Chapter Six
'Christmas Eve and Christmas Day'
Christmas Eve arrived and along with most of the other Catholics in Portlaw, Magnus and Elizabeth decided to forgo the Mass on Christmas morning and instead attend Midnight Mass at St. Michael's. Elizabeth was now very heavy with child and estimated herself to be around one week away from giving birth. They had decided to announce the good news to all and sundry during November, before the Portlaw gossip-spoiler Nancy Noolan got out her unsavoury version of events. Whilst their friends were initially surprised at their news, they were nevertheless very pleased to have the Catholic population of Portlaw's parish register increase in number.
The couple walked up the hill to church after the bells had started peeling around 11.15pm. As they crossed the bridge at the bottom of William Street, it started to snow, as though in preparation of the perfect Christmas-card scene. The bridge structure had been adorned with light bulbs that illuminated the crossing in a festive spirit.
"We'd better get you up there quick, Elizabeth before you catch cold," Magnus said to his wife anxiously as they slowly walked. It took the couple thirty five minutes to walk the required distance, usually no more than a ten-minute walk from their house. As both husband and wife entered the church, Elizabeth got a twinge in her stomach. Magnus quickly sat her down in the first available space and pew closest to them, which was almost at the front. The church was already jammed packed and it was only Elizabeth's pregnant state that led a distinguished man in his seventies to give up his seat so that Magnus and his pregnant wife could sit together.
"We'd better get you up there quick, Elizabeth before you catch cold," Magnus said to his wife anxiously as they slowly walked. It took the couple thirty five minutes to walk the required distance, usually no more than a ten-minute walk from their house. As both husband and wife entered the church, Elizabeth got a twinge in her stomach. Magnus quickly sat her down in the first available space and pew closest to them, which was almost at the front. The church was already jammed packed and it was only Elizabeth's pregnant state that led a distinguished man in his seventies to give up his seat so that Magnus and his pregnant wife could sit together.
Elizabeth continued to get labour twinges as the choir approached the end of the Carol Service. She thought she would be able to get through the service without any difficulty as the priest and the altar servers came out to do the Christmas Procession around the Church and onto the altar.
The Christmas service proceeded much as planned until after the Communion had been served at the altar rails. As Communion was being administered, Nancy Noolan was keeping a keen eye open to see who received it and who merely asked for a blessing from Father Rossy. It was as though she was spying upon those poor souls, those lapsed Catholics whom she believed to be in a state of mortal sin, and to whom receiving Communion would be no less than sacrilege and eternal damnation of their soul.
As the last of the Christmas communicants was leaving the altar to return to their pew, Elizabeth Ferguson's waters broke and she gave out a loud, involuntary scream. "The babies, Magnus!" she screamed out. "Our babies are about to come a week early it seems. My waters have broken!" A small amount of fluid ran down to the ground as Elizabeth started to get light contractions in her stomach. Elizabeth had expected a gush of broken waters cascading to the floor like a giant waterfall and initially mistook the sign for some other unwelcome discharge.
The elderly stranger nearby who'd given up his seat so that Elizabeth and Magnus might sit together was quickly on hand and said, "Please, let me take you outside to my car and take you back home immediately. I'm a doctor. In fact, I was a practising obstetrician in America for over forty years before I retired a few years back and having delivered over two thousand babies during my years, there isn't much that I don't know about child delivery."
Elizabeth and Magnus thanked the stranger for his kindness and support and both the stranger and Magnus carefully walked Elizabeth down the church aisle and to his car that was parked nearby on the road side. By the time that they had arrived back in William Street and had got her back inside their house, the contractions had started to come more frequently. The stranger offered to drive them to the maternity hospital near Waterford, but Elizabeth refused outright.
"I've always wanted my children born inside this house in my own bed and I'm not about to give birth to my last children any differently!" she said.
The stranger could see little point in trying to persuade her to attend the Maternity Hospital as she seemed determined that any delivery would take place beneath the family roof.
"I've always wanted my children born inside this house in my own bed and I'm not about to give birth to my last children any differently!" she said.
The stranger could see little point in trying to persuade her to attend the Maternity Hospital as she seemed determined that any delivery would take place beneath the family roof.
"We had best get her to her bed then," Magnus gently told the stranger. "You never argue with a woman's reasoning, let alone a pregnant one at that!"
So the stranger and Magnus put Elizabeth to bed to lay down, while the mid-wife was called. It soon became clear that obtaining a mid-wife's visit to one's home on early Christmas morning is far from difficult at best and is nigh impossible. As Elizabeth's contractions became closer and closer to each other, the stranger told Magnus to prepare some hot water, and clean sheets and towels because the baby would be born within the next half hour and that with her husband's permission, he would deliver Elizabeth's child.
"We don't even know your name," said Elizabeth in distress "and you're here in my bedroom, looking up my dress and examining me in the most intimate of conditions."
"Forgive my bad manners in not properly introducing myself earlier," the stranger said, "but with all the commotion, I clean forgot. My name is Tom O'Conner from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. I have lived in America most of my life, but six months ago I returned to County Tyrone where I was born after having retired from my post in the 'Pittsburgh Children's Hospital'. I'm not sure whether I will return to Pittsburgh yet, but I just needed to call into Portlaw beforehand."
