Ever polite, Ava strained to not listen to Anne Pine’s phone conversation  but it was difficult given they were in a moving vehicle. She focused her attention on the passing scenery. Periodically trees bordering both sides of the road blocked the distant view.

Whatever kind of trees these were, they stood tall and elegant with their branches draping over the road. In some spots they created great cool green tunnels. Here and there inside the tunnels intermittent patches of dappled sunlight broke through. Seconds later the truck shot out of them like a bullet back into the brilliant sunlight dazzling her eyes like a newborn’s.

Ava rode along engrossed in a rich daydream.She imagined herself back in Victorian times. She and her friends had organized a picnic in the country. They are riding in their open air buggy. The air is clean and sweet. The black shadows of the tree branches overhanging the horse and buggy road cool the skin. Ava closed her eyes. Only the faintest residue of her headache remained now. Chris flitted across her mind’s eye.

Suddenly Anne Pine braked slowing way down so as to ease the truck around another deep bend in the road. A good thing too because they were met by a horse pulling what looked like a pitch black box on wheels. How odd thought Ava. She’d have to ask Anne Pine about that. And right behind the horse and the box on wheels followed a panel truck moving slower than a person could run. Ava had no idea the country churned with so much activity.

“How far apart were the contractions when you first left to call me?” (Ava heard the urgent edge to Ann’s voice.) “And how long ago was that? Yes, alright. I’m on my way NOW. No, don‘t worry, I‘m less than five minutes away. Good-bye!” Anne Pine clicked off the receiver, hastily threw the cell phone on the truck seat and accelerated. Turning to Ava she said, “Lydia Yoder’s Katie is awfully close to delivering that baby!”

“I wouldn’t have thought Eden has a hospital of it‘s own,” said Ava feeling the pull of the accelerating truck on her body.

“There’s no hospital around here,” chirped Anne Pine, “I’m delivering that baby at the house!”

Ava was shocked. She couldn’t imagine babies being born anywhere other than in sleek, efficient, sterilized hospital Delivery Rooms. Or maybe in the back of her mind Ava thought Anne Pine had a clinic of her own. Maybe a special birthing room attached to her house where mothers’felt safe and secure. Ava wanted no part of this. “Look, we can’t be that far from town, why don’t you drop me here and I can jog back to the motel.”

“Oh no you don’t,” snapped Anne Pine, “remember you might have a concussion.” Anne tapped her temple with her index finger. “No running for you for at least a week!” Anne Pine could see Ava was nervous. “You’ve never seen a baby being born before have you?”

“A kitten once when I was little,” said Ava. Anne Pine released another one of her great explosive laughs.

Ava held tight to the armrest of the old pickup as they made a turn on to a side road. I‘m being kidnapped, thought Ava. My life is no longer my own.

Since that Special Delivery letter arrived two days ago, Ava felt her life spiraling out of her control. She should be in her office right now running the computer analysis for that new contract the company just landed. The quicker  she got back to the city the better. Ava needed the known to anchor her.

What was some woman doing anyway giving birth in her own house, wondered Ava, and on a Monday morning no less! No, Ava wanted nothing to do with birth - with any kind of birth.