One day I came home from school early
because I was the first one done
with a History test
so the teacher excused me
from class.
Mom was in bed.
I was shocked.
I had never seen Mom in bed during the day.
"Lynna-girl" Mom said
her voice weak
and wispy
"see if you can find some clean towels".
I ran to the bathroom
and found clean towels
and ran back to Mom
who was twisting and groaning
in her bed.
"What's wrong, Mom?"
I asked, as I followed her pointing fingers
and slipped towels under her hips
under the covers
and saw blood everywhere.
I almost fainted.
"I'm losing the baby,"
she said.
"Now I need you to run down the road
and get Sister Clemson to come
and help me."
I ran like the wind
my heart beating fast
my breath short
scared to death
for my Mom
and Sister Clemson ran back with me
and lifted the covers
off Mom
and spread her legs
and Mom screamed
and I held my hands over my ears
and Sister Clemson pulled out a little girl
who had brown hair
and wasn't any bigger than my hand
and who was dead.
Mom cried
and said
"I was going to name her Laurel Jeanne."
I didn't know what to do
to help Mom
so I got a chair from the dining room
and sat by her
and held her hand
which was sweaty and trembly.
Sister Clemson wrapped the baby
in a towel
and took her away.
Sister Thompson came rushing over
and moved Mom around
to change the bed
and Mom groaned
and cried
and Sister Thompson got me a wet washcloth
to lay on Mom's forehead
before she bundled up the bloody sheets
and towels
and took them away.
Daddy got home
from visiting his congregation
and he went into the bedroom and shut the door
and I could hear Mom crying.
I made bologna sandwiches for supper
for me and the boys and baby Paul
and cleaned up good
so that Mom wouldn't have anything to worry about
and we put ourselves to bed that night
without devotions
and I laid there and prayed for Mom
because I knew she was terribly disappointed.
I prayed for myself, too
because that dead little brown-haired girl was
my sister
Laurel Jeanne.
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