Part 8
Part Seven
Pie Eater could feel the veins in his arms rise as he lifted the heavy box from the ground. Handling it carefully, he walked down the ramp and loaded the box onto a cart. Then he went back to the ship and unloaded another box. The muscles in his arms were more accustomed to this, but his back and neck still needed time.
This wasn�t exactly the first job that Pie Eater had tried to take, but the only one that would hire him. He would rather have a different job that would not take so much labor, but with this pay, it was enough to begin a life for Kay and the baby. The baby was his reason for working these three days in a row.
Once the cargo of this ship was unloaded, the ship pulled out from the wharf and to another location. Another ship was on its way, but would not arrive for another quarter of an hour. During this time, the loaders would rest and socialize.
Often times, these men would go to the bar and have themselves a mug of ale to refresh them for the next shipment. Other times, they would just wait by the docks for the next ship to arrive. Pie Eater never joined the men at the bar, and preferred to wait outside.
As the usual brawny men went toward the bar, the few others who did not drink gathered by the carts to rest and talk. These men were mainly older men who had been working with this job for years. Because Pie Eater was the newest worker, he didn�t talk much with the others. Today was different.
There was on loader, Stump, who was at least fifty-six years old. His hair had grayed completely and his face was lined with few wrinkles, but he was stronger than most of the younger men, and quicker. His income was the highest of any other worker. He turned to Pie Eater to speak with him.
�You aren�t very social, are you?� he said.
�What?� Pie Eater questioned.
�You. You never seem very social with anyone else here.�
�Jus� gettin� used t� the atmosphere, I guess. Still ain�t used t� everythin� jus� yet.�
�You�ve been here a month and a half already.�
�I know. But this�s th� only job I could get. Wasn�t exactly th� one I�d pick right off th� bat.�
�I take it you were in need of the money.�
�Yep.�
�Is there a woman in your life?�
He grinned. �Oh yeah. She�s gonna have a baby, too.�
�Ah.� Stump nodded. �No wonder you�ve been working extra hard.�
�Yup. I work hard f� that baby cuz I want �im t� be supported when �e grows up.�
�When�s he due?�
��Nother month �n� a half.�
�I see. Are you gonna take time off after he comes?�
�You bet I will! I wouldn�t miss out on �er havin� that baby if it was th� end of th� world!�
The other men were returning from the bar, and the next ship arrived. For the next two hours, Pie Eater unloaded the cargo of every ship that came. Finally, it was time to go home. He gathered his things and readied to leave. Then Stump appeared.
�How does it feel, knowing that you�re going to be a father?�
�Th� only time I felt better was knowin� that I was married.� He replied.
�And how would you describe that?�
�I feel�guess I feel like I�m a man. Finally.�
Stump nodded. �A lot of men I know think that they become a man only when they�ve taken a woman. But in my opinion, you�re not a man until you hold your first baby in your arms, making you officially a father.�
�Never thought of it like that b�fore.�
�Oh trust me, it�s an incredible feeling. When my wife and I had our first child, a daughter, I just knew it. I�m really a man. In fact, my daughter�s expecting her sixth child already.�
�Six, huh?�
�Yes, six. She married late in life and hasn�t stopped having children since.�
�Well, I dunno if I�m ever gonna have six kids, but I won�t say that I wouldn�t love it if I ever did!�
* * *
Kay sighed softly to herself. For the past month, whenever Pie Eater would go off to work, the girls would care for and pamper her till she thought she would burst. They would constantly bring her food and water, as well as brush her hair and fix it into many different styles.
Aki was on volunteer work today and was French-braiding Kay�s hair. She appeared to be having a good time so far, but Kay was not. For once, she wanted to be left alone. Pie Eater was due back soon, and she hoped he would come early.
