Red suprise

I had promised to try not to give birth of a Friday afternoon, when the traffic is at its worst in Patras. But when the water breaks, you have no choice but to head to the hospital, leaving the lab at 3 pm. I dropped by home to get the few things that I had already packed for this big event, even if I did not expect to give birth early. I asked my friend to please dry the clothes in the washing machine, and i met her at my home too. The we all three drove to the hospital, the future parents and my friend. My protector - who is the wife of my PhD supervisor is out of the country, visiting her children in England. She had given me in charge of an older and respected doctor, who did not show up. The young italian doctor is short haired, bright eyed and alert. I trust she knows what she is doing better than me. Which is very easy. The doctor moves around me, doing what she is supposed to be doing I guess, and being mostly  quiet. The nurse is a lot more verbal and is coaching me, do this not that, as if i really had control over my body, She also sends occasional progress updates to the husband. Husbands are left out of the action, and i understand that the two little women in the room might have problems picking up a man who has fainted off the floor, should this happen. The rest seems mostly quiet, expect there is another woman at the door waiting for her turn. And then the doctor speaks, right at 2 am  - look it's a red head! I got up to try and see, and stated firmly that this cannot be. We do not have read heads in our family. Now you do she stated, and handed me this tiny, very white baby. And i still struggle to see how can his hair be red. And i love him already, he has been loved before being born, like any baby should be. When we walk out, my other girl friend , who had finished her shift at the bar is there to help me manage the first night. My husband heads home, trying to sleep, before he needs to buy and assemble the baby furniture. We do not buy this stuff ahead of time in Greece, to not tempt fate in the wrong way.

The second day i get a phone call - the other students would like to come visit, can they , the next day? What time? Anytime. We live off excitement, and sleep is hard to put on a schedule anyways. They show up, just about the whole group in the department of neurophysiology... They stand, or sit around the bed for 15 minutes, ask questions, smile warmly, before they are hushed out. I like to think we share the joy, of this first Sunday morning. I learning to live a new life, that has been changed forever. There is more joy, and i am more ready for surprises, and to embrace them. I am grateful to the young italian doctor who delivered the news, who could see what i could not see, and for all the joy this little copper haired boy has brought me.

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