INVERTED TALE

THE PRESENT:

The obstetrician lifted the little one and clipped the umbilical cord after gently smacking its back. She  said to the mother “You wanted a girl. Here is your Lily.” Within herself the doctor said “A spitting image of the ugly mother.” Lenny looked at Lily and was deeply doubly disappointed: She had wanted a handsome boy though she had mentioned her preference for a girl to hospital staff she had befriended. And the child was ugly. The child was put to nurse. A couple of hours later her husband came and after seeing Lily said “My luck is turning with the arrival of Lily. I’ve just been raised to a senior position. I got the letter this day. See you and Lily later as my boys are waiting for orders from me.”

Hardy worked as a security guard escorting cash laden vehicles to ATMs etc. He was young and was well-built and had been especially trained for his job.

The next day Lenny was told she had visitors. Luke and his wife came into her ward. After the congratulatory messages, the Lukes looked at Lily. Mrs.Luke said “Looks a healthy baby. Seems smiling.” She gave Lenny a package of baby diapers and wished her and the baby all the best in life. Mrs.Luke said “Luke, I’ll visit my friend in the next ward and be back in a few moments.”

Luke asked “Lenny, what do you think of the baby?”

She was silent.

He said ”We can’t beat Mother Nature. What a waste of all the trouble we took!”

She merely said “I had said I would take the chance. I’m not disappointed. Of course after 52 attempts. I’ve kept count.”

Mrs.Luke now returned and said “Lenny two more days here and you’ll be home. I don’t think you can work any more. Continue to take rest and have a lovely time with Lily at home.”

Lenny watched the couple going away. Lenny worked in Luke’s home as maid. Luke was a TV person who had been selected for screen appearances due his being handsome and more than that, was capable of using the right words when left unscripted. Mrs.Luke was a home maker and they had 2 little children.

 Knowing she looked ugly, Lenny was jealous of Mrs.Luke who was fair, beautiful and slim. She however pulled on in the household which paid her well and regularly. In family life she was happy. Her husband Hardy had accepted her as she had been chosen by his mother. Besides, Hardy was kin. However her ugliness made her shun having a baby and she took all steps to stay barren. In private Luke would often make fun of ugly Lenny but his wife would admonish him for doing it.

In her maternity ward Lenny lay wondering how she could access Luke again now that Mrs.Luke had returned. She wished someone would read her future!

HAPPENINGS OF A YEAR AGO:

 Nature has many ways of bringing matters to a head in unexpected ways. Who knew that Mrs.Luke’s sister who lived in far away England would have an accident needing someone to help her at home? Mrs.Luke’s help was sought for at least a month. Mrs.Luke with her two children were off to England. At the end of one month, her help was sought for another 3 months and Luke had consented to his family’s overstay.

Lenny had been living with Hardy in a multi-storeyed apartment provided by the company he worked for. She would say to her husband “Let us not have ugly children. Protect yourself when you approach me.” Hardy would comply. In the second floor of the apartment where Hardy lived, there was a woman Puja separated from her husband. Puja was a close friend of Lenny’s. Puja was greatly attracted to Hardy. Seeing this, Lenny permitted the two to move closely. Puja would come to give company to Lenny when her husband was on night shifts. It was never a ménage a trios as Lenny would stay away from Hardy. With Lenny’s tacit consent Hardy and Puja had their time together.

When Mrs.Luke’s UK’s stay had been extended, Lenny saw the opportunity and planned her move. Mrs.Luke had made it a rule that Lenny should take her bath in their house before she commenced her duties and so Lenny had a spare set of clothes in Luke’s home. Lenny would always be dressed in a housecoat with folded sleeves while working. That day when she had gone to take her bath as usual, she suddenly screamed and fell on the bathroom floor. Alerted by her scream, Luke went running to find the bathroom door locked from within. He knocked but getting no response forced open the door which had been made nominally secure for use in such emergencies. He found Lenny sprawled on the floor. She was entirely nude and he could see her sumptuous contours which his wife lacked. He thought of calling Mrs.Singh the old lady who lived in the next floor for help but by the time he had taken a decision, Lenny was up, wrapping herself in her house coat. She said sobbing “Master, something happened to me and I fainted. I’m sorry that you had to see me unclothed.”

Luke said “It doesn’t matter. Would you like to visit a doctor?”

She sobbed some more and said “I’m worried that I fell like that. May be I’ve some serious illness.”

“You seem to have recovered fully. If it happens again you could consult my wife’s doctor.”

She didn’t seem reconciled to her health and while comforting her, one thing led to another and they were in bed together reassured by the stock of preventive devices that could be used: Luke had decided he didn’t want the family size to increase. What started this way between master and maid continued and she said “I fully enjoy being with you, but at this time I keep thinking that I should conceive and produce a baby with handsome features and fair in colour. Please wish that way as we come together.”

He said “I don’t think our wishing has a say in it. Nature has its own way of deciding.”

“You’re wrong Master. My school mate and close friend Moji isn’t attractive but her child is handsome. I asked her how it happened. She said when the baby is being made she would keep thinking of the outcome of the efforts when bang! she got results.”

He laughed and said “You’ll see it isn’t as easy as that.”

In due course, Lenny found herself in the family way. Mrs.Luke returned. Seeing Lenny’s condition, Mrs.Luke gave her time off to savour the joys of pregnancy. The time came when she had to enter hospital for the delivery and it was attended to by Luke and his wife. Meanwhile, Hardy had Puja with child and she wanted to reconcile with her husband. Puja’s husband came back and the couple were together again with her expecting a baby. Of course he didn’t know it would be Hardy’s! It has been rightly said that maternity is certainty whereas paternity is speculation.

END