�All done.� Aki announced. �Your hair looks so pretty!�
�Thanks.� Kay muttered. �Aki, if you don�t mind, I�m tired now, and I�d like to take a nap.�
�Okay.� She hopped off the bed. �I�ll be upstairs if you need me. Plus, I think Skittery�s back.�
�I�ll be fine. And I think Pie Eater should be back soon, so don�t worry about me.�
When Aki left the bedroom, Kay flopped back onto the bed and sighed heavily. She rested a minute or two, then attempted to sit up. To her horror, she found that she couldn�t. She had to roll onto her side and slide down to the floor in order to stand on her feet.
Panting by the time she was on her feet, she looked down at her stomach. She had grown so much since she had left the doctor�s that often times she felt ready to bust open. There was a mirror on the other side of the room, and she walked to it to see her reflection.
Because of the baggy shirt she wore, she was unable to tell just how much she had grown recently. She worked at the buttons and removed the shirt, then lifted the undershirt over her stomach and held the rest in a fist behind her back.
Her stomach was enormous. It was protruding far out, and rounding off quite nicely. There were stretched marks all over her skin. Her navel, which had developed by sinking into her stomach, had suddenly popped outward and looked rather odd. Her stomach was going to sag after the baby was born.
She examined herself further. Not only had her stomach grown, but so had her breasts. Because of her tiny bone structure, she had never had much of a bosom to be proud of. Now, they had grown to such an extent that she was afraid of socializing with the newsboys in fear that they would only be staring at her bust.
Other side affects of this pregnancy was the swelling of her ankles and feet. The sudden gain of weight was making it more difficult to stand, causing her ankles to swell from the excess weight. Her back had suffered as well. It ached constantly, and she could not bend forward any longer because of the baby. Nor could she see her feet at all.
Her throat tightened at her appearance. She felt so fat and ugly that she began to cry. The baby kicked, and she touched the place where his feet were, but her crying would not end.
The door opened carefully, and Pie Eater peered in. Seeing her standing the way she was before the mirror was not what he had expected to see. When he saw the red streaks on her face, he began to worry that something was wrong.
�Honey?�
She turned, and he quickly closed the door and rushed to her. Once he reached her, she fell into his arms and sobbed. He held her closely and shushed her.
�What�s wrong?� he wondered.
�I�m nothing but a big, bloated ball of blubber!� she wailed.
�What?� he could hardly keep his laughter from erupting.
�I look like a cow! I�ve grown so big that I don�t even look human anymore!�
�Aw, Karen,� he kissed her cheek. �You don�t look like a cow. You look beautiful.�
�You�re just trying to make me feel better.�
�No I�m not. You probly think ya look like a cow because th� baby�s gettin� bigger. But let me tell ya somethin�. Ya look beautiful cuz ya got this shine t� your eyes cuz ya know you�re havin� a baby. T� me, that�s more beautiful than jus� bein� pretty in general.�
She wiped her eyes. �You think so?�
�I know so! Now put yer shirt on b�fore ya catch cold.�
She snatched the shirt up and buttoned it. Then she lay back against the mattress again, remembering after it was too late of her dilemma of not being able to sit upright.
�David!� she shrieked.
�What? You okay?�
�I can�t get up!�
Laughing loudly, he grabbed her outstretched hands and heaved her so she was seated. Even afterward, he couldn�t stop laughing.
�This isn�t funny!� she whined.
�Aw, sorry. Din�t mean t� hurt your feelings.�
�It didn�t hurt my feelings, but�� she sniffled, �it�s getting so I can�t even get out of bed anymore!�
He plopped down next to her. �Don�t worry, honey. We only got �nother month �n� a half t� wait. That ain�t so long.�
�Oh yes it is. You have no idea how long this has been for me!�
�It�ll be over b�fore ya know it.�
�No it won�t.�
�No?�
�After I have the baby, we�ll hafta take care of it! There�ll be diaper changing, clothes to buy, and not to mention breast-feeding.� She began to sob again. �We�re gonna be so busy! How�ll we keep up with this?�
He gently drew her into her arms and allowed her to cry again. She was shivering with fear of what the future held for them. And he too was partially afraid. He was afraid of becoming a father.
