The birds Began to Sing

By Mandy Byrne

Birdie becomes a mother in this the final book about her life. Despite
another death both Bill and Birdie carry on with life together. They visit May and Peter in
America and have a wonderful time. Will they leave England and take up a new life or will the ties they have hold them in England? Birdie discovers she possess the same gift
her mother did and it saves the life of a young boy. Birdie is no longer a shy retiring
young girl. We have watched her grow and develop her skills as an artist and as a
person. Birdie inspires people to believe in life, I hope you have enjoyed sharing her
happiness, her pain and her strengths.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mandy Byrne
• Release date: Jun 7, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458058638

Book preview

Copyright © 2011 Mandy Byrne

First Published in 2011.

Pocketful Of Life

Published

By

Smashwords

1

‘Twins!’ Birdie sat up as quickly as her bulky body would allow. ‘You must be mistaken, I can’t cope with twins.'

The doctor leaned back against his desk. He had heard that remark before.

‘Twins are a lot of work, and you will be tired but you will live through it. I assure you most mothers, when they first find out they are having twins, react exactly as you have.’

He smiled a reassuring smile, which did nothing to reassure the shocked Birdie. Mrs. Bridget Taylor, known as Birdie to all her friends, leaned against the wall, she felt like crying.

Twins, I am going to have twins, she could just not believe it. No one in her family had twins. She was one of seven and her parents had come from large Irish Catholic families, but no one had ever mentioned twins. The doctor was talking again and Birdie missed what he said.

‘Sorry Doctor I am just not with it. What did you say?’

‘I repeat young lady. Your blood pressure is too high - you have what is called toxaemia. I want you to go home and completely rest. When I say rest, I mean rest, no getting up for anything except the toilet and a bath. Have you a neighbour or family person that can come and stay?’

Birdie registered what he was saying, but her mind was saying the opposite. She was fine - a little high blood pressure was nothing. Hadn’t her Mammy had seven of them, and until the last one, with no bother? A little voice whispered in her mind.

"And didn’t she die in childbirth too?’ Birdie sighed.

She was finding it hard to take in, her dejected look rather irritated the doctor.

Didn’t the woman realize she had to be very careful? Toxaemia was not something to be ignored, but she seemed to not comprehend what he was saying. The doctor gave her an exasperated look.

‘Now go home, put your feet up, and tell your husband to ring me tomorrow morning at 8am.’

Birdie dressed herself, and taking the prescription for iron tablets she left the surgery. How different this visit was to the last one.

That first time she left the building walking on air. The self same doctor having told her she was two months pregnant. Now, five months into her pregnancy she felt very different. The past three months had been one bad day after another with morning sickness that carried on into afternoon and evening, with no consideration for her poor body.

She was tired, irritable and nothing like the blooming young mother that she expected to be. Every time she cooked peas, smelt cauliflower cooking, or the smell of freshly made coffee she felt nauseous and faint. Bill her long-suffering husband was marvellous. He tried to do the cooking and housework for her and look after their adopted son Jamie. Working full time made it hard going for him.

Birdie felt being pregnant should have been the best time of her life. It had taken her several years to come to terms with wanting a baby. It wasn’t the baby but the birth process that scared her to death. As a young child she witnessed her mother giving birth. From labour pains to the shocking end, when mother and baby died Birdie witnessed it all. It scared her and only her love of children and an understanding husband had made this pregnancy happen.

Now, to be told she was having twins. That might account for her feeling so awful. Maybe twins made you feel more ill, she mused, as she caught the bus that would take her out to Bromley where they lived.

Birdie thought of May, her dearest friend and surrogate mother. May had been very ill when pregnant with Christina. Birdie believed that was due to her being over forty when she conceived. Even so, May did pick up by the time she was six months pregnant, and although always tired she wore that blooming look many expecting mothers developed.

Oh dear! How were they going to manage two babies in their house? It did have three bedrooms but they were not very large. Jamie always complained he had nowhere to put his toys and Bill solved the problem by building him a wooden shed in the garden, which had been a great idea. What would she do when these two were running around? Maybe we will have to buy a bigger house. That thought didn’t sit well with her. Bill had built their house from a ruin and they both loved its unique features. She pushed the thought away.

When she arrived home she was mindful what the doctor said, and sat in the round shaped living room, admiring the garden from her seat in the bay window. The house with its mellow sandstone brick was once the lodge house for a large Tudor mansion. Years before the mansion was destroyed in a fire and the land sold off for housing lots. The lodge gradually fell into disrepair and Bill had been able to buy if for the land value alone.

Bill was a structural engineer for the Bromley council and with some help he rebuilt the lodge to its former glory. Birdie looked at the clock, 2 pm. She was hungry having missed lunch. Feeling sleepy, she contemplated getting something to eat, or just to remain in her chair. The decision was never made as she succumbed to her feeling of tiredness and dozed off.

