When Nighttime Shadows Fall by Diane Michael Cantor

Author:Diane Michael Cantor
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: University of South Carolina Press
Published: 2017-01-10T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 15

A Little Lie

“I don’t know about the rest of you,” Mavis said, making no attempt to hide her disgust, “but I sure don’t want nothin’ suckin’ on me.”

We were seated in a circle on the floor of the Project living room leaning back against big, colorful pillows after watching a film about breastfeeding.

When the lights were turned back on, I’d tried to read their faces. Mavis looked bored and contemptuous. Mandy seemed noncommittal. Nell was silent and open-mouthed. I couldn’t imagine her nursing, but it was also impossible to think of her having sex.

“It is hard to picture her with a fella, idn’t it?” her mother had said when I’d asked about the father. “She never went anywhere except the superette, and she sure didn’t do it there.” She threw up her hands. “She don’t even want to go there anymore. If it weren’t for the Project, I reckon she’d never leave the house.”

I looked out at the captive faces of the new girls. There were several I knew only as names on an enrollment list. They sat, as resigned as children in church, waiting silently, yawning and fidgeting, until finally freed by the last “amen.” I did not delude myself that all our clients valued the classes we gave them. I realized they wanted a doctor’s care and to have their babies delivered in a hospital and accepted that a certain amount of boredom and irritation came along with these services. Even the ones who were not as vocal about their displeasure as Mavis.

“I know all I want to know about this nursing bit,” Mavis said testily, handing Susan back her pamphlet. “You may as well give this to somebody else. I already bought me a bottle set at Sears. It’s got two sizes of bottles, nipples, brushes, and everything.”

“Let’s save that for when we talk about bottle feeding, Mavis,” I interrupted, despite her smoldering eyes. I could not allow her to sabotage the class. I handed the pamphlet back to her. “Please follow along with us.”

She was silent, though she’d gladly have annihilated me with a stare.

“My mama nursed all of us,” Mandy said simply, as if suggesting a brand of scouring powder her mother had used. “We all turned out real healthy. We never had any bad sickness except the chicken pops and measles and stuff like that.”

“I bet it messed up her figure,” Mavis claimed. “I’m not gonna go through the rest of my life with droopy ole boobs when that little sucker can get all he needs right out of a bottle.”

“There’s not a thing wrong with my mama’s … well, you know.” Mandy blushed. “She even got her figure back a whole lot faster than some of her friends that didn’t nurse.”

I couldn’t help beaming like a first-grade teacher handing out gold stars. “Mandy’s right. Breastfeeding is good for the mom, too. Let’s read about how it helps the baby.” I stopped short. Even Susan’s usually encouraging eyes looked glazed.

“How about a volunteer?” I asked.

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