What's Got Into Lena (Part 2)

Chapter 2

John O'Reilly was lanky, 6'5" tall, 48 years old but looking younger, a raw-skinned red-headed Irishman. Muscles built by years of underground
coal mining rippled in his back and arms as he reached for the ever-heating pot of coffee on the stove. Under his heavy jacket, he wore the standard khaki-colored mining uniform of pants, shirt and heavy black shoes.

"Here, Daddy, let me get you a cup," Lena said.

"Oh, stay settled girl. I'll get it myself. You look ready to drop, and I mean drop the baby."

"I wish," she sighed dramatically. "If it weren't so darn cold, I'd wish it to drop today. I am so tired of carrying it around."

"It will come when it's ready. They always have, always will," John said, looking at Lena carefully under his bushy eyebrows, his vivid blue eyes taking in Lena's appearance and her nervous wringing of her hands. "What's on your mind, girl? And why haven't you called your mother?"

"I have nothing to say to mother, and nothing is on my mind except to get this baby out of my belly, into the world."

Finding a cup, he poured himself some coffee. "I been hearing that you've been trying to get it out of the world, as in dead out of the world. Any truth to those stories, Lena?" John O'Reilly was not a timid man. He said what needed saying.

"Daddy!"

"Don't Daddy me. Hell, girl. The whole county is talking. Lena Lykins don't want her baby and is trying to kill it. That's the talk all right. I don't like it, Lena."

"I am not trying to kill it. I just want it to get here so I can stop looking like a whale. I hate people and their talky talk. Don't notice any of them here folding diapers or anything. I admit I did try to jump around a lot and over work myself months ago, hoping I would miscarry, but I didn't and that's that and here it still is." She twisted her face into a sneer.

Then she jumped up from her chair and walked to the window, peering out into the cold blue sky. She could never look her father in the eyes when she was lying, and this time was no different.

John watched her speculatively, then said "Listen girl. Listen good. You kill a baby in this county, and you go up the river, woman or not. And, we don't murder in this family, especially not helpless little babies. What in hell has got into you?"

"What has got into me is this devil's spawn, and I'm sick of it. I'm sick of babies and diapers and baby shit and croup and spit up and useless men who don't lift a hand to help!"

John slammed his hand down on the table, his voice raising, "Don't give me that tune, little missy. You couldn't wait to push yourself away from my table to run off and marry Jim Lykins. Your mother couldn't talk sense to you. You slipped out at night like a common weed monkey and slept with him, more than once too. Whole damn church was talking about it. You made a laughing stock of me and yourself, whoring around and disobeying your elders. Couldn't wait to pull your bloomers off for the first miner who rested his boots on our porch steps. Now you got your man and you got his babies, and that's just the way it is. You damn well better get your butt on track, girl and be the wife and mother you're meant to be. Play time is over. This is the real world."

Lena began to cry. "See how you are. Even my own father doesn't have a kind word to say to me. Doesn't anyone in the whole world care how I feel, what I want anymore? I hate my life. I hate being married. Sometimes, I even hate the boys."

"Oh, hells bells girl, stop crying. This is not the end of the world. Have this baby and then go to Sylvie. She'll help you fix it so no more come along any time soon. It's not like you're poor and can't get help with the kids. Doesn't that Thelma girl I sent you help out? And you don't hate them little boys, and you love Jim Lykins. You're just too pregnant and too tired. Soon, you'll have the baby and life will get back to normal."

"Daddy, Jim would kill me if I went to Sylvie. He thinks she's a goddamned witch. And the church you push at me thinks fortune tellers and healers are evil and sinful, don't you know?" She grinned, knowing the slur about Sylvie would bile up his liver, Sylvie being his half sister and all. She continued "And Thelma helps me but she's not here at night when the kids cry and whine. She's not here when Jim starts pawing on me and I'm dead tired. Most of all, she's not tied to this damn two-roomed house with this damn man and his damn kids in this damn stinking god-forsaken holler."

John stood up, put is empty cup in the dish pan, leaned against the sink for a moment. Turning around, he glared at Lena. "You will have this baby. You will take care of your husband and your kids. You'll clean up your mouth and go to church on Sundays. You'll be a prim and proper wife and mother. It's what you were born to do, Lena even with your filtered-down Injun blood. It's what all decent women are born to do. I don't want to hear any more about it. Now, sit down. You look ready to bust. And don't you forget, you're an O'Reilly, not a Mingo."

Lena sat down, an angry look on her face, but she didn't argue. She tapped her fingers on the table top, tried to cross her legs but couldn't because of her rounded belly. She looked outward at nothing in particular, indicating the subject was closed, as far as she was concerned.

"Now," John asked "how much money do you need? Everything settled with the doc? Got plenty of milk, food, whatever you need?" He pulled out his wallet.

"Daddy, Jim doesn't like you giving me so much money, and I don't really need anything but thank you for asking." She gave a quivering smile.

"Oh, screw him, Lena. Don't tell him. Here, take this." He threw several twenties on the table. Lena quickly scooped them up and tucked them into her bra.

"Thank you, Daddy" she said. She got up, walked over to where he was standing and hugged him, her head barely coming up to his underarm.

He wrapped his arms around her and hugged gently. "I don't mean to get rough with you girl. You know I love you. You'll get through this, you will. I'll help you."

"Yes, Daddy, I know."

John pushed her away gently and walked to the door, stooping down to go outside. "Damn, it's cold out here. Bye sweetheart. Tell Jim I'll stop by later this week to help with that automobile of his. Call if you need me. Call Thelma and tell her to add one more day a week to the schedule. You can use the help."

"OK, Daddy."

After John left, she shut the door and mumbled "whatever you say, Daddy."

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