Jamie awoke her with his boisterous hug, and full of his day at school.

‘I got all my spellings right, Mum, and do you know what?’ he waited with happy expectation.

‘No what?’ said Birdie.

Her husband Bill, stood behind the boy with a fond smile on his face. He usually collected Jamie from the baby sitter on his way home from work.

‘The teacher gave me a blue merit ribbon. That’s four I have now and one more and I get a stificat,’ Jamie stumbled over the last word.

Birdie hugged him, before she pulled herself up out of the chair. The room swam around in an alarming manner, and without Bill’s steadying arm she would have fallen.

‘Hey take it easy darling, you look very pale. Is something the matter?’

Bill put his arm around Birdies waist and looked down into her wane face. Being pregnant had taken the life out of his usually happy wife. Dark smudges under her eyes and her hair was lank and greasy looking, not at all like the happy bouncy girl she usually was.

‘Oh Bill! What is the matter with me? I just feel so tired all the time, and now the doctor has told me we're having twins!’

The concerned look slid off Bills face. One of utter astonishment replaced it.

‘Twins! What you… me… we are having twins?’

Birdie suddenly burst out crying and Bill full of concern cuddled her close, before gently sitting her back down in the chair.

‘Yes twins, and I don’t.hic… think I can cope… hic.’

Another wail erupted from Birdie.

With Bill’s arms around her Birdie felt even guiltier. He was such a kind loving man and never lost his temper with her or Jamie. His quiet, serious manner developed as a child after his father died during the war. Loosing his father put a heavy responsibility on his young shoulders. Birdie felt she was an added burden now and she hated feeling this way. Bill knelt in front of her a smile curved his lips and a look of joy was the only thing Birdie could read on his dearly loved face.

‘Birdie, this is not like you, don’t cry my love. I know it is a shock but I am thrilled. It will be hard at first, but we will cope. Jamie will help too won’t you little man?’ Bill wanted Jamie to feel included.

Jamie frowned, he had never seen Birdie cry and carry on like this. He felt something was wrong and tried to get Bill’s attention. Bill hushed him and when he persisted, told him to go and get Birdie a glass of water. Not used to being ignored he went into the kitchen and stood frowning by the sink. When no one came to see what he was doing, he pushed a kitchen chair near the sink and filled a glass with water. Birdie was wiping her face and slowly regaining her composure when he walked into the room carefully balancing the water.

‘Are you unhappy Mummy?’

‘No darling, just tired and not well and everything has got to me today. Did you hear me tell Daddy we are having twins?’

Jamie nodded, one baby was bad enough but now it was going to be two babies, would that be better or worse? He wasn't sure.

‘Will they be boys or girls, cos I want one of each?’

This brought a smile to his mothers face. She took the water and putting it aside she hugged him.

‘I don’t know what we will have darling, we will have to wait and see, will you mind if it is two girls?’

The look of horror on his face left her in no doubt as to what he thought of that idea.

Bill insisted on making the tea and left Birdie with Jamie in the lounge room. She listened with half an ear to his chatter. Sometimes the expressions on his face brought back the memory of his mother, her sister Bernadette. When both his mother and father were killed in a train accident, Jamie was only ten months old. Birdie had been eighteen, and with the help of her foster mother May, and husband Peter, she had raised Jamie as her own. She loved the boy all the more because he kept alive the memory of her sister for her. The relationship between the sisters was often fraught with tension before Jamie was born. After his birth they regained the old closeness and Birdie was always grateful that the ending was not filled with bitterness, but happy memories.

As Bill came down the stairs from settling Jamie, Birdie knew she would have to tell him everything the doctor said. It seemed so unfair to expect him to do all the work, and she could hardly bear the thought of giving up her own job.

Birdie worked as an illustrator for a large book-publishing firm, she loved the work and knew she was good at what she did. The original plan of working till she was eight months pregnant then having three months off flew out the window.

Bill tried to be positive. He knew how much she wanted to carry on working. With one baby she could work partially from home, just going into the office to collect and return her work. With twins that would be out of the question and both knew it.

‘Don’t give up Birdie, you have always been a fighter, this is just another fight you have to win. Once the twins are old enough Miss Hamilton, (Birdie’s employer) will let you work from home. Why only the other month she told me you had the most creative mind of all her staff.’

Birdie could imagine how quickly some other talented person would fill her shoes, especially if she was out of the office for over a year.

‘Well I just hope when I can return to work, there will be a job for me. Oh, by the way, the doctor said you have to ring him at 8 am. He wants to make sure I follow his orders. I was in such a state of shock he probably thought I didn’t hear what he said.’

