A Tale of Two Women - A Mini Series, Part XI

Deanna and her father constructed the baby’s furniture while Deanna’s mom cheered from the sidelines, it was actually a sweet moment for all of them because they had been so much unsettling between them as well as with Claudia’s family that they were all finding solitude in the brief moments.

Deanna was learning more and more about Adam that she wasn’t liking, but at this point wasn’t sure what to do. She resolved herself to support her husband and prepare for the baby that was quickly coming. Adam was still working hard every day as was Deanna, but now instead of going out every night to the local coffee hang out Adam was frequently the newest casino which had opened about thirty minutes away from their home. This was very hypocritical to Deanna because Adam made it a point to share with everyone that he didn’t drink because he was a ‘Muslim’, yet on the other hand seemed to have no problem with gambling. When Deanna brought this little tidbit to light to Adam he would just tell her “Hankoosha, you just don’t understand. Owning your own business causes a great deal of stress and owning a car business is the most stressful of all. Please be patient with me as I just need to relax. Please be tender to me like I’m a child.” Deanna would say nothing but inside her head be having a full on conversation because this was absolutely ludicrous. Stress was relative to her. Everyone had stress in their life, everyone’s job was just as stressful and as important to them, and the crazy notion of justifying gambling because it was a stress reliever was insane.

First week of July Deanna was scheduled for her regular weekly doctor appointment and her doctor had given her a prescription to go to the hospital to have an ultrasound performed as a routine precaution. She had shared with Deanna that just before the baby delivers their movement becomes slower and therefore not as easy for a doctor to detected the well being of the baby through the standard way of checking. Deanna arose early that morning, stopped to have some breakfast before going to her appointment and then onto the hospital for the procedure. They performed the ultrasound and told her to enjoy her weekend as everything looked good.

Deanna left the hospital and returned home where Adam was still sleeping from getting in too late. Deanna tried to occupy her time but feeling very restless and uncomfortable. Beginning to feel some uncomfortable pain, so much so that she decided to wake Adam up and ask him to take her to the hospital. He awakened feeling tired and having a stomach ach, but slowly got ready so they could go. Deanna wanted to scream, “get your ass up and lets go”, but patiently waited. They were finally loaded in the car and at this moment Adam looked at her and said, “Hankoosha, you really don’t feel good, do you?” Deanna exclaimed that she didn’t and could they please hurry. The thirty minute drive to the hospital seemed more like ten hours to Deanna because Adam was driving so freaking slow. She thought she was going to lose her mind, but because Adam was so sensitive she decided to just keep quiet until all of this was over.

They checked in at the hospital where the one nurse recognized her from a few hours previously and inquired as to why she was back. Deanna informed her that she was in some unusual pain and wasn’t sure what to do. They examined Deanna and the nurse told Deanna that she felt Deanna was just dehydrated which was normal and to drink water and walk. She insisted Deanna get up out of bed and walk around the hospital, which she did mumbling under breath that she wasn’t dehydrated. Adam tried to consul Deanna as well as he could, but he was serving her no purpose because he was too busy complaining about how much his stomach hurt. He did have the foresight though to call Deanna’s parents and let them know they were at the hospital. Deanna returned to the little cot area where she laid down again and could find no comfort in either standing, sitting, laying or walking. This was like no other pain she had experienced. The nurse returned and told Deanna again she was just dehydrated and that she needed to get up and walk, to quit laying down. This was really making Deanna mad because she felt like no on was listening to her, so as she stood up in front of the nurse fluids gushed from her and the nurse’s eyes widened and said, “Oh! You’re in labor.” Deanna screamed in her head, “DUH! Even I, the untrained person, knew that you IDIOT.” They immediately checked her into a private room where the pain increased, and Adam’s pitiful self was moaning in the corner about his stomach.

