| The girl in the seat was moaning when Eydie got back.
"We're turning back to Albuquerque," Eydie said to the stewardess, "but it may be an hour before we're down. Let's make her comfortable." She turned around. "Aren't those bunks over the seats? All right." She bent over the two women behind the moaning girl. "I'm sorry, but you ladies will have to move. My seat's vacant in the back, you can sit there. Thank you. Now, excuse me, sir - I'll have to ask you, too." She moved four people out of their seats. The stewardess pulled down the narrow bunk bed. Together, they lifted the girl onto it. From a closet, the stewardess produced sheets and a blanket carefully, Eydie tucked them around the girl. "Are you all right?" "I feel like the baby's coming," the girl whispered. She took Eydie's hand, her tense fingers pressing deep. The stewardess moved close to Eydie. "Ask her if she'd let the flight engineer examine her. He's got five kids. He says he can tell how far along she is." Eydie bent down. "There's a man who can help you," she explained softly. "If you wouldn't mind." The girl's eyes were frightened. "Will you stay here?" "Of course," Eydie said. She nodded to the stewardess. "Get another sheet. We'll use it for a curtain." They hung the sheet up in the faces of the staring passengers. The flight engineer hurried over. A moment passed he turned to Eydie. "Soon," he said. "She's just about ready now." Oh, God, Eydie thought. But her lips never stopped smiling down at the girl, never stopped murmuring, "It's all right. Don't be afraid. He says you're doing fine." "I'm having my baby. I'm going to have my baby. . . ." "Everything's going to be all right." Dear God, let everything be all right. . . . "The pilot says he can't land for half an hour. We're approaching Albuquerque now, and there's a doctor waiting, but we have to wait till there's a runway free. . . . "Oooooh..." the girl gasped. "Where are you?" "I'm here," Eydie said. "Everything's all right. You'll have a doctor soon." Below them, the lights of Albuquerque flickered, were lost, reappeared. The plane circled lower. "Fasten seat belts, pleas," the loudspeaker cracked. "We are going to land!" Eydie Gorme didn't move. she hardly heard. It never occurred to her to leave the girl, to sit down. "How are you?" she asked. "Don't go away. Don't go away. . . ." The plane touched ground. Before the motors ceased their humming, the door flew open. A tall man dashed up the ramp onto the plane, a man in a wide western hat and huge silver buckle on his belt. "I'm the doctor," he said. he bushed pas the sheet, opened a little black bag. He smile briefly at Eydie. "You can go sit down, Miss," he said. Automatically, Eydie freed her hand. she stepped back, out past the sheet. And in that instant, a cry split the air. "Waaaagh!" "It's the baby!" "Eydie whirled around. There was blood all over the sheet now, blood everywhere. And a voice calling about the excited chatter: "Where is she? Where are you?" "She means you, honey," a woman said. She gave Eydie a little push. Eydie moved forward. "Here I am," she cried thankfully. "Here I am!" A moment later, the girl and her baby were lifted by strong arms. Teh white face had color in it now; it was, Eydie saw, a young face, a pretty one. The hand that clutched hers all the way up the aisle no longer twitched with fear and pain. "Thank you," the girl said to Eydie. "Thank you. I don't even know your name," she whispered. "But thank you. Thank you, thank you. . . ." They carried her away, down the ramp to the ambulance waiting below. "It's all over. It' all right. It's almost a miracle. Yes, it is a miracle. Whoever said miracles don't happen! She stood at the top of the steps and watched as the girl was lifted into the ambulance, as the doors shut and the car moved off. She stood and inhaled grateful breaths of the clean night air. And suddenly, her knees began to buckle beneath her. The door to her room opened softly. A nurse came in and took Eydie's wrist lightly between her fingers. "Are you all right?" she said. "I thought I heard you call out." From months before, from miles way, Eydie felt herself coming back to the present. Her dark eyes looked up quietly at the nurse. "I think," she said, "that I'm ready to have my baby now." The nurse nodded. "I shouldn't be a bit surprised." She smiled at Eydie. "You're not afraid, are you?" she asked. Afraid? Eydie looked at her. once, there had been a girl who was afraid - a girl along on an airplane somewhere between earth and sky, a girl who had borne her child among stranger. She had had a good reason to be afraid - she had been truly alone- and yet somehow, she had conquered loneliness, conquered fear, with only the help of the touch of a stranger's hand. My hand, Eydie Gorme though now. I gave her my hand to hold and it made a breach in the wall between us, and she wasn't alone anymore. It wasn't very much that I did, and yet - it was probably the most important act of my life. It only lasted an hour, and yet - I can almost feel her hand in mine now. I can almost feel as if I, too, am not alone.... Afraid? "No," Eydie Gorme said, smiling up at the nurse, "I'm not afraid." Tell my husband - tell Steve - in just a little while - I'll be giving him his son. |
| Who Says Miracles Don't Happen! |
| Motion Picture |
| 1961 |
| by Rosa Magaro |
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