May 26, 1917

I turned ten two weeks before the baby came. I wanted him to be born on my birthday. Two of my older sisters, Kate and Rosemary, always domineering, never let me help with baby Adele. There were so many of us that we had to watch after each other. I wanted a baby of my own. Mama had promised me the new baby would be mine to care for.

Grandma Nancy Katherine came to stay while the baby was being born. I watched all that was going on and I listened, but they wouldn’t let me in Mama and Papa’s room. I sneaked looks through the cracks. My oldest sister, Millie, who was already married, and had two babies, helped Grandma Nancy and Miss Zilphie, the midwife.

What I saw showed me why I didn’t need to look. Millie and Grandma held Mama’s legs up. It surprised me that Grandma Nancy could do so much with her left hand. I turned my head, not supposed to see my mama naked, but the midwife announced the baby’s head was coming out. I couldn’t help looking.

Mama screamed.

I stood by the door and waited.

“Step aside, Sister.” Papa marched lively from the kitchen where he had dipped some white cloths from a boiling pan of water on top of the woodstove. He dropped them into a clean pan and took them back to the bedroom.

More screams and hard breaths. Then silence. Was Mama okay?