Strawberry Hill, Chapter 19

Recommended 10 and up. Raleia Pendle always wished she was from an old-fashioned family from a bygone era who would be involved in every aspect of her life, but instead, she has modern (for 1976) hippie parents who keep their distance.

Raleia gets a taste of the past in Tidal, ME which was hit by a Tidal Wave in 1911 and is a living museum to the event. She also meets Ian Rutherford a recluse who hasn't left his house since the tidal wave hit.

PLEASE NOTE: This track shares explores the birth of a baby and includes biological terms and elements of the process, so you may not want to choose this track, if you don't want to discuss these things with your children.

Transcript

Hello,

This is A.

Le Fay of Silvanocidae,

Here to share a chapter from Strawberry Hill.

Chapter 19 Mrs.

Glenford was panicked when Tick and Relia came back.

Clutching four cans to each hand,

She said to a nurse,

Have you seen the Pendle children?

Relia!

Zoe came running.

Is everything all right?

We have a baby sister!

Relia smiled,

And she felt a charge of warmth in her chest.

Congratulations!

Zoe gave Relia a hug.

That's wonderful,

Mrs.

Glenford said.

You gave us a little scare there.

We had to go check,

Tick told her.

Relia saw the baby being born.

Really?

Zoe asked.

I took a peek.

Relia laughed.

Was it gross?

Tick asked.

We have a baby girl!

Mac shouted.

Relia turned around.

He had his hands in the air like he was celebrating a victory.

He looked so happy and proud.

Yay!

Tick hopped up and down.

Max came up and gave Relia and Tick a hug.

For a second,

Relia felt like she was being swallowed by a whale.

She just sort of disappeared into Max's arms.

It was a great feeling.

She didn't want it to end,

But then Max let go,

Saying,

We'll be able to go in and see Tiny and the baby in a little bit.

Seeing Mrs.

Glenford,

He said,

Thanks so much for bringing the kids in.

No problem.

Holding up the can,

She said,

Want a drink?

Yes!

Max grabbed a can,

Then chugged it down like he'd been wandering in the desert for a week.

Everyone laughed.

Relia said,

You'd think he had the baby.

Hey!

Max frowned.

The job of coach is a tough one.

Mrs.

Glenford passed out the rest of the drinks and said,

We'd love to stay,

But we've got to get to work on the floats for the 4th of July parade.

No problem.

Max smiled.

See you later,

Kids,

Said Mrs.

Glenford.

Bye.

Zoe waved from the door.

To pass the time until Tiny was ready for visitors,

Max brought a biology book about reproduction from the car.

Unfortunately,

The whole experience armed Tick with words like afterbirth and placenta.

He thought placenta was the coolest word since piccadilly,

So he went around chanting it as they waited.

Relia was starting to get nauseated.

She said,

Would you stop it?

You're being gross.

There's nothing gross about the human body,

Tick said,

Leaning toward Relia.

Oh yeah?

Relia grabbed his hand and raised it to his face.

Pick your nose,

Then tell me that.

Yuck!

Tick yanked his arm back to get away from Relia.

He slumped down into a chair and started kicking the table in front of him.

Max leafed through a magazine at high speed.

What are you looking for?

Relia asked.

Names.

We haven't decided on one yet.

How about Benjamina?

Tick suggested,

Jumping to his feet.

Relia gave Tick a push,

Saying,

Oh yeah,

No one would tease a kid with that name.

We could call her Ben,

Tick insisted.

A girl named Ben?

Relia rolled her eyes.

Tick shrugged.

We'll be thinking of Rain,

But that's too close to your name,

Rel.

Thank God.

Relia suddenly realized that she hadn't thanked God yet,

So she closed her eyes tight and said,

Thank you,

Thank you,

Thank you,

Over and over again in her head.

How about Anne?

That's a nice name,

Tick suggested.

Yeah,

If you want to have the same name as six other girls in your class,

Or six million other girls in that county.

Max shook his head.

We need something distinctive.

Leaning forward,

Relia said,

Please don't give her some weirdo name like ours.

What's wrong with your name,

Relia?

Do you know a single person with that name?

No,

That's the point.

It's so weird.

No one has even heard of it.

And isn't that cool?

I mean,

Don't you love discovering new things?

Like those whatchamacallits you told us about?

The velo-raptor or something.

