The Baby Disappears

Richard Bothel provides fictional snapshots of the isolated populations living in the river bottoms and backwoods of Texas.

Clomp, clomp.

Ada had drifted to sleep and awoke to Jonah’s heavy steps coming up the porch steps. She knew it was him. No one else around was large enough to vibrate the whole house when he walked through it. Looking to the cradle, Adam seemed to be still asleep. She turned her head to the other side of the bed and there was Rosa. She had brought the old rocking chair in from the porch and was sitting there rocking the little one.

“Sounds more like it. No more of that blasted screaming.” Jonah came into the room and stood at the foot of the bed.

Ada said nothing.

“Glad to see all the hoopla’s over. Looks like Rosa has things under control.

Rosa looked up with a big smile. “You have beautiful girl baby.”

It was too late to stop her. The words came out of her mouth revealing the truth that Ada did not know how to handle.

There had been almost a smile on Jonah’s face. His scowl now could turn a person to stone. “What.” This exclamation shook the pane of glass in the window.
It wasn’t a question that came from his mouth. He was mad, disgusted…Ada knew of the tirades he could throw.

“Go, old woman.” He walked over to Rosa and grabbed the infant from her arms. He handled the little girl more like a football than a new born. “I’m sure Ada was glad you were here, but it’s time for you to go. Leave now.”

You could tell that Rosa was also tired from the ordeal. She said nothing. She slowly rocked forward in her chair, stood up, and made her way to the front door. Ada laid there and said nothing. She wanted to thank the old woman, but was afraid to say anything. Her body froze with fear.

“How could you do this to me? He pointed to the bundle in his arms.”

Ada wanted to respond, but she knew there was nothing in this world that could change this moment. Her sad brown eyes looked at Jonah. She held her arms out for her daughter…or to Jonah. She was just looking for positive contact from someone.

Jonah said nothing. He turned and sauntered from the room with his huge strides. Ada lay in her bed feeling more alone that she had ever felt in her life. Adam still lay sleeping in his crib. Ada turned her worn body toward him with an empty stare. It was over. She would never see Jessica again.

Oh, no...it's a girl.

Richard Bothel provides fictional snapshots of the isolated populations living in the river bottoms and backwoods of Texas.

Probably twenty minutes passed and Rosa returned to the room with a bucket steaming from the hot water. The tattered yellow sheets on the bed in no way provided sanitary conditions, but at least Rosa knew enough to have some boiled rags ready for what was to come.

“You make good mamma.” Rosa sat beside Ada on the bed slowly rubbing her rounded stomach. She could tell Ada’s body was tensing and relaxing with the contractions now coming only a few minutes apart.

“I think I’m ready.” It was difficult to understand Ada as she spoke between her clenched teeth. She remembered the feeling from her first son. It was time.

Without speaking, Rosa slid her hand under Ada sliding her dress up to the middle of her back. She gently moved Ada’s legs to a fully open position sliding her hand up between her legs. She could feel the top of the child’s head sliding through her cervix.

“Here he come.” Rosa purposely sounded excited to get Ada in the proper frame of mind. “Push.”

“Ahhh.” Ada strained to give the baby the last push to would take to join us in this world.

“Si.” Rosa pulled back her hands with a squirming little one screaming at the top of his lungs—only it wasn’t a he.

Ada fell back into her pillow exhausted from the ordeal. A peaceful smile was on her face.

“Una niña.” Rosa quickly wrapped the infant in a clean towel and laid her on Ada’s stomach. Ada’s face dropped. Her heart fell to her stomach. The child on her stomach was a girl. She remembered all those times Jonah said “I ain’t having no girl around this house. Damned females are worthless baby factories. Somebody has ta do it maybe—but not me.” Ada had always wanted a girl, but she knew Jonah would have not of that girl stuff. She had dismissed the possibility of not having a boy from her mind, but here she was—a girl. Jessica—that would be a good name. A momentary warmth went through her heart. Then a bolt of ice cold lightening hit. She did not know what Jonah would do, but she knew it would not be good.