Birdie noticed the dishes in the sink. Bill was dozing in his chair as dusk filled the room with a soft pink light. Not wanting him to wash up when he awoke, she quietly washed up and swept the kitchen floor. As she finished she noticed her ankles looked swollen. She felt a twinge of guilt, remembering the doctor's instructions. Propped her feet up on the footstool she gazed with dismay at her ankles. They were very puffy which alarmed Birdie, it was so depressing.

Ringing work the next day, Birdie felt Miss Hamilton sounded very concerned, she was. Not only was her best illustrator not going to be available, it looked as if she might need to replace her permanently. Twins would be hard work, and Birdie already had a demanding six year old. No, she couldn’t see Birdie returning to work for a few years. She told Birdie to keep in touch but she would have to replace her for the time being.

Putting the phone down Birdie again felt the urge to sit and howl. She knew her life was going to change and already she was out of a job.

The phone rang as she sat down. Disgruntled she heaved herself out of the chair to answer it. It was her young sister Kat, ringing to see if she would be home that evening.

‘Yes I will be here tonight and every night I guess.’

She went on to explain what the doctor had said.

Kat was a singer, and she hooted with laughter when Birdie told her she was having twins. Birdie found nothing funny about it, she cut her sister off short and hung up.

Bill came home from work and as usual came in by the kitchen entrance. Birdie didn’t notice the exasperated look he gave her as she turned to him with a smile. She was feeling pleased to have cooked his favourite dinner, steak and kidney pie. Bill grabbed her arm and gently guided her into the lounge room.

‘Birdie Taylor I have a good mind to put you over my knee and smack you hard.’

Jamie was behind him and followed them into the room; he looked at his father with astonishment. Daddy never smacked him, but he thought it might be fun watching Mummy get smacked. To his annoyance Bill didn’t carry out his threat, instead he sat Birdie in the big comfortable armchair and propped her feet up on a footstool.

‘Now stay put my girl. What did the doctor say to you?’

Bill stood towering over her, a frown on his face. Birdie was not used to him being annoyed; surely cooking the tea was not a crime.

‘Oh Bill! I only have a bit of high blood pressure and I can’t let you do everything, it’s not fair’

‘I don’t care what is fair my girl, you listen to what the doctor said. No getting up, no housework and no cooking. Birdie please, for our babies sakes and mine don’t be silly. It won’t be forever and once the babies come I will have to muck in and help so I might as well get used to it.’

Tears gathered, Birdies swallowed the lump in her throat, making it hard to talk. She felt so emotional these days, why did she keep crying?

When Kat her sister came over, tea was finished and cleared away. Bill was washing the dishes as she knocked and opened the back door.

‘Knock knock, your favourite singer has come to pay a visit.’

Seeing Bill at the sink she gave him a sly dig.

‘I hope you’re wearing rubber gloves? Can’t have you getting dishpan hands you know.’

Bill smiled at his beautiful young sister-in-law. She was dressed in floral pants and a suede jacket with a large black hat on her blonde head, it made her look stunning. He kissed her cheek and filled her in quickly as to what was happening with Birdie. Kat bit her lip, she hadn’t realised just how serious the situation was.

Birdie completely forgot feeling cross with her younger sister, as she greeted her with her usual warmth. She was very fond of her, and found her good company.

Jamie demanded as usual to be the centre of attention, so the talk for the first half hour cantered on him. Bill having finished his chores decided to bath his son before sitting down for the evening. He felt tired, but decided to get Jamie ready for bed before relaxing. He wondered briefly if he would find time to relax when the babies joined the household. The thought stirred a warm glow of expectancy. Birdie might be feeling low and unwell but Bill was looking forward to having his own children around. He always considered Jamie his son but to be at the birth and know they were of his own blood, made him feel very special. Dragging a protesting Jamie out of the lounge room he left the two sisters’ in peace. Kat loved her nephew but trying to talk over him there could be frustrating.

‘You poor thing, is there anything I can do to help? It must be so boring just sitting in the chair or sleeping. Can’t you do any drawing?’

Kat looked at the large sketching block on the floor beside Birdie’s chair. It had a few things on it but the picture was unfinished.

‘I’ve tried Kat, but all I seem to do is become uncomfortable as I can’t sit at the easel with my feet up and I have to keep my legs raised. Drawing in that position is too hard. I am so fed up with this pregnancy. Being pregnant for me has been a total disaster. I am never having any more babies after this, never!’

Kat smiled uncertainly, she was used to her sister being happy and full of life. It was odd to see Birdie out of sorts but you could hardly blame her. She tried to make her see how exciting twins would be.

‘You won’t need to go through this again. You will be having the complete family in one go. Cheer up pet, you will feel better once they arrive. I promise to take a month off and come and help when you have them. We will manage together.’

Kat, spoke impetuously, she hoped her manager would be big hearted and let her have the time off. He usually had her booked up six months ahead. She made a mental note to talk to him first thing.