Deanna’s mom and dad arrived, and being the protective mother, her mom ran in seeming ten feet tall with her unseen badge of courage shining brightly. She was there to kick butt and take names. This was her baby in the hospital having a baby, and darn everyone better take care of her or deal with the wrath of ME. Deanna finally felt relieved and safe having this side of her mom there. Adam jumped up when she arrived and began telling her how much his stomach hurt, to which Deanna’s mother not looking at him said, “well, you’re in a hospital go have someone look at it”, to which he decided to go outside and smoke.

Deanna’s best friend also arrived from racing from Nevada to California in about a 2 hour or so race when the journey usually took closer to 3 hours to complete. Deanna was just beginning to deliver with her mom at her side, Adam feebly standing on the other holding his stomach, looking like a weak old man, when Mindy walked into the room. Adam bolted out the door and let Deanna’s best friend assume his position. Deanna was actually relieved. Certainly the strength of the women around her would be worth more comfort than her whining complaining husband, who she was not liking at the present moment.

Just before 8:00 p.m., Deanna delivered a healthy beautiful baby girl. The cheers from the room of the baby’s happy arrival was energizing. Moreover the hospital upon the arrival of a newborn plays a happy melody throughout the hospital as a way of announcing a new arrival. They all momentarily stopped when the melody began to play and then continued their cheering, laughing and talking afterwards. The baby was checked over and was declared wonderfully healthy. Deanna was then moved to another private room for her and the baby’s recovery. This was the first moment since the beginning of Deanna’s pregnancy when she finally stopped feeling sick. She was so grateful and gave thanks to God for all her good fortune, and prayed blessings over her new baby.

Deanna remained in the hospital for one day before she was released. She had called Adam to come get her, and you could sense the new parents were so nervous about leaving the safety of the hospital. They were now on their own to care for this baby. Interestingly enough Deanna was beginning to see how Adam seemed weakened. As if he was only strong when Deanna was strong, but now that she was temporarily weakened from her delivery he seemed frailer.

Deanna’s mom came to stay with her for a week or so to help her get settled in as well as to assist with anything she needed. On the first day, Adam went to the grocery store and bought tons of food, cooked dinner for his wife and mother-in-law and seemed to be the doting husband and father she had dreamed he’d be, but the days to followed proved that theory wrong. Deanna was mortified because for until this time she was able to hide the fact that her husband was staying out to all hours of the night from everyone because no one lived in her home but her. Now, her mother was there and Deanna could no longer hide this fact. Her mother fought to hold her tongue for Deanna’s sake but was just boiling inside over this deadbeat of a guy. She did manage to get a few jabs in here and there but for the most part kept her silence and focused on her mission which was to help Deanna and the baby.

Six weeks after the birth of the baby Adam announced he needed a vacation because he was so stressed out from his business. He told Deanna he was going to go to Egypt for a couple of weeks, just to clear his head. Deanna was shocked. Egypt? Vacation? What in the world? He confided in her that his business was actually failing and that he was in financial straits. He knew if he went to Egypt to face his father personally that he’d understand and help them out. It would only be for a couple of weeks. Deanna could not believe what she was hearing. This was ridiculous. She managed to find the strength to finally voice her opinion to which only fell on deaf ears because Adam had already made the necessary arrangements. Deanna drove him to the airport hoping that within the two hour drive to the airport she could convince her husband not to go, to remind him of his daughter, to remind him of their relationship, to remind him of anything that would cause him to stay. She and the baby stood in the airport lobby as Adam went through the security check. He turned one last time to see his wife with tears rolling down her face and their baby in hand and waved goodbye. Deanna stood for the longest time there in that very spot completely bewildered by the turn of events. What was she going to do now? She knew for all intensive purpose in spite of what Adam assured her that she and her baby had just been abandoned. How could this be happening to her? Deanna slowly made her way back to the car and began the long drive home, which she had to stop several times to either dry her eyes or to feed her baby. Her baby was the only thing that kept her going and she thanked God for that.