Max made an early form of a bicycle sound like a dinosaur.

It's a velocipede.

You pushed with your feet instead of the pedals.

Tick said,

Sounds like a skateboard.

It has a seat.

Relia told him.

Max said,

Well,

My point is you like knowing unique things.

Why don't you like having an unusual name?

Because people don't tease me about knowing unusual things.

They don't?

Tick asked.

Then why do they call you Amelia Earhart?

Relia put her palm to Tick's forehead to push him away.

Buzz off!

Max laughed.

And to think I wanted another one of you guys.

Why did you?

Relia asked.

You don't like having us around.

Why add someone else?

Hoping for someone who likes the same things you do?

Max shuddered.

Sometimes you can be so cruel,

Relia.

Honestly,

I don't know where you get it from.

Three guesses,

Relia thought.

I like having you around.

Max stood up.

Correction.

I love having you around.

I don't think you realize how important you are to me.

Relia felt like daring Max to prove his love to her.

But she could see the pain in his eyes.

Embarrassed,

She said.

I guess I don't.

Max sat down and put his hand on her shoulder.

That's my fault,

Kiddo.

Sitting on the edge of the seat,

Max put his forehead against Relia's.

You're tops.

Relia had to smile because Max was smiling.

And smiles are infectious.

But she couldn't help thinking that he was just being corny.

Tick wormed his face in between Max's and Relia's,

Asking,

How about.

.

.

Manila?

They all laughed.

Pulling back,

Max asked,

Where'd you get that one,

Tick?

Comic book,

Relia said.

It sounds like it should belong to an ancient widow who gives piano lessons in her parlor.

Hmm,

I agree,

Max nubbed.

A nurse stepped into the waiting room.

You can all go see the baby now.

Tick ran down the hall.

He didn't even wait to find out what room Tiny was in.

Where are you going,

Tick?

Max asked.

Don't yell in a hospital,

Relia slapped his arm.

Max spoke into Relia's ear as he put his arm over her shoulder.

Don't be such a prude.

Tick danced from side to side as he waited for the nurse to show them to Tiny's room.

As soon as she pointed to the right room,

Tick rushed in,

Shouting,

I vote for Manila!

Manila?

Relia got into the room just in time to see Tiny scrunch up her face in disgust.

It sounds like something you'd take when you can't poop.

Relia had to laugh.

So did everyone else.

Except for the tiny baby in Tiny's arms.

She just stirred,

Her lips curled into an annoyed frown over the noise,

Then settled back into a quiet sleep.

I want to see your eyes open,

Tick said as he stood up on the bed rail to get a good look at the baby.

She's all tuckered out,

Tiny rubbed Tick's belly.

It's a lot of work being born.

And it's bloody,

Tick made a face.

Oh,

Really?

Tiny tucked Tick's shirt collar.

The blood helps the baby slide out,

Tick told her.

Tiny shook her head,

Smiling.

She said,

Thanks for telling me.

Relia went to the other side of the bed so she could touch the baby.

Her skin felt like lilac leaves.

So,

What's your vote,

Relia?

Tiny asked.

Callista.

Callista?

Tiny frowned.

Slipping into comic book narrator mode,

Tick said,

Callista!

Jumping to the floor,

His legs spread apart,

His arms up in a muscle man pose.

He glared across the room saying,

Callista,

Able to melt men's minds.

Able to melt men's minds with a single glare.

I'm not sure she's even got her eyes open bit down yet,

Kiddo.

Tiny said to Tick as she traced the baby's eyebrows with her finger.

But I do like part of that name.

Kelly sounds cool.

What do you think,

Daddy-O?

Max leaned over to take the baby.

I think I'll burst if I don't hold this child soon.

Swaddling in her fuzzy yellow blanket,

The baby fit in the crook of Max's arm like a tiny doll.

He stared down at her with a look Relia didn't recognize.

It was deeper than his wow.

Look at that full specimen awe.

He was completely amazed.

Tiny sat up and pointed at the blanket.

I tried to stick her with a pink blanket and tie a dorky ribbon in her hair.

I said slather in water oil and hand her over.

Tick giggled and Relia laughed.

Max said,

Let's give it the old test.

Raising his arm to bring the baby closer to his face,

He said,

Kelly,

Kelly.

He was whispering,

But somehow it sounded like he was calling out to her over a great distance.

