It was approximately 11pm on the eleventh of October, 2004 when the contractions started again. Since I’d had 2 false alarms previously, I was determined to wait until I knew it was really labour this time before I bothered the midwives again.
Suddenly the phone rang, I answered it with trepidation. Calls at this time of night are never good news. I was right, unfortunately it was our aunty calling to tell us that our beloved Uncle Rob was in hospital with bleeding on his brain. My husband was distraught and didn’t know what to do, torn between being at the hospital with Rob and the family and being there for me as our 3rd daughter made her grand entrance. Of course I made him go see his uncle, just in case he didn’t get to say goodbye.
The plan was for me to stay home and contact his sister, who was very close and had no idea Rob was in ICU. Dee was also our babysitter when I went into hospital but she wouldn’t answer her phone. She would be shattered if she did not say goodbye to her favourite uncle so I sent her brother off on another errand, this time to go bash on her windows and take her to ICU as soon as she wakes up.
If the contractions increased before he got back, I was to call an ambulance and meet hubby at the birthing unit. First, I had to organise a backup babysitter. Thank God Wendy was home and happily took our toddlers for the night.
As we entered into the early hours of the twethfth of October, two things became certain. Rob’s condition was deteriorating fast and this was not another false labour, our baby girl had decided she would definitely be making her appearance within the next few hours. I hoped we could hold on till the family said goodbye, trying to pretend that I wasn’t worried that I wouldn’t get a chance to say goodbye or that the contractions weren’t that painful.
Finally at around 7:30am, hubby dropped me at the delivery suite on his way back to ICU and I prepared myself mentally in case I had to give birth alone.
Uncle Rob passed away at 8am, to everyone’s distress. Hubby made it back just in time to meet Alicia.
I often wonder if Uncle Rob and Alicia both held off going toward their respective lights, especially when Alicia perfectly mimmicks his mannerisms without ever meeting him.