‘I am just being an old misery; Bill must be fed up with me. I keep crying and feeling sick, I am no company to him.’

Once more her eyes filled with tears, she felt so angry about being so emotional. Anger drove the tears back, for now at least. Kat told her some of the funny things that were happening in her life and for half an hour Birdie forgot all her troubles.

Bill was relieved to hear his wife laughing; she had been so down. He was half sorry they were having these babies. As soon as the thought came, he felt guilty. Hadn’t he been the one who wanted a family? I’m just tired like Birdie, he thought. Kat was making some coffee as he brought a clean, pyjama clad Jamie down stairs. Kat’s visit cheered Birdie up and she felt fine, till she smelt the coffee. With a muffled groan she rushed into the downstairs toilet. Goodbye dinner, she thought as she heaved into the pan.

May arrived the next day with Christina gurgling away in her carrycot. Sara her older daughter was at school, as was Jamie. Birdie unloaded all her fears about having twins, the work, the expense, it seemed never ending. May listened patiently then picking her baby up she placed her in Birdie’s arms. She was nearly eighteen months old, far too big for a carrycot but it was a convenient way to transport her in the car.

‘Now young lady, take a good cuddle from our baby and remember, in a years time you will have two to give you cuddles. Would you like me to lend you our housekeeper for a while? Mrs. Hoskins would love to come and help you.’

Birdie shook her head. It would be lovely to have someone to help out, but she didn’t feel it was fair on May to leave her to manage two children and a big house. She knew she couldn't afford a housekeeper of her own and refused to take May's help.

May didn’t press, she knew Birdie was very independent and guessed she would insist on paying her housekeepers her wages, which no doubt they could not afford. It was so tiresome, she thought that although she was well able to afford to pay the woman’s wage she knew it would not be acceptable to Birdie. She had to be careful not to offend and didn’t want to trespass on Birdies pride.

May stayed for lunch, which she insisted on making. She then peeled the vegetables for the family’s dinner before she left. People were kind, thought Birdie, as she waved goodbye from the lounge room window.

Jamie came home from school with a neighbours little girl instead of going to the baby sitter. At least she could save some money that way. It was impossible to stay seated once the child was home. He wanted a sandwich and a drink, not to mention changing his clothes so he could go out and play.

Birdie didn’t consider by doing this she was getting up. To her it was a necessity. By the end of the week when Bill went with her, for her doctor’s visit, her blood pressure was even higher.

‘But it can’t be I have done absolutely nothing, I am so bored, it is impossible.’

Birdie grumbled when the doctor asked her what she had been doing.

‘We must get your B.P. down Mrs. Taylor, it is far too high. I am going to book you into hospital.’

He seemed annoyed with her, which Birdie thought was unfair. She listened in dismay as he made a booking at the local maternity hospital for her to be admitted that evening. Bill looked miserable and worried. Things were going from bad to worse, thought Birdie. Tears, which were never far away, surfaced. Both were quiet going home in the car. Bill was working out how he could manage work, the house and Jamie. Birdie was trying to think of something to ease the situation.

‘Bill we could ask May to take Jamie for us while I am in hospital, she wouldn’t mind.’

‘It isn’t that easy darling. Jamie has to go to school and anyway he might resent being sent away. Don’t fret; I will arrange to leave later in the mornings and come home earlier in the evenings. I can work Saturday mornings to make up the lost time and I will ask Noreen, (the baby sitter) to have Jamie.’

Birdie knew he was right about Jamie feeling pushed out. Having been the only child for so long he was accustomed to being put first. You couldn’t suddenly change that pattern without making him resentful. Bill packed her bag and added her drawing block. She might feel more comfortable drawing in bed he said. Birdie sat in the lounge with her feet up, feeling a complete fraud.

Jamie wasn’t sure what Mummy going to hospital entailed. He was very interested in all the new sights and smells and thought it would be fun to stay there. When it was time to leave he was dismayed that Birdie would not be going home with them. Bill explained it to him in an adult manner that he would have to help out at home now, as Daddy was not as clever as Mummy at doing everything.

2

Birdie found it very boring in the maternity ward. She remembered the first time she was in hospital. She had been eleven. She was brought to England by a friend from Ireland to have a roof made in her mouth. Sir Nigel, May’s brother had done the operation this was the beginning of her friendship with the Rushmore’s.

Her B.P. remained elevated. The doctor prescribed a sedative to calm her and make her feel sleepy. Some days she hardly remembered Bill and Jamie coming, life seemed to pass in a fog.

Today she was allowed to be drug free as her B.P. was lower, low enough to please her doctor. At least when she was asleep it made time pass quickly, she thought. Her room was quite pleasant, there were four beds in it, but only one other was