Aglio e Olio

JAKE- Yes, that's right, I hugged a girl. What possibly could have happened next? A little friend, that's what. Didn't see that coming.

Cuddling in the Afterglow

After that point, I carried a torch for this girl through the remainder of high school with both hands. We would talk a little in the hallways, smile at each other, we even hugged again. I wanted her so, but nothing was happening. I guess she had put the ball in my court, but all I did was stand there and dribble. Sophomore year passed. My grades were good and I was free to do pretty much whatever I wanted after school. Much of this included video games and dorking around the mall. Junior year followed suit. I thought about Lindsay frequently. It was good to see her, to talk to her on occasion. A nervous smile while we passed was usually all I could muster, whether she looked or not. I even saw her once or twice at the movie theater I worked at.

I met a new girl at the theater, Christy, and after a long time of putting it off, we started dating. I always felt as though there was something pushing me away from her, telling me not to get with her but I did anyway. She was older and I think this was one of the big appeals to dating her for me, though I do not know why now. She was short with a round face. She often wore dull colors and rock band shirts but I know she wanted to be beautiful because she was always bleaching her hair a brighter shade of blonde. Soon she would bare me a child.

I remember the day Aysia was born. I walked into the hospital room after having finally had some time to get something to eat. The lights were low; the room was mostly a dull blue. Christy was still asleep so I made my way to the bench nearest the bed and sat. The doctors gave her an epidural an hour or so ago so she was asleep for the first time since the night previous when she began to have contractions. Actually, now that I think about it, neither of us slept at all last night. Our sleep was interrupted by contractions and a trip we took to this place only to be told it wasn’t time yet and we were sent back. I layed on her bedroom floor for the second time that night staring up at the ceiling while she moaned and cried every couple of minutes. I know it is all about the mother, but I was so alone. A second trip taken a few hours later found us admitted and here, in this room. I was staring again, this time straight ahead as I sat up. As soon as she wakes up she is going to have this baby and it’s all over. I was so alone. She stirred on the bed. “Hi,” she muttered.

She looked good considering. Her bleach blonde hair was tussled around, her eyes a bit cloudy behind that blue mascara. She always wore that blue mascara, even when birthing our child. “How are you feeling?” was the best I could come up with.

More than anything she needed someone to give her comfort and unfortunately I was lousy at doing so. “Ow,” she replied and suddenly it started happening.

Only moments passed until a nurse came in and said “Ok, it’s time,” and then a few more people came in, and then a few more. Every 15 minutes gave way to a new set of specialists inviting themselves in. I held on to Christy’s right leg and pushed back on it.

“Push, push, you are doing good,” urged a nurse or someone.

Machines were beeping “ARGGG!” yelled Christy, her face glazed with sweat.

I followed the somebody’s lead, “Good yeah looks good, push.”

The room was really loud. Beep, “push,” “ARGG,” the shuffle of people. A woman entered the room looking rather sure of herself. She was assisted in putting on a pair of gloves and a gown and then took a swift position right in front of Christy’s spread legs. She was calm, with an aura that said, “Yeah, I deliver babies.” Aysia’s head emerged and I was hit with a rush of the most repugnant smell I have ever inhaled up to that point in my life and with adrenaline that coursed through me. I was all pumped up.

“Oh, looks good, baby, looks very, very, good!” The doctor looked at me and smiled and I think a couple others in the room got a chuckle out of it as well. The rest of Aysia came out with a sploosh and as the minutes went by, people started slowly leaving the room.

Family came all through the next day, and we eventually took Aysia home. Three days after I turned 18, I was a father. There wasn’t much time to dwell, though; I had to get back to high school.