THE BOLAN CHRONICLES: Reading #21

21. Approximate Minutes Reading (AMR): 10

Introduction to Characters

THE BOLAN CHRONICLES

Chapter 3

A House

**His Arrival**

Jake awoke and looked at his watch. 6:50 AM. He realized that he hadn't called Donna's mom. So he found a pay phone. She had lots of questions, but Jake wasn't interested in a conversation that he knew he'd have again in a matter of minutes, so he interrupted her in the middle of the fourth question. "Don't worry about it, Mrs. Keller, I'll call you when I know more."

"I'm coming down now, Jake."

"Listen, Mrs. Keller, it's not going to do you or anyone else any good to be here. Just be patient. I'll call you."

As if she hadn't heard a word, she'd replied, "I'll see you in a few minutes." And she hung up.

The doctor found Jake pacing the hallway with a cup of coffee and approached him. Jake noticed the look of concern. "What is it, Doc? How's the baby?"

"Well," He grabbed Jake's elbow. "Her contractions are closer, stronger, and longer, which is not what we want. So I've medicated her in order to reduce the frequency of the contractions. The medication also relaxes the patient, which is a good thing. The pain has subsided, and Donna is asleep for now."

"So does this mean that things will probably go normally?"

The doctor smiled, and the fatty patches of his face seemed to converge just below his eyes. He replied, "We're doing everything we can to ensure as normal a delivery as possible."

Jake said, "Thanks, Doc."

"In the meantime, you would be wise to find a corner to curl up in for the next few hours."

Jake grinned and said, "I would be wise to find a corner to hide in for the next few hours." 

A quizzical look on his face, the doctor asked, "What do you mean?"

"My mother in law is on her way, and let's just say that I'm not exactly looking forward to it."

The Doctor rolled his eyes and said, "I know all about that, young man, believe me. I completely understand."

Jake asked, "So your mother in law's a pain in the ass?"

He smiled and put up his thumb and two fingers, "This mother-in-law and the two before her." Then he added, "The field of medicine is costly." And he slapped Jake on the back and walked away.

The elevator door slid open, and Donna's mom stepped out just as the doctor was walking by. He glanced back at Jake and gave him a thumbs-up along with his wrinkled grin. Mrs. Keller saw Jake standing in the middle of the hall and managed a smile. When she reached him, he hugged her, and they sat down in the waiting area. Slick looked up and saw them, and Jake dropped his hand to his waist and flipped him the bird. Fend off the little prick, he thought.

Jake tried to remember what the doctor had told him so that he could describe it to Donna's mom. She seemed to understand what he meant, and she wasn't overtly dramatic about it. Jake was happy with that. He asked her if she might want to reconsider being at the hospital; that it might be an awful long wait and that he would be happy to keep her informed of every little change. She wasn't interested. She would stay until the baby was born, and longer still, if necessary.

Things quickly quieted. Jake couldn't think of what to talk about that might in any way interest her, and though she would love to have broached topics that piqued her curiosity, she suspected that Jake wasn't open to them. But she attempted, nonetheless.

"Donna tells me you're interested in police work."

Somewhat surprised, Jake looked up. He smiled and said, "Yeah. I've been interested in it since I was little. It’s always intrigued me."

"Dangerous work, though."

Jake immediately recognized the insinuation. "I suppose that it can be, yeah. But if everyone who wanted to get into law enforcement worried about that, this world would be a pretty dangerous place, right?"

Mrs. Keller conceded. Then she asked, "Where does someone go for training for that?"

"Oh, well, the police department works with the administration at the junior college in Bridgeport. They use the facilities there."

"How long does it take to finish?"

Jake thought for a moment then replied, "There are a number of options. You can get through it in a few months or take up to a year." Then he shook his head and said, "A year! My God! Why someone would take a year to get through the academy...I don't get it, really!"

Mrs. Keller replied, "Well, I'm sure that some guys will have to keep working when they attend, and they just won't have the means to focus all of their time on their training." Then she paused. Dared she to say it? She breathed deeply, "And some guys may have a family to raise, and if they try to do too much at once, it may be harmful to the well-being of their kids...their wife." 

"Mrs. Keller," Jake replied, "I won't be taking a year to get through the academy, I can assure you of that."

Mrs. Keller smiled and said, "Well, something that I can assure you of, Jake, is my support. I'm going to be a grandmother to that baby...make up for the grandfather void that Sam will leave. Between its mother and father and myself," Then she caught herself and added, "And your parents, of course, between us all, that baby will have all that it needs."

Jake looked at her and said, "Mrs. Keller, don't you mean, all that he needs?" 

She laughed and said, "Aha! So Dad wants a little boy?"

"No." Jake replied, "Dad gets a little boy." Then he smirked and added, "I knows what I knows!"

They laughed together, and Mrs. Keller grabbed Jake's arm and said, "Please don't take what I said offensively, Jake. I just really want for your family to be healthy in every way. So many men have ruined things for their families."

Jake wanted to tell her what he really thought about her comment. He wanted to reach into his sarcastically witty bag of verbal tricks and stun her with one--maybe something like, 'Those ruinous men are the natural product of pushy bitches like you,' or 'Push a boulder hard enough and it will go over the cliff,' but he bit his tongue, and instead, he replied, "Thanks, Mrs. Keller, I appreciate that."

Then she said, "You can call me Mom now if you'd like."

"Not yet." Jake replied. And he thought, the gall of this woman.