There was no point in trying to talk with Rosa. She was a nice lady, but her English was poor. She was sure she would not understand how anyone would not want a baby. Ada only knew of large Mexican families that seemed to be happy with dozens of children. Being a boy or girl didn’t matter. She was sure Rosa thought everything was fine.

“Mira la luna, Comiendo su tuna; Echando las cáscaras En la laguna.” Rosa sang away as she hustled around the room cleaning up after the birth.

Ada had no ideas about the words, but it sounded like some kind of lullaby. Ada placed her chin on her chest looking down at the petite little girl lying below. What was she going to do? She felt weak, but held the baby as tightly to her breast as possible.

Rose Arrives

Richard Bothel provides fictional snapshots of the isolated populations living in the river bottoms and backwoods of Texas.
"Waaah.” Rosa was still more than 50 yards away from Ada’s home, when she heard the cry. It wasn’t the sound of a newborn. Rosa increased the speed of her stride going directly in the front door. She could hear the noise coming from the bedroom.

“Please, please.” Ada was pleading to her young child Adam who was screaming at the top of his lungs. His hands were flailing wildly, but he was unable to escape from the tall sides of his wooden cradle.

“Ada, I’m here.” Rosa’s English was hard to understand, but her empathy came right through to Ada.

“Thank God.” Ada spoke sitting on the bed with her legs spread wide. Her head was resting in her arms resting between her legs. Tears rolled down her cheeks. Her stringy blond hair fell down toward her breast wet with perspiration. Rosa walked over to Adam and picked him up out of the cradle. She sat on the bed holding Adam with one arm and resting the other arm on the sobbing Ada.

“Lady, you lay back You be mamma soon.” A quieting smile came on Rosa’s wrinkled face. She had acted as a quasi midwife many times in her life and new exactly what to do. The fact she had been there for Ada’s first birth made helped to quiet the situation right away.

“I’m so glad you are here.” Ada grabbed the back of Rosa’s dress helping her to lie back in the bed.

“You rest. I put your son back in the cradle. He wanted attention for a little while. Now, he is good. I go get some water on stove.”

Rosa was right. She laid Adam back into his bed. He was asleep before she left the room for the water. Ada’s body was tense, but she tried to relax as she lay back on her pillow. She stared at the rafters in the cabin in a daze trying to clear her mind of Jonah’s thoughtlessness. She had a feeling that Jonah probably did get Rosa.  Rosa said nothing about him, but it was too much of a coincidence that she came by at just the right time for the birth.

She Needs You

Richard Bothel provides fictional snapshots of the isolated populations living in the river bottoms and backwoods of Texas.

“Time for the young one?” Rosa raised her head up squinting from the bright sun.

“She needs to pop him out right now. You need to get there.” As she passed through the opening, he immediately closed the limbs behind her.
“She did well with the last one.” You could see Rosa’s coal black eyes give Jonah a knowing stare.

“Yah, she should be doing it herself. I guess your help spoiled her the last time, though.” In his own way, Jonah was trying to get Ada help, but he did not want to sound too sympathetic. It was not the way of a macho man living in the river bottoms.

“Let’s go.” Rosa motioned to Jonah with a feeble wave of her hand.
“Na…nope. Not me. You go ahead.”He wanted to maintain his aloof status. “You just tell her you happened by to check on her. She doesn’t need to know I was here.”
Without another word, Rosa headed out on the trail to Ada’s.
“I’ve got stuff to do.” Jonah went in the opposite direction. He did not know where he was going. He just headed out in the woods. Already, he’d shown too much compassion for Ada. He kept on going over in his mind women is to have babies. That’s what they’re made for. Don’t know man need to waste his time with her having that kid.

Rosa knew the way to Ada’s well. She used short steps moving through the narrow trail through the brush. She looked her 70+ years. However, there was a certainty about her that let you know she could handle whatever came her direction. In her own way, she had pride of her own. She never looked back at Jonah.

Ada Needs You

Richard Bothel provides fictional snapshots of the isolated populations living in the river bottoms and backwoods of Texas.

