk completely into a cushioned armchair began desperately trying to extract herself. She had barely made any progress at all when a series of stomping noises announced Jack’s descent from the upstairs bedrooms. She would never have time to get herself out of the chair and escape before Jack got downstairs, and so she quickly settled herself back in the chair and greeted Jack innocently when he arrived.
“Yes, dear? I’m right here.”
Jack shook an empty bag at her. “Again, baby. You emptied it out again, didn’t you, sweetie? You went upstairs without my help and probably nearly killed yourself, didn’t you, honey?” He fumed.
“Yes. Would you like some coffee? I made some this morning. It’s fresh. I’ll get you some.” Elpitha replied sweetly. She tried to extract herself from the chair once more.
Jack walked around her and helped her up. Then he sat down in the chair and pulled her down onto his lap. “We’re going to settle this right here and now, once and for all. Now, Doc, Elli, and I have all explained to you in great detail why it is necessary for you to stay in the hospital for a few days after you give birth, haven’t we?” Elpitha huffed and looked away from him. Jack turned her face back towards him. “Haven’t we?” He asked again, more kindly. Elpitha nodded. Jack gave her a soft kiss on the lips and began stroking her hair with one hand. “Now, I know you don’t like the clinic, and I understand that you think that you can get along fine without the doctor. You’re willing to put yourself at risk, but are you willing to put her at risk?” Jack had his other arm around her. He put his hand on her belly and rubbed it gently. Elpitha shook her head. Jack smiled and gave her another kiss. “Will you help me pack a bag for you, then?” He asked.
“Oh, fine.” Elpitha replied irritably. “Let me get up, then.”
Jack laughed. “Oh, no, no, no. I’ll get up. You tell me what you want in the bag.”
“Whatever. I still have to get up if you want to get up. Just get the same stuff I unpacked. It was all fine. It’s upstairs somewhere.” Elpitha replied.
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It will be posted soon.