�Wanna know somethin�?� he offered.
�What?�
�I�m scared too.�
She glanced up at him, astonished. �Why?�
�Cuz one �f th� guys at work said that guys ain�t men till they hold their own kid. I�m afraid I ain�t gonna be th� perfect daddy for our kid.�
�Oh, don�t say that!� she dried her eyes. �You�ll do a good job. I�ve seen you with kids before.�
�But none of �em are my own. I�m scared of what I�ll do with my own kid.�
She gulped back her remaining tears. �Maybe that�s why it takes two people to make a baby. One can�t do all the work by themselves. There�s no way I could take care of this baby without you, and you�d probably be scared to death if you didn�t have me with you.�
�You�re right on that one.� he kissed her forehead. �We still got a month �n� a half t� get ready. I think we�ll be fine.�
* * *
A package arrived at the lodging house. Kloppman said it was addressed to Pie Eater and Kay, although there was no return address. It was a rather large package, wrapped it brown paper and tied off with twine. However, it was not very heavy. Pie Eater found it easy to bring into the bedroom.
Shortly afterward, another package arrived. This one was nearly half the size of the first, and much lighter. Pie Eater took that into the room as well and waited for Kay to wake up before he opened them.
Once she woke up, he went to her and helped her sit up. She had grown so large that it took him and sometimes even Kloppman to help her out of bed. She spied the two packages and rubbed her eyes.
�What�re those?� she wondered aloud.
�These came fer us this mornin�.� Pie Eater replied. �I was waitin� for you t� wake up �fore I opened �em.�
�That was sweet.�
�So, which one ya want opened first?�
�The big one.�
He nodded and brought the package over to Kay. Then he tore the paper away to reveal what was inside. Kay gasped at it, and Pie Eater went slack-jawed. He couldn�t believe his eyes.
�David, it�s-�
�It�s a cradle.�
Indeed it was. The cradle was larger than the usual size, and was remarkably made. It had been sanded off completely, then coated with polish to make the wood smooth and splinter-proof. The head was designed with neatly carved ivy leaves, and the rockers at the bottom made to lull the baby to sleep. It was a magnificent piece of woodwork.
�Who would�ve sent this?� Kay mumbled.
�Looks like somethin� my pa would make.�
They glanced at each other. Could this be a gift from his father? To learn whether it was true or not, Pie Eater handed the second package to Kay. She opened that and found inside a tiny white cushion to perfectly fit inside of the cradle, and a yellow blanket to keep the baby warm. There was no sign of who left them these things.
�Th� cradle looks like somethin� my pa can do.� Pie Eater muttered. �I think it was him who sent this to us.�
�That was very sweet of him.� Kay wiped a tear from her eye.
�Yeah, it was. I�ll talk t� �im later t�day. But now I gotta head out t� work.� he kissed her cheek. �I�ll see you later.�
�I love you.�
�Love ya too.�
* * *
The snow was almost completely melted, and the temperatures were gradually rising. With the warm weather approaching, Pie Eater found that he and the other workers were growing hot as they loaded and unloaded ships. Many even shed off their shirts and worked topless. Pie Eater kept his undershirt on so not to look indecent.
As he heaved a heavy crate with another worker to the cart, he could hear some girls giggling in their direction. The worker flashed them a smile, but Pie Eater ignored them and fought the red color that was breaking into his face. They loaded the crate into the cart, and waited for the next shipment to arrive.
Two of the girls approached him and the other worker. He attempted to hide himself, but had no luck. He pulled his hat over his eyes to make it appear to them that he was uninterested. His charade did not last long.
�Hello.� One girl said to him.
He peeked at this girl. She was definitely upper-class by the clothes she wore and the rouge on her face. She also smelled strongly of carnations. Pie Eater struggled not to look at her face.
�Afternoon, miss.� He murmured.
