Friday Nov15

Bobbie answered the phone; it was Eddie and she wanted to thank him for his birthday present of a free pass to local museums. She was done with international travel for a while and was looking forward to museum day trips next summer. Her mom’s present was the deed to the family home in Seaport. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do with it. She wanted to keep it; she could remember her grandparents and it represented some happy times.

She was interrupted by Eddie who asked, “Mom, do we have a sister?” Bobbie frowned and said nothing. Eddie continued. “A woman came in here last night in a rather bad way with late-stage cancer and when she saw my name tag, she got really anxious; and asked me if I know Bobbie McNally. I told her you are my mother and she said she is my half-sister. I got a blood sample and had her DNA checked and Mom, she is our sister.”

I’m going to stop you right there Eddie, it’s a long story. I want you and Charlie to come over tonight, OK?

MAY 1968

The McNallys moved into their large home near the University when Florence finished her obstetric residency. She opened her private practice in the office built on the side of their house. The addition took over half of the empty lot adjacent to the house that they purchased and the rest of that lot was a nice new paved parking lot. Almost 4-year-old Bobbie already tried out hopscotch in that small parking lot.

Florence put an ad in the paper for a part time receptionist and was seeing applicants that morning. 

Gloria Johnston was a former nursing student, one of the few black women in the program. She got pregnant at the beginning of her second year. She couldn’t hide it forever and left the program in disgrace before her training was complete. She was a single mom at a time when that was looked down upon a great deal. Florence McNally had an eye for talent and decided to hire her as a part time receptionist. She agreed that her son Peter could come with her to work and play with Bobbie and Jamie and they would share the child care.

Gloria had been only making do, with odd jobs and some private home care, trying to take care of her baby boy and going without, a lot. The child’s father had not stuck around. He was the son of a wealthy white man and was in the navy. She was so grateful to Florence for giving her a chance. She felt that Florence and Walter really respected her; as a nursing student and a mother. To have full time work and help with childcare was more than she could dream of.

This worked well for a couple years, Bobbie and Peter were the same age and started school together. They were truly inseparable. Florence used what pull she had with the nursing school at the hospital and arranged for Gloria to finish her registered nursing training.

They were all busy now and Florence had baby Jamie so Walter and Gloria shared the school drop offs and pick ups for Bobbie and Peter and had a neighbouring high school girl to help Florence after school.

Years passed and Bobbie and Peter forged even closer bonds. They were together all the time, in school and at home and were talking about being boyfriend and girl friend. They kissed each other in private and as they grew older, their feelings grew stronger.

July 1, 1977

The table was silent. Bobbie and Peter sat holding hands and told the McNallys and Peter’s mother that Bobbie, at 13, was pregnant. 

To say all hell broke loose was an understatement. Gloria had her head in her hands weeping and Florence was as angry as she’d ever been. “I’m on the board of directors for planned parenthood; for Christ’s sake!”

Bobbie’s Dad was yelling at them and 11-year-old Jamie, upset by the whole thing, ran from the table and locked himself in his room. Nobody knew that Jamie was heartbroken. He was just starting to realize that he was not like other boys and had a big crush on Peter. He was mad at Bobbie for ruining things with Peter.

Bobbie and Peter anticipated it all. “We’re having the baby said Bobbie quietly.” She sounded eerily sure of herself.

Then the negotiation began. It was agreed that Bobbie would have the baby in secret because it reflected so poorly on her mom. Florence was doubly angry that they’d waited so long to tell her because it was too late to safely end the pregnancy. Bobbie was too young she’d probably miscarry and it was dangerous. If the pregnancy came to term, they would give the baby up for adoption because they were too young to raise a baby and had no choice. If Florence hadn’t been so hurt and angry, she might have offered Bobbie and Peter her support to help raise the child. Gloria was so bitter, remembering how badly she was treated as a young unwed mother she was resistant too. Truthfully if Florence hadn’t been so angry, Gloria might have been more supportive.

Decisions were made in anger and that anger lasted until the baby was born in Florence’s parents’ home and safely taken away to be adopted. During her pregnancy and recovery, Bobbies emotions burned like a flame and she focused on her home schooling lessons with great intensity. When she finally came home to start back at school, she and Florence were able to mend their relationship.

“So that’s it boys, your mother was a baby that had a baby. Mom put me on the pill after that.”

“What happened to Peter?”

“His mom sent him to a different High school and we lost touch but we both went to Crow Harbour U. He was studying to be a Dentist and was in the Army reserves and even then, we had less in common. Neither of us wanted to talk about our daughter and what could have been. He enlisted as an army Dentist, when he graduated and went to Croatia with the army but never came back. His Mother was never the same. It was a sad story all around.

The one thing that still haunts me is that if I had a 5-year-old daughter when I met your father, he would have loved her like mad.”

“I think he would have too Mom but it’s a lot to take in. Would there even be an Eddie and a Charlie if you had stayed with Peter?”

“I don’t know but I think I would have had an Eddie and a Charlie no matter who I married.”

“OK Mom. Eddie, do we get to meet our sister​?” asked Charlie.

Eddie explained. “I’m not supposed to discuss patients but since we’re family, I guess, I can tell you; she’s very sick. I’d be surprised if she lasted the week. She delayed her treatment to have a child and kept delaying because she didn’t like the radiation and wanted to nurse the baby.”

Bobbie gasped. “She has a child? She must be over 40!”

“It was a geriatric pregnancy, Mom; she is 42.”

“Eddie that’s so sad. I have another grandchild and you boys have another niece so we have to celebrate that. Your Grandma and me had a huge falling out after I got pregnant. She pivoted from planned parenthood to focus more on patient care after my pregnancy. She said I made her feel like a hypocrite. I hated her for giving my baby away. And I was a sulky teenager to boot.”

“That sounds like a real mess. How do you think Grandma is going to react to having a new great grand child. Do you think it going to dredge up all those bad feelings?”

“Maybe we could just slip her in with the other great-grand kids and Mom won’t notice. Your Grandpa really supported me. He said that Peter and I were kids that made a mistake and we should be forgiven. I think He and Mom worked through it all.”

“You can’t slip anything by Gramma she would definitely notice a new great-grand kid. Grampa was always the voice of reason and seemed to be able to fix anything…”

“He couldn’t convince Mom to let me keep and raise my baby.”