FanStory.com - The News is Outby BethShelby

Once my yet-to-be grandmother, Annie Jane, had moved out of her house, the most logical place for her to live was with her oldest daughter Christine and her husband, Harry. Their house was the largest of her children’s houses, and the bulk of her furniture had ended up there. Christine, whose father, a constable, had been killed when she was two, was eleven years older than Lucille.

Christine’s husband, Harry, was a laid-back, happy-go-lucky farmer and the perfect husband for Christine. She was used to farm work and was easy-going and good natured. Harry played the fiddle and guitar and the couple enjoyed interacting with friends in the community. They often had people over to play games or for a musical evening with Harry’s siblings. The one great regret of their life had been their inability to have children. After a miscarriage, Christine’s health had deteriorated, and she had no choice, other than to have a hysterectomy.

With the Williams family, things were pleasant enough for Annie Jane, but she felt awkward living where she was no longer the lady of the house. She was determined not to outstay her welcome with any one of her four children. Next, she hoped to visit with Lucille and Glover. Later, maybe she could do a little traveling and go stay a while with her boys. Newman was in Texas, and Eugene was in Michigan.

Lucille had revealed to her mother she thought she was pregnant. She dreaded telling Glover, because he wasn’t anxious to have children. Annie took the news without any visible excitement. To her, children meant work and trouble. She decided she’d wait until nearer the time for the baby so she'd be of some help. In the meantime, she got busy making some loose-fitting dresses for Lucille to wear.

Lucille waited for three months to pass before she got up the nerve to tell Glover. She had already told his mother, Alma, and swore her to silence. Alma was excited. She hoped Lucille would have a girl, as she had lost her baby girl several years before Glover was born.

“You need to go ahead and tell him, Lucille. He's not used to children, but he will be thrilled when he has his own baby. He needs to go ahead and get used to the idea that he’s going to be a Papa. I know Ebb will be excited. Is it okay if I tell him?”

“Give me a couple of days,” Lucille told her. “You’re right. I need to go ahead and tell him. Pretty soon, he will be wondering why I’m putting on weight. So far, I think I’ve lost weight. I’ve been really nauseated.”

Waiting for Glover to get home, Lucille paced back and forth trying to calm her nerves and think of how to approach the subject in a way that wouldn’t trigger a sharp reaction from her husband. The last five years had taught her that he didn’t like surprises. Maybe the carrot cake I baked and loaded with pecans will help, she thought. It is his favorite.

She waited until the meal was finished and he actually complimented her on the cake before she started the conversation.

“I’ve been wondering why I’ve been so nauseated lately,” she said. “I was talking to your mother today and she thinks I may be pregnant.”

“Surely not,” he said. “Wouldn’t you know? I thought women could tell those things by their period. You haven’t missed a period, have you?", he asked. His expression darkened and he looked alarmed.

“Well, with Dad dying and Mama trying to figure out what to do and then with us trying to get a garden going, things like that can slip your mind.”

“Lucille, don’t tell me you wouldn’t know. Are you trying to slip something over on me? You can’t be pregnant. I’ve used rubbers every time.”

“Well honey, you’ve still been using some of those old ones your druggist friend gave us when we first got married. That was five years ago, I told you we needed to throw those old ones out. The rubber probably dry-rots like it does on tires. It wouldn’t be so bad if I’m pregnant, would it? Some of our friends who got married after we did, have already got three kids.”

Glover's face was flushed. He got up from the table without saying another word and headed down the path toward the barn. He needed time to process this information. He didn’t buy the idea of Lucille not knowing if she was pregnant. She had a way of saying things she wanted to get out, in such a way she wasn’t exactly lying, but still making him feel he was the victim of a deception. She wanted a baby and in some way she must be putting one over on him and making him feel like it was all his fault.

After walking all the way to the back pasture, he was starting to see this news a little differently. He had gone through a lot of teasing at work. Men friends, and women as well, kept asking if he wasn’t ever going to get a family going. Apparently, people were beginning to believe something might be wrong with one of them physically. Having kids seemed to be what people thought marriage was all about.

Damn it! If she’s pregnant, it better be a girl. A boy is too hard to handle, and I can’t tolerate a lot of noise. I wonder how long she been keeping her little secret? I need to find out. I hate surprises.

The is the story of my early life in Mississippi. I have yet to be born.

Characters:

Annie Jane: My maternal grandmother A widow with 4 children and 11 stepchildren.

Christine: Annie's older daughter by first marriage. Married to Harry Williams.

Eugene Dearing: Older son by first marriage He lives in Detroit, Michigan.

Newman Lay Annie's son by second marriage and my mother brother, with same parents. He lives in Port Author, Texas.

Lucille: Annie's youngest daughter. My mother is married to my father Glover Weir She is a housewife.

Glover: My father He works in town and is a clerk in a retail story.

Ebb and Alma Weir Glover's parents and my grandparents, who live a short way down the road from Glover and Lucille.