She’s not coming back

Ada sat in the middle of Mama’s bed, holding little Evie. Evie’s face was finally relaxed and peaceful. She had cried for so long Ada had wanted to cry, too. But she was Mama’s big girl, her little helper. She had a job, and that job was to take care of little Evie while Mama was getting that new baby out of her tummy and into their arms.

“Mama’s going to get in the tub, baby girl. It’s time for your new brother or sister to join our family,” Mama had said, smiling at Ada before she grabbed her belly and moaned a little.

“Mama?” Ada had asked, frightened by the look on Mama’s face before she had doubled over.

“I’m fine, baby girl,” Mama had said, straightening up and cupping Ada’s cheek. “Take Evie and go sit on Mama’s bed. Daddy should be coming soon.”

But that was when the big hand was on the twelve and the little hand was on the two. The little hand was on the eight now. She’d changed little Evie’s diaper at least four times. She wasn’t as good at it as Mama, but she did it. But still Evie cried. She tried to get her to eat a banana, but she just spit it out and kept crying. So, she’d got a bottle out of the Frigidaire and dragged a chair to the stove so she could warm it up. She wasn’t supposed to touch the stove, but she knew Mama always warmed the bottle before she gave it to little Evie. Finally, she had drifted off to sleep, exhausted by the crying or comforted by the bottle.

And now it was almost dark. It was quiet in the bathroom. Mama wasn’t making any scary sounds and there was no baby crying either. Ada sat holding her baby sister close as the night fell and wished she could fall asleep, too.

She lay Ada on the bed, putting pillows around her so she wouldn’t roll onto the floor. Then, she climbed off the bed and tiptoed to the bathroom.

“Mama?” she whispered.

Silence.

“Mama?”

She heard the slightest whimpering sound. She opened the door.

In the tub, lay Mama, eyes closed.

Mama fell asleep in the tub, Ada thought as we walked over to her.

When she looked in the tub, she began to scream, “Mama, Mama! Wake up! Wake up, Mama!” For the tub was full of blood and vomit and feces and there was a little baby laying in it and Mama wasn’t doing anything. Ada continued screaming and shaking her mama’s shoulder.

Eventually, Miss Hattie, their neighbor from next door who sometimes looked after her and little Evie, came banging on the door. “Helen? Ada? What’s going on in there?

Ada ran to the door, “Miss Hattie, Miss Hattie! It’s Mama! I can’t wake her up and there’s blood and the new baby and I don’t know what to do!”

“Calm down, child. Open the door for Miss Hattie.”

“I can’t reach the lock,” Ada wailed.

“Stay right there, Ada. I’ll go get the spare key. Stop crying now. Miss Hattie will be right there.”

Miss Hattie got the key and called the police, all the while mumbling about that no-account man Helen thought could do no wrong. Where was he now? Damn shame, she thought. Such a sweet thing with those cute babies. Hmmph, no such thing as a good man.

When Miss Hattie got in the apartment, Ada grabbed hold of her legs. “Now, now, child. Miss Hattie’s here. Take me to your mama.”

At the door of the bathroom, Miss Hattie swiftly turned Ada around and said, “Sugar, you go on and take care of little Evie. I’ll take care of the new baby.”

“And Mama,” Ada whispered.

“Go on,” said Miss Hattie.

When the police arrived, Miss Hattie had already cut the umbilical cord, cleaned the baby and made sure his mouth was clear and he was breathing. She wrapped him in a blanket. She had cleaned the tub and poor Helen, laying a sheet over her nakedness. She opened the door, baby in her arms.

“What’s the emergency, girl?”

“The emergency is over,” Miss Hattie replied, too sad to take offense at the officer’s disrespect. “Mrs. Marshall, the woman who lives in this apartment, is in the tub. She gave birth to this here baby some time today. I came when I heard her older daughter screaming. Something went wrong. She’s dead. The baby is breathing, but I’m sure he needs help. I don’t know how long he was laying there.”

“Where’s the father?”

“I don’t know.”

“Hmmph.”

Soon, the apartment was overrun with emergency personnel. Mama was taken out on a stretcher while Ada stood in the doorway of the bedroom.

“When is Mama coming back?” she asked Miss Hattie who was still holding the new baby boy while little Evie slept.

“She not coming back, child.”