It was less than one half hour when Jonah got sight of the wooden shed at the back of the bayou where Rosa lived. All the way, he told himself that his woman was more trouble than she was worth, but there was a bit of good inside him that must have told him she needed help. Looking at Rosa’s place from a distance, it looked more like an animal pen than a home. Small tree limbs formed a rough fence surround the small frame covered with crooked overlapping boards. By the front burlap door, he saw a large sow fat with piglets yet to drop.

“Rosa, where are ya?” Jonah voice roared through the trees leaving nothing by silence in the woods.

“Madre, Madre…”. He continued to yell and circled the shed. The smell of the hog started to reach his nose.

“Que pasa?” A faint voice could be heard from inside the crude living quarters. Several minutes passed. The hog knew something was going on as she started nosing the frame of the front entrance. Flies were swarming around the crude cloth door. Finally, a bright orange head scarf came out on the bowed head of a small lady with red print dress on a small body slumped with age.

“Rosa, come. Ada needs you.” Jonah came to the front of the shed and pulled back the limbs that made a crude gate to the fence holding the sow His towering body had to look intimidating to the old lady.

Out Into the Woods

Richard Bothel provides fictional snapshots of the isolated populations living in the river bottoms and backwoods of Texas.

Jonah’s eyes squinted from the bright sun as he set foot down the two wooden plank steps from the front porch of the log home. The trees rustled as the squirrels performed their acrobatic stunts from limb to limbs of the live oaks. Cursed woman he through to himself, my momma never caused any problems like this female. What’s this world coming to? I’m sure glad we don’t live in no city. She'd be even worst.

His long legs quickly took him down a narrow trail through the brambles surrounding the cabin. They formed what appeared to be a wide fence around the structure separating it from the trees and tupelo/cypress swamps filling the area. The Big Thicket deserved the name it was given. From the early days, civilization was slow to move into Southeast Texas because of the tangled vegetation making travel through the area difficult. Always, there had been a small group of early settlers who were able to navigate through this North American jungle. Jonah remained one of those men of the Thicket who found success with this harsh existence.

Help...

Richard Bothel provides fictional snapshots of the isolated populations living in the river bottoms and backwoods of Texas.

“You ask for Rosa?” This was Jonah’s way of caring. Rosa was an old Mexican woman who lived at the end of Boobs Bayou. She helped Ada birth her first son. He was born about one year ago.

“This pain just started. No way I knew to ask ahead of time.”

“Woman, you spect me to do it all? How quick you goin’ to have that boy? Spose you think I should get that ol’ spick?” He wanted no part of the birthing process.

“I’m sorry, Jonah. I don’t want to make any trouble for you.”

“Damn, Bitch.” He turned a walked out of their small cabin leaving Ada laying in a fetal position on her bed.

The Chapter Begins...

Richard Bothel provides fictional snapshots of the isolated populations living in the river bottoms and backwoods of Texas.

“Ah… ohhhh… aaaaah.” A series of hard breaths came from Ada’s mouth. She had gone through this before, but for some reason this time seemed different. The sharp contractions were more than ten minutes apart. She had no watch; her internal clock just told her the time. It's easy to count the minutes until you have to bear the next shooting, excruciating pain.

“Woman, you needs to get to the bed. You sound disgusting.” Her husband Jonah had no sympathy for Ada’s pregnancy. He viewed himself as a real man of the Thicket. His large muscular frame turned away from her thinking: Women—their purpose is to wash, clean, cook, and have sex. Babies are part of the deal; it’s their problem. That’s what a woman’s for.

“I’m headed for the bedroom.” Ada spoke as she shuffled her feet across the crudely-honed pine floor slowly moving toward her bed. Her first son, Adam, lay asleep in a large wooden cradle under the window. The sun slipped through the dull-colored curtains filtering a stream of light spotlighting the young child in his bed.

The Story Will Follow...

The Neches River's history and culture provides a rich backdrop for stories of the past and future. My postings over the next few weeks will focus on the story of Ada and her husband Jonah. Folks such as these continue to live in the river bottoms with very limited contact with modern civilization. Their lives follow rules and principles that few people know still exist.

I hope that you enjoy these postings that share a chapter of these river people's story. The characters and narratives are completely fiction...it's for you to decide whether these things could be happening today.