Steve wanted Helen to nurse the baby. What Helen yearned for was for Jacob's son to suck on her nipples, not Elizabeth. She had a hard time to love her daughter. It was with agony that she nursed the baby. Elizabeth was a hungry beast, who wanted to suck on her nipples until there would be no more milk but it was her blood! When the baby was six months old, the pediatrician wanted them to give the baby some rice cereal and other baby food; but she was a stubborn baby. She would not take bottle or even a pacifier. All she wanted was to suck on her mother's breast!
Once that Steve was home for his days off, he finally noticed that how much Helen had lost weight; and how Elizabeth cried constantly. As usual He blamed Helen for the crying of the baby:
"You're not even a good mother! Don't you see the baby is suffering? Something is wrong with her!"
Elizabeth kept Helen up all night; and when Steve was home, he could not sleep either. The baby's crying was so unrelenting and persistent that one night Helen just put her on Steve's stomach and said:
"You take care of it! I haven't slept for six months!"
They had a big fight which started in the middle of the night and continued into the next day and night like old days. This fight brought the lost control and energy to her even though it was temporary.
Helen never told Steve why she did not like the name of her daughter. It was for a reason that would perhaps sound strange to Steve. Her mother's name was Elizabeth and she had betrayed her!
Two days later they took Elizabeth to her doctor. It was Steve's idea. Helen said:
"She is hungry. I don't have enough milk to fill her up. She doesn't need a doctor, she needs food."
The strange thing was that Elizabeth's doctor said exactly what Helen had said at home.
"She is hungry! You need to start giving her formula and other baby foods." Then the doctor turned to Steve and continued:
"I don't understand why you insist on your wife nursing her. Look at her! She is all skin and bone. Your wife is exhausted. She needs to take care of herself before getting sick. Then she can't take care of herself or the baby!"
Steve's answer was somewhat funny but he was very serious:
"Women have nursed their babies for ever! Why can't she?"
The doctor's answer made Steve's animosity to Helen much stronger:
"What do you think your wife is, a cow? Every woman is different. You're killing both of them!!"
To Be Continued
No comments:
Post a Comment