Struck by extreme pain, she found out she was pregnant, again, with twins. “I couldn’t be happier! ” Jackie was jumping with joy, or at least hopping to some extent (immediately recalling she has a pair of babies developing inside of her). Only going in for a simple ultrasound to figure out why her uterus was so enlarged only about a week into her pregnancy, she had discovered the phenomenon of her predicament. Nermine insisted that throughout the dragging nine months, she just could not wait to finally give birth.
However, noting by a few reactions, not everyone had considered these two new babies together as a blessing. Concerned with the economic situation of the now rapidly-growing family, Jackie’s’ husband wasn’t exactly thrilled. Recently making the big move from Egypt to America, the couple had to thrive on what little they had. (Finding a job was not the most simple of tasks for new coming Arabians considering the growing Al Qaeda terrorist group and the most recent 1993 world trade center bombing).
Truthfully, he wasn’t sure if we could deal with two babies at the same time, and he wasn’t even sure if he wanted to make the effort. In complete disbelief, Jackie disregarded her husbands’ mundane attitude towards her situation and attempted to focus on the good and make light of the little she had. Promptly drying her face, she picked herself up and ‘just kept swimming’. Jackie swooped up her mother several all months later to find out exactly what she was dealing with. The ultrasound technician immediately greeted them both with smiles and kind words; “A beautiful mother for two beautiful babies. She insisted on how brave Jackie was for dealing with all of this by her own self.
These words did not make her smile as well. The frown slowly crept across her cheeks and pulled down towards to surround her chin. A few moments later, the machines’ electrical hands were making its way through the blue goop spread throughout her ballooned stomach area. All hearts in the room were thumping vigorously but ever so still, just loud enough to feel the emotion confusions throughout the condensed area.
A picture flashed across the screen, then another; both lacking color but not depth. Her mother spontaneously burst out into tears of both joy and disbelief. Both babies were females. “I’m going to have two granddaughters! ” was the only statement the proud almost-grandmother could say (considering she had only one married child with just one son). Mother and daughter cried hand-in-hand for the next few moments, overcome with the hysteria of beautiful new life rapidly developing within Jackie’s’ expecting insides. Amanda…
Jackie had been sure the of the name ever since she was just a teen herself. Strolling through the mall on just a typical evening, Jackie found herself randomly engaged in a conversation with a complete stranger. Yet she wasn’t just anybody, this young lady was the most beautiful one Jackie had ever see since she came to America. “Fascinating” she had described her as. Along with sporting the most valuable characteristic qualities, Nermine just couldn’t have enough. Amanda was the young ladys’ name, and from that point on, also the name of Jackies’ first-born daughter.
The first name had been chosen, but there was just a slight dilemma; she needed two now. Roadblock! But Jackie clearly had other things on her mind. Now seven months in and carrying two full sized fetuses within her uterus, Jackies’ day was not all that easy to cope with. She had stated several times that the weight and pain within her body felt like three giants throwing boulders at her back simultaneously. She entered the pregnancy with prayers for ease and joy but now all she would beg God for was some rest.
Twenty-four hours of non-stop throwing up that at one point, she almost wished to have just morning sickness like normal expecting mothers. These constant trips to the restroom with her head down the toilet had landed her stuck with an IV in her arm at all hours of the day. Nurses would consistently drop by the home and check up, adjust and refill these bags for her while she was almost basically bed-ridden and faint. This process took place every hour of every day for the next almost three months of the full experience.
What a blessing indeed. She was trapped within herself and her body, expecting the unexpected and just hoping for the day to come where she could just hold the two demons inside of her. Her wish came true. On December 24th, 1993, she had to be induced. Screams of pain and the unknown filled the room and drowned out all other noise; the doctors’ commands were unheard and all nurses were frantic; only the few broken words could be made out from within the yells: “get those babies out of her. ”
Eleven hours later, on December 25th, 1993 at exactly six in the morning then promptly nine minutes later, within the sweat and tears and fear and blood, two baby girls emerged from the only home they’ve ever known, to a world they would now see for the very first time and until they leave this will be the place both will grow and learn and prosper for rest of their lifetime. After the dark, came the light; one at a time, both babies were bathed and dried off, then placed on her chest and within her grasp. Jackie beamed. First Amanda, and then… Baby number two!
Jackie had complete forgot she hadn’t named the other girl, and was immediately overcome with anxiety. For the next three days to come, she would have all family and hospital officials offering possible identifications for the child day in and say out until they finally gave up and just handed her a baby-name book. From the moment the book was opened, Jackie already had an idea of what girl number two would be called. Annie, she stated, was the second babies name; “Annie was perfect. ” “Come help me load these angels into the van! ” Grandma exclaimed after lugging both the baby seats from the hospital room.
All cousins and siblings rushed to aid the old woman as she struggled to strap the safety seat belts to the car while the once-again new father just say in the drivers seat waiting to go. The family continued to mumble dark phrases under their breath, but chose not to spoil the joy of such a glorious day. Finally, after four long days of exhaustion, Jackie got the chance to retreat back home to her now neglected three year old boy who she missed even more than peace and quiet. She settled into the vehicle after some exerted effort pushing out of the wheelchair and sliding into the back seat to be with her “little miracles”.
The engine roared, and the journey had just begun. Epilogue “Mom seriously you’re acting ridiculous right now like so inconsiderate of my feelings I can’t believe you wont let me go to the mall with my friends Friday night you don’t even care about me! ” Amy stormed off and into her the slumber of her gloomy and intimate dwellings. Not far from Amy were her two older sisters, both also separated and off into their own personal worlds of cellular devices and temporary acquaintances, never to make face until it was dinner time or a restroom was required.
Andrew had just come back from his last of biology summer course at the state university because he had failed the class first semester. Exhausted but relieved, Andrew strode across the living room to his equally worn-out mother crouching over a table piled high with bills and divorce paperwork. He planted a gentle kiss on her forehead, and then went on to elaborate on how horrendous his grades would still be after this final wasted effort.
On and on he continued with the aggravating yet unsurprising news; but Jackie wasn’t frustrated or worried or even a slight bit upset. In fact, she hadn’t even been listening to him at all. Jackie was frozen still for a little, feeling nothing at all, completely numb to the world. Yes she just sat there by herself, crouched over that table alone and stared at the little tax form she was now holding in her hand that screamed the words “exemptions” on a tab and a handwritten box that held the significant little number “5” within. She wasn’t going to be alone at all, ever.
