The Farmer & His Wife
A grandchild is on the way for John Taylor.
IWAS remembering how Anne was delighted to receive a call from our daughter Mary to tell her she was expecting. Though she was excited at the thought of her first grandchild, I could tell she was worried.
However, she was pleased to be asked to give Mary a hand when she came out of hospital.
Anne began knitting garments, all in white to be on the safe side. She even crocheted a beautiful christening shawl. She was really in her element.
Mary promised to ring before she went into hospital so I could run Anne over to her house.
Between them they had agreed on a possible date, so as I was to be left on my own for a week or two, there was a great deal of activity at our end.
Anne made a pot of soup for me to warm up, and cooked and pressed an ox tongue and a piece of silverside so that I could just come in and cut it.
If you had seen the tarts, gingerbread and fruitcakes you’d have thought she was going away for months.
She even laid the fire in the parlour in case I had company. If any company I had couldn’t sit with me round the kitchen stove they needn’t come!
The phone rang as we were in the middle of lunch. Tom was taking Mary to hospital as she had pains. He would ring as soon as he had news.
One, two, three, four o’clock – no telephone call. Anne was nearly out of her mind. I was worried myself. At six the phone rang. “Hello, Mum, false alarm.”
At the hospital they had examined Mary and kindly suggested she go home and wait till the pains came more often.
Anne was so tense that she let off steam.
“Why didn’t you ring before? We have been out of our minds.” “Sorry, Mum.” Anne’s remarks when she came off the phone were unprintable. I went out to look at some heifers while she calmed down.
Mary went into hospital a week later and a baby boy was born, sound in wind and limb.
Anne went to look after Mary and baby, and from all accounts enjoyed herself. I did my best to plough through the food left for me – but I never put a match to the parlour fire! ■