He was due on Tuesday 21 June. We didn't know the sex. If a boy, he was always going to be William, after my late father. William arrived two days late, on Thursday June 23.
June 23 is my father's birthday.
*
We were having coffee in Brunetti's, the best cake shop in the universe, when labour set in. We drove home, a half hour drive, called the hospital. They said, come in at once. We drove back in. The hospital is not 200 metres from Brunetti's.
*
Contractions slowed. They sent us home in the evening. T. slept not a wink, noting contraction times. Back to hospital Wednesday morning. It was a long day's journey into night. Shifts of midwives and nurses came and went. At half past ten, I slipped out into the cold and walked around the corner: Lygon Street. The cafes north of Grattan were mostly closing, but on the south side some stay open into the small hours, some all night. I went into Notturno, an old favourite, for a bowl of gnocchi and a glass of red. And then a long macchiato - to counter the soporific effect of the pasta and wine.
*
I was back in the ward by eleven thirty.
Wednesday slipped into Thursday.
William arrived at eight minutes to four.
*
I was home by six a.m. to tell Goldie, our elderly Brittany, we hadn't left town. I slept two hours and was back at the hospital by nine.
T. was still awake. Imagine not sleeping at all for two entire nights and giving birth in the middle of it all.
She's a tired girl.
*
William has her rosebud mouth but his long head is definitely O'Brien.
He has eyebrows. They look like they are painted on.
His hair is light brown.
June 23 is my father's birthday.
*
We were having coffee in Brunetti's, the best cake shop in the universe, when labour set in. We drove home, a half hour drive, called the hospital. They said, come in at once. We drove back in. The hospital is not 200 metres from Brunetti's.
*
Contractions slowed. They sent us home in the evening. T. slept not a wink, noting contraction times. Back to hospital Wednesday morning. It was a long day's journey into night. Shifts of midwives and nurses came and went. At half past ten, I slipped out into the cold and walked around the corner: Lygon Street. The cafes north of Grattan were mostly closing, but on the south side some stay open into the small hours, some all night. I went into Notturno, an old favourite, for a bowl of gnocchi and a glass of red. And then a long macchiato - to counter the soporific effect of the pasta and wine.
*
I was back in the ward by eleven thirty.
Wednesday slipped into Thursday.
William arrived at eight minutes to four.
*
I was home by six a.m. to tell Goldie, our elderly Brittany, we hadn't left town. I slept two hours and was back at the hospital by nine.
T. was still awake. Imagine not sleeping at all for two entire nights and giving birth in the middle of it all.
She's a tired girl.
*
William has her rosebud mouth but his long head is definitely O'Brien.
He has eyebrows. They look like they are painted on.
His hair is light brown.
Comments
Post a Comment