"And why Portlaw, Tom?" Magnus asked, before placing the clean linen and towels down at the side of his wife's bed.
"Oh, no matter. It's all water under the bridge now, Magnus. I.........let's say I just needed to bury a few ghosts here before I got on with the rest of my life!" he replied.
So the stranger and Magnus put Elizabeth to bed to lay down, while the mid-wife was called. It soon became clear that obtaining a mid-wife's visit to one's home on early Christmas morning is far from difficult at best and is nigh impossible. As Elizabeth's contractions became closer and closer to each other, the stranger told Magnus to prepare some hot water, and clean sheets and towels because the baby would be born within the next half hour and that with her husband's permission, he would deliver Elizabeth's child.
"We don't even know your name," said Elizabeth in distress "and you're here in my bedroom, looking up my dress and examining me in the most intimate of conditions."
"Forgive my bad manners in not properly introducing myself earlier," the stranger said, "but with all the commotion, I clean forgot. My name is Tom O'Conner from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. I have lived in America most of my life, but six months ago I returned to County Tyrone where I was born after having retired from my post in the 'Pittsburgh Children's Hospital'. I'm not sure whether I will return to Pittsburgh yet, but I just needed to call into Portlaw beforehand."
"And why Portlaw, Tom?" Magnus asked, before placing the clean linen and towels down at the side of his wife's bed.
"Oh, no matter. It's all water under the bridge now, Magnus. I.........let's say I just needed to bury a few ghosts here before I got on with the rest of my life!" he replied.
Within the next half hour, Elizabeth gave birth to a healthy son. She chose to deliver it in an upright posture, but after the child was born, Elizabeth experienced severe discomfort and was obliged to lie back on the bed. Tom quietly and reassuringly told her to lie back as there was a second child to deliver also.
Elizabeth looked at Magnus and said, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner love, but I didn't want to worry you. I had intended to tell you before the birth, just as soon as we arrived back from Midnight Mass!"
Both man and wife looked at each other and silently prayed to God that both children would be born alive and healthy. Three minutes later Tom delivered the second child who was also healthy, though on the smaller side. The second child was a girl. Both Magnus and Elizabeth were elated. They couldn't remember a moment of their entire marriage when they'd been happier since the birth of their first eleven. They couldn't thank Tom enough for his unselfish service to them.
Elizabeth looked at Magnus and said, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner love, but I didn't want to worry you. I had intended to tell you before the birth, just as soon as we arrived back from Midnight Mass!"
Both man and wife looked at each other and silently prayed to God that both children would be born alive and healthy. Three minutes later Tom delivered the second child who was also healthy, though on the smaller side. The second child was a girl. Both Magnus and Elizabeth were elated. They couldn't remember a moment of their entire marriage when they'd been happier since the birth of their first eleven. They couldn't thank Tom enough for his unselfish service to them.
Elizabeth saw her two babies being cleaned before being passed to her. She was overcome with joy and cried with happiness. As Elizabeth cuddled her twin babies, she thanked Tom profusely.
Tom said, "Think nothing of it. You have made my return back to Portlaw worthwhile and highly memorable. This is one Christmas I'll never forget. Of all days to give birth, there couldn't be a better day than that of baby Jesus' day; Christmas Day!"
Tom said, "Think nothing of it. You have made my return back to Portlaw worthwhile and highly memorable. This is one Christmas I'll never forget. Of all days to give birth, there couldn't be a better day than that of baby Jesus' day; Christmas Day!"
Elizabeth was overjoyed. She was so happy that she and Magnus decided there and then to christen the boy child, 'Tom' after the man who'd delivered him and Saint Thomas the Apostle. "If ever any woman or man doubts whether a woman of my age can still give healthy birth then they need look no farther than Tom here!" Elizabeth said joyfully.
"And the girl?" Magnus asked. "Shall we call her Elizabeth after her mother? Elizabeth is a good name. It was the name of the mother of John the Baptist and it was also the name of the Queen of England in the 16th century. She reportedly devoted all of her efforts towards the accommodation of all religions in her realm. We could have done with her in William Street. What do you think dear?"
After three or four minutes in reflective thought, Elizabeth Ferguson said, "What you say makes considerable sense dear and we shall name our daughter after the illustrious Queen Elizabeth, who in her youth was also known as the 'Good Queen Bess.' Bess shall be her name, for without the timely assistance of that other Bess we met in the thick fog on Curraghmore, neither of our babies might have been safely born."
Upon hearing the chosen name of Bess and the mother's reasons for having so decided to name her girl child thus, the stranger Tom looked across at the new parents in sheer wonderment.
"I knew it!" he announced in amazement. "I just knew there was a reason that made fate bring the three of us together this past night!"
After three or four minutes in reflective thought, Elizabeth Ferguson said, "What you say makes considerable sense dear and we shall name our daughter after the illustrious Queen Elizabeth, who in her youth was also known as the 'Good Queen Bess.' Bess shall be her name, for without the timely assistance of that other Bess we met in the thick fog on Curraghmore, neither of our babies might have been safely born."
Upon hearing the chosen name of Bess and the mother's reasons for having so decided to name her girl child thus, the stranger Tom looked across at the new parents in sheer wonderment.
"I knew it!" he announced in amazement. "I just knew there was a reason that made fate bring the three of us together this past night!"
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