It was a dark and stormy night. Well, actually, it was. Really miserable, too. I was definitely going to lose time on this run. I was still driving a rig at the time. I'd started driving to travel, find somewhere nice, or at least get the hell out of home. But that's another story.
It was one of those nights where you had to trust yourself, had to have faith in your wheels, and had to know better than to push it. There are a lot of idiots out there, and most of them were showing their true colors, flashing blue and red at the scene of their latest accident. At least the smarter ones pulled over when they couldn't hack it anymore. There were a lot of those too.
There's always a lot of chatter on the air. You need to know you're not the only idiot out there doing this, you're never alone. Mostly because it can get really boring driving all day. The radio never helps much, they always play the same songs, unless you get an alternative station, and you can only take so much of that at once. Nights like this there's always more talk. You gotta look out for each other, you know? So there's always somebody talking about where the accidents are, the worst weather, and any cop donut stops. And any psycho drivers.
So somebody was bitching about this psycho driver speeding like a bat outa hell and trying to push TRUCKS out of the way. Now I may not be a math whiz but I thought everybody knew about mass and momentum and the fact that a truck WILL run you down if you forget these little details. Incidentally ruining the driver's whole day. So, when 15 minutes later this psycho driver comes to pass me I'm not gonna get cute, I stay slow and in the right, and they blast past. And when they pass 3 more cars then suddenly swerve to the shoulder and stop, spewing mud everywhere, I'm thinking "Oh, great, they lost it and wrecked." But the other driver who warned me about the psycho had turned off, I was it for a loooong stretch.
Ah, nuts, you still gotta look out for each other, or what's this whole life thing for? So I was probably the only help they had. I pulled it over nice and easy, up a bit in case they blew. Pleasant thought, that, eccchhh... So I grabbed my mag light, called the cops to send a car or ambulance or something, and ran through the downpour hoping... I dunno, really, just hoping...
The car light inside was on and folks were moving. When I got closer I heard the screams. "Oh, damn!" I thought, and somehow ran faster. 'Cause then I was there banging on the window. Only it wasn't a wreck. There was a lady having a kid. No, I take that back, there was a wreck, it was the driver, the daddy lost it and he was screaming louder than she was, terrified they were all gonna die because they hadn't made it to the hospital.
"Nobody's gonna die. I can help. Police are on the way. Let me help. Please, I can help. Let me help." That lady was a real trooper. She heard me just fine and started calming him down. Now I'd had all that first aid stuff with scouts, and seen Rescue 911 and all that, but nothing prepares you for the real thing. And it's even messier than they show on TV, her "water" was everywhere, must've been why they pulled over. So I held her hand, and moved her into the back seat, I'm still not sure how we managed that. And I talked and talked to calm him down and keep her going smoothly. The rain was a calming drumming on the roof of the car. Made it easier to concentrate on her, feel what she was going through, help her. I must've been really focused or something because I suddenly was grabbed on the shoulder. It was him. He was calmer now, not screaming, but you could see the confusion in his eyes, it was really sinking in the baby was coming NOW. He demanded, "How do you know? How is it gonna be 'fine' here?"
"Because I know! OK? Because your boy is strong and almost here. OK? Because I can SEE him right HERE! And everyone is just FINE! OK?" Actually I don't really remember that part, but they both told me later I'd said it. Must have been the stress, I didn't quite sound the same, they said. And then the baby was born. Boy was he beautiful. Actually to look at he was kinda ugly, but he was still beautiful. I'm not sure how to put this. I guess it's just something you feel. There's definitely nothing like it.
We wrapped the kid in a jacket and both parents were beaming like halogen. Wow. So I said I'd call ahead and escort them to the hospital. I mean, I was late anyway, and already here, and, you know...
So I ran back to my rig and called the cops again. They hadn't had time to send a car yet. It only took that long? It seemed like forever.
There's something thrilling in speeding down the road in a rig with your horn blaring and you know the cops won't pull you over, they'll escort you. We got to the hospital emergency room just fine. I got to park in the ambulance area, nowhere else big enough to fit me. And then they make me and the guy wait while a doctor checks the lady out. As if we hadn't been there through the delivery. Hmmmph. So we get to talking. He's still a bit jittery.
Well they'd been visiting her sister for a bit since she, Chris, actually Christabelle, wasn't due yet, and were heading home to North Carolina. "No, I haven't been there much, sir." "Call me Asa. She's OK, right? Why are they making us wait?" "She's just fine Asa. I'm Cab Lynch." "Asa Atherton." And a fine strong handshake he had. Of course I'd expect it from a big black guy like that. His kid'll probably do well in football, too, if he gets his dad's shoulders. It turns out, he confessed, that the doctor had told him to be back in time for the delivery, they were expecting a difficult delivery like her sister had, and their mother had. Well that certainly explained it. He'd never told her, so's not to make her nervous.
And right on cue the doctor pops out to say Asa could see her, but I'd have to wait. And Asa was determined I'd stay and see her too. At that hour of night the doctor wasn't up to the argument and caved in. So I stayed and we talked until Chris and the baby got sleepy. We traded addresses. I've still got theirs. They have a PO box for me. I even went to his first birthday party. He still looks funny and beautiful. And the story isn't told to everybody, just family and those who count. It's funny being a very white aunt to a very black family, but it's never seemed to matter. Not to me and Asa and Chris. Anybody else either knows the story, or doesn't seem enough to worry over.