As he spoke,

Relia crossed the room to get a look at the baby's face.

Kelly.

As Max said it the third time,

The baby stirred.

She blinked and smacked her lips before settling back to sleep.

It's approved.

Relia was stunned.

Is that how you picked our names?

Sure.

Tiny said as Tick crawled over the bed rail to climb in with her.

Tick passed gas when we tested out Crispin on him.

Crispin?

Tick stuck out his tongue.

Sounds like a salad topping,

Relia said.

That's what I thought.

Tiny pointed at Max,

But he thought Crispin was groovy.

So we went back to my first choice,

Tickton.

Rubbing noses with Tick,

Tiny chanted,

Ticky,

Ticky,

Davy.

Giggling,

Tick snuggled in close to Tiny.

What about me?

Relia leaned on the railing.

We tried Atlanta,

But you didn't so much as scrunch an eyebrow at that one.

So you went with Relia?

After we tried Myra and Haiti.

Jeez,

I am almost glad you named me Relia.

You better be.

Tiny pinched Relia's finger.

It's one in a zillion.

Yeah?

Yeah.

Hold that baby and shut up,

Will you?

Max handed the baby down to Relia,

And it was like she was struck by the tiniest,

Warmest bolt of lightning.

She could feel Callie's soul just by holding her.

It was so clean and so strong.

And made Relia feel like crying.

She's so.

.

.

Relia couldn't find the words.

Out of this world,

Tiny added.

Yeah.

For many people,

Adding a new family member is definitely out of this world.

Whether it is by marriage and blending a family,

Marriage and blending a family,

Adoption,

Bringing a foster child into the home,

Or the birth of a new baby.

Bringing a new person into your life can be exciting,

Wonderful,

Challenging,

Prone to create an unusual,

Complicated,

Infuriating feeling known as jealousy.

But you know what?

One of the things that Tiny and Max realize,

No matter how distant they can seem as parents,

They both know that the most amazing thing about every single person in the world is that they are one in a zillion.

There is no one like them in the world who is alive today.

You know what else?

There never has been a person like them.

Even more amazing,

There never will be a person like them.

They are literally one in a zillion.

Now,

How do we know this?

I mean,

We haven't met everyone,

Have we?

No.

How is this possible?

To be known for sure,

For scientific positive?

It can't be.

But I can tell you this,

I've met a lot of people and no two of them are alike.

They're like snowflakes.

Did you know that no two snowflakes are alike?

If you want to know more about this idea or test it,

Check out the photographer and scientist known as Snowflake Bentley.

But back to being one in a zillion and new family members,

And allow me to tell you that even though having siblings can be challenging,

Even though changes in family can be tough,

Whoever has been added to your family is an amazing one in a zillion person.

If you get along with them,

It's easy to see those wonderful unique qualities.

If they annoy you,

Anger you,

Or make you feel sad,

Or maybe jealous,

Those emotions can be understandable.

Know that even the most difficult person to get along with has amazing things about them.

For instance,

In this chapter,

Reggie learned how she and her brother got their names.

Their parents wanted to celebrate their unique qualities by giving them unique names.

And they even asked them as babies.

Now,

Did they really know what their parents were saying when they were babies?

Maybe not,

But their parents believed in giving them a choice.

And I think that's great.

How about you?

What I also think is great that no matter how difficult,

Or how wonderful,

Or in-between a person might be,

There is something magical about meeting a new person,

Living with a new person,

Learning a new person's secrets that help us grow and help us change in amazing and wonderful ways.

Sometimes this is just a matter of being open to getting to know them.

Sometimes it's a little more challenging.

Sometimes it's helping them heal,

Helping them feel safe,

Helping them know you can be trusted.

But whatever brings new people into your life,

I hope that you will find the magic within each individual person and allow that unique quality to help you see the world as a fuller,

More amazing place.

Who knows?

You might even discover a one-in-a-zillion quality about yourself.

Thank you for listening.

This has been A.

Lefebvre of Selvenocity.

Reviews

Sweet chapter, thanks! Placenta🤩 it is a great word! And great lessons here, thanks ❤️

Any more to come, my dear?

I love this so much I also loved dad in spirit and some of your other story’s please make more of this wonderful work
-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Can’t wait to hear more from you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And what does Placenta mean
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜💖🖤🤎🤍