�My name�s Julie. And you are?�
�Called Pie Eater.�
�Pie Eater? What kind of a name is that?�
�Nickname. Love pies.�
�Really? What kind?�
�Blackberry �n� pumpkin.�
�Ah, yes. Those are the best.� She touched his arm and saw him flinch. �There isn�t a missus in your life, is there?�
By her tone, he could tell that she meant it as a joke. He was not amused, and gave her the truth.
�Actually, there is. An� she�s gonna have a baby in a month.�
He glanced up to see Julie blush furiously. She mumbled a sincere yet embarrassed apology and withdrew.
�I never would�ve acted as I did if I had known.� She muttered. �I didn�t see a ring on your finger.�
His arms had been crossed, and his left hand hidden. He untangled his arms and showed her the brass band he considered a wedding ring.
�That�s my ring.� He said. �Ain�t much, but if it symbolizes that I�m married, it�s jus� fine f� me.�
�Your wife, is she pretty?�
�She�s very pretty. An� I hope our baby looks jus� like �er.�
Julie appeared bemused by his behavior. He wondered why, but did not say anything. She spoke before he had decided not to ask.
�You�re very different.�
�In what way?�
�The way you talk about your wife. I�ve been around plenty of men who are married, but do not talk about their wives as you have.�
�Maybe it�s cuz I fell in love with �er once I saw her.�
�Or maybe because you�re lucky enough not to be high class.� She murmured sadly. �I�ll go now. Congratulations on your baby.�
�Thanks.�
She left him, but the other girl remained and flirted with the worker beside him. Shrugging, he moved from his spot to another and waited. He then heard someone take a spot beside him.
�I saw the way you handled that young woman.� Joseph spoke. �I must say that I�m proud of you.�
�What�re ya doin� �ere?� Pie Eater wondered. �Thought you�d be workin�. I saw more of your furniture in �nother store yesterday.�
�I decided to take a day off. I�ve made enough money to pay off all of my debts.�
He nodded understandingly. �Was it you who sent me �n� Karen th� baby furniture this morning?�
Joseph grinned. �How�d you know?�
�The cradle. Looked like somethin� you�d design.�
�You know my work too well.�
�You taught me how t� work like that too.�
�I know.� He paused. �Do you still know those carpentry skills I taught you since you were a boy?�
�Liddle bit. Why?�
�I�ve seen you work here before. I know your heart�s in the right place, doing this to raise money for your baby, but you don�t seem to appreciate the work.�
�I don�t, really. This was th� only job that could hire me. All th� other ones wanted people who�d had good schooling all their life. Din�t work with me since ya had t� pull me from school.�
�I�m sorry we did that. But I came here to offer you a job.�
He frowned with confusion. �Me?�
�Yes, you. My furniture is in high demand right now. I can�t do all the work on my own, and there aren�t many other people here who�ve had experience in carpentry. You�re the only one who I knew could do the work because you�d had years of experience.�
�I dunno, pa.�
�You didn�t let me finish. First of all, I can make up to ten dollars a week on sales. Sometimes more. And the workshop comes with two rooms upstairs. One is my room. The other is empty. If you come work for me, you can room free until you make enough money to buy a two-roomed apartment or something like that. Plus, you�ll be making much more money working with me than you are here.�
Pie Eater listened carefully, and pondered every word his father had said. Free rooming. Higher pay. Respectable work. Ever since he had spoken with his father at the church, the tension between them had gradually decreased. How did he know that they wouldn�t become angry at each other again?
He thought of the baby. He knew his child would probably find any career of his exciting, but he wasn�t too thrilled at the prospect of having his child wanting to be a loader like he was. He could work as a carpenter and not be ashamed of what he was doing. There was good pay, and it was respectable.
As he continued to think through this decision, he could feel the desire to say yes growing. Before he could agree though, he would need to speak to Kay. She needed to have a say in this as well.
�Tell ya what.� He finally said. �I gotta talk t� Karen first. I need t� make sure she�s okay with this.�
�You do that. Get a hold of me tomorrow and tell me what your decision is.�
* * *