Mrs. Keller commented about the colors of the paint in the room, but before she could finish, one of the nurses rushed over and asked Jake if she could talk with him alone. She and Jake rushed to the nurses station, and she explained to him that the doctor had called and informed them that he believed that the baby, based upon the location of the heart sounds, was in breech position, and that the type of breech position had caused oxygen deprivation. As a result, a Caesarean section procedure was necessary. The nurse explained the procedure to Jake, and when she finished, Jake asked, "Do we know if we have a boy or not?"

The nurse was taken aback at the timing of his question, and trying to process it slowed her reaction, so Jake asked again, only this time more intensely.

"We don't know what the sex of the baby is, Mr. Bolan, but we'll certainly inform you as soon as we do." Then she added, "But more importantly, we'll be sure to keep you informed as to the condition of your baby, boy or girl, and of your wife."

Jake didn't give Mrs. Keller the opportunity to ask. He told her that things were fine; that they were just keeping him apprised of the progress.

Thirty minutes later, the same nurse informed Jake that both Mom and baby were doing just fine. "Your wife is exhausted, of course, so we're going to want her to rest, but..."

"A boy! Right?" Jake interrupted.

She sighed and grabbed his arm. "Congratulations, Mr. Keller. You are the father of a baby boy."

Jake threw his arms in the air and shouted, "Yes! I knew it! God, I knew it!"

The nurse said, "Delivered at 8:43 AM on Friday, March 30th, 1979."

Jake thought for a moment then he said, “Furthest from a fool, right?” 

Confused, the nurse asked, “I’m sorry?”

Jake replied, “March 31^st is the furthest day from April Fools Day. It’s the date upon which the wisest are born.”

The nurse smiled and gently grabbed his elbow, “Never heard that before, but I suppose your right, Mr. Bolan.” She continued, “Would you like for me to talk with your...” And she looked at Mrs. Keller. “Your mother?” She continued.

“Oh, God no. That’s not my mother. She’s my wife’s mom.”

“I see. How about if I talk with her now.”

“Of course.” Jake replied.

Mrs. Keller hugged and congratulated Jake then she interrogated the nurse with further questions about Donna's condition. The nurse was happy to answer every one of them as comprehensively as she could. Donna's mom also asked about how long her daughter would be admitted and had concerns over whether or not Donna would need 24 hour assistance at home, at least for the first few days.

The nurse assured her that the doctor had advised them that the complications were not so severe as to justify concerns about having more children. Her stay would probably not exceed a couple of days, she told her, then she expressed that although between both Donna and Jake, things would probably be fine, with a newborn, it was always nice to have a helping hand for the first couple of days.

Jake, in turn, assured Mrs. Keller that all would be well in the Bolan household. He and Donna would do just fine with the new addition. "And don't you worry about Dean, Mrs. Keller. He's gonna be takin' care of himself before we all know it, so..."

"Who's Dean?" Donna's mother asked.

Jake suddenly realized his error. He hadn't even talked with Donna about a name, and here he was, blurting it out to her mother. 

"Well," Jake said, "It's just one of the names I've got on a long list. We still haven't decided. That one just slipped out, I guess."

"Dean Bolan," She mumbled, then she said, "That sounds nice, I guess. Little Dean. Yes, I like it." 

Jake walked to the pay phone. He turned and said, "I'm gonna call my parents."

By the time they arrived, it was well past 10:00 AM. Jake's mom hugged and congratulated him and asked when they could see the baby. His dad patted him on the back and told him that things were now going to get very interesting for him; that being a father would change his outlook on life altogether. Jake thanked him for the warning and asked if he advised this new daddy to run away now or give it some time.

His dad replied half-jokingly, "No, no, Jake. You're stuck now. Like my daddy's brother--God rest his soul--used to say about brand new parents, 'Had your fun--too late to run.'" And he laughed. Jake just snickered and shook his head.

Mrs. Bolan asked Donna's mom if Mr. Keller was there. Mrs. Keller had anticipated the question and replied, "Conditions aren't allowing for it right now."

Confused, Mrs. Bolan asked, "Oh. Is everything alright?"

Jake butted in, "Mom. He isn't going to be able to be here today. Okay? No more questions."

"Oh, I'm sorry." She turned to her husband and said, "Shall we find a place to sit?"

Jake said, "I hate to be rude, y'all, but I've been here since just past midnight, and I'm gonna go back home and get some shut-eye.'

His dad said, "Wise thinking, Boyo." And he patted him on the back and congratulated him once more. Then he looked at his wife and said, "I think we'll do the same."

So the senior Mr. and Mrs. Bolan returned to their car, much to the dismay of Mrs. Bolan. Donna's mom stayed. Jake told her that it probably wasn't going to be possible to see Donna for quite some time, maybe later tonight, and that she could return then.

Mrs. Keller refused to budge. Just in case things changed, she would be there for her daughter.

And Jake left the hospital.

Queen was rocking with Another One Bites the Dust, Air Supply had All Out Of Love, and Olivia Newton John danced to The Electric Light Orchestra’s I’m Alive in a romantic musical fantasy film called Xanadu. Jake thought the movie was the best thing since sliced bread, and Donna loved it too. She mostly loved the music. Jake mostly loved Olivia. Once, Donna suggested that if they ever had a little girl, Olivia might be a name to consider. But neither a son nor a daughter ever followed Dean. He was to be an only child. Dean was named after Jake’s police hero, Officer Dean Palmer. Donna would learn of her son’s name later.

Dean Bolan’s life would be interesting.