Clint and Claudia seemed to have stabilized their lives once again and were enjoying their daily activities as well as their outdoor ventures. Claudia’s son was now participating in basketball, which was fun to watch. He was clearly a natural when it came to participating in sports, whether it was soccer, basketball or baseball. He was a great team player, the type of kid the coaches loved having on their team because he did what they told him and didn’t argue about it. He was also loved by his team players for being a great friend. Of course, he had his own entourage of fans (family members) that showed up to everyone of his events and cheered him on.

Claudia felt bad for what happened to Deanna but didn’t necessarily know what to do. She offered her sister-in-law her condolences and said that if she needed anything at all to let her know. Reminded Deanna that they were family and that’s what family did was help each other no matter what. This, along with the re-established relationship with her family gave her comfort.

When Adam left Deanna only had two more weeks of maternity leave before she had to return to work. It had always been Deanna’s dream to stay home and raise her children, which she had been promised by Adam, but that was no longer of any use to her. So, determined to stick to her goal, she sought ways to earn money and still be able to care for her baby. After much research and made connections, Deanna was able to not return to her corporate job with all the medical benefits, visions benefits, dental benefits, vacation and sick leave benefits and start her own contracting business, where she contracted her services out to various individuals that needed her skills. She set up her office in her living room and immediately began working. She intitially had one contracted account, but it wasn’t enough to survive on. However, Deanna did not care because she believed this was a sign from God that she was on the right track. For after all, this all evolved in a matter of less than 14 days. She picked up a second contracted account at the end of the year. Again she knew this was God’s doing because the work came gradually not to cause her anymore undo stress, and she was being able to manage it while still caring for her baby. By the middle of the following year Deanna procured two more accounts that would sustain her and the baby financially as well as allow her to continue to care for her baby without daycare.

Although there was a part of Deanna that was able to logically rationalize everything and was also able to focus on providing for her child, there was an emotional part of her that was suffering. She was struggling with bouts of dark depression and sadness from being abandoned by her husband who still called regularly declaring his love for her and assuring her that he was coming back, that things weren’t his fault, it was the U.S. that was the problem they wouldn’t let him back in, but for Deanna not to worry he was coming back.

Deanna wasn’t kidding herself, she knew he wasn’t coming back. He couldn’t. In his absence he missed an immigration court appointment and was ordered deported from the country. Adam knew he had that upcoming appointment which was another thing Deanna was trying to remind him of while driving him to the airport but none of those things seemed to matter. Deanna attempted to get Adam back into the country by talking with his attorney to see what needed to be done. She stated there was a number of things that needed to be done, and one of the things Deanna needed to get was a copy of their marriage contract so she could show the court of his marriage and the need for him to return due to his financial obligation to the family. Deanna went to the Masjid Adam had taken her to when they got married and quickly learned there was no documentation. When they initially went in to get married Adam assured Deanna everything was taken care of and that those matters were taken care of by men. She trusted Adam since he had the knowledge of Islamic marriage procedures and she did not. She seemed it odd she didn’t sign anything, but trusted her husband nonetheless. So what a big surprised to learn once again Adam had been deceitful. UGH! What was she to do? Now she knows she wasn’t legally married to Adam, and her baby doesn’t have a father. Could Deanna be anymore of a loser than at this very moment. For how could she have been so foolish, after all she was a brightly educated woman. How? Deanna just continued to pile on the loads of guilt and shame on her shoulders and walk around hunched over. She managed to get through everyday to which she gave thanks to God.

There was only two things Deanna found solitude and peace in and that was spending time with her baby and spending time in prayer with God. Nothing else seemed to matter. Many nights and days she would ask God why this was happening to her. She wondered what she had done wrong to cause such pain. Asked God to reveal this information to her, so she could improve and not have this happen again. Some how she felt she had failed God and that’s why she was made to suffer to gravely. Yet on the other hand she had been blessed with the most precious baby ever. One that slept through the entire night from the moment she came home from the hospital. A baby that never cried for anything, but rather always seemed to have a gentle peacefulness about her. Because of the peacefulness of her baby’s temperament Deanna began to believe God hadn’t punished her, but rather protected her from Adam. For he had become like a wrecking train lose on a going nowhere track.