This, That, and then TIM!

     In the back yard of our house on Namwianga Mission there was a storage barn. In it, among other things, were the mealie meal, molasses, and meat supplies for the girl's dormitory. Each day some girls from the dorm would come to the house so Mel could mete out their daily rations. These were prepared by the girls, who cooked them African-Style. I think they got their vegetables either from the veld or from another missionary. From the vegetables they made a sort of thick soup in which they could dip their meat and mealie-meal porridge. (Mealies was the African word for corn meal). As a child I would quite often go to our servants hut and share a meal with them -- it really was delicious!
     When Deb was about a year old I asked Mel if he didn't think it was time for us to make a little companion for her. He agreed and pretty soon I found I was pregnant again. It was during this time that Deb decided it was rather great fun to run away from me She would look at me, then tear out the kitchen door, through the gate, and down the side of the house, then back into the house. She loved it and I loved it too. But as our baby grew bigger and bigger in my tummy I soon found it very hard to keep up with her. One day I decided to trick her. As she started out the back door I pretended I was after her, but  turned and went out the front door and met her at the side of the house. When she saw me, she stopped and put her little hands on her knees and started to giggle and giggle. It was t-o-o-o cute. We both enjoyed the joke.
    My next-door neighbour, Edna Bell fell pregnant shortly after I did, so we would travel together each month for our monthly checkups with Dr. DeKok. Ths continued until about my 7th month. Then I told Mel I wanted to have our baby in Bulawayo, where I would be near my folks. Ma (my Mom) had found a doctor she liked, Dr. McNair, who happened to be not only a general practitioner but also a certified Gynny. She arranged for him to register me as a patient, and he delivered all three of our boys.
     When we arrived home I told Mel I did not want to go back to the mission. Our awful scare with Deb made me very wary of being so far from medical care with two small children. He agreed with me and we called Bro. Short and explained our decision. He was very understanding, so after Tim was born we went back to pack up the few possessions we still had there.  We have never regretted our decision.
     When I went into false labour, not once but a couple of times, Dr. McNair suggested that since my expected time was less than two weeks away, that he put me into the hospital and induce labour. This time it was for real, and Tim was born on the November 28th.