The Underground Community of Battle Heroines

Parenthood

    August 1964. "It's a girl!" The male doctor with the black oval glasses exclaimed, holding a little baby wrapped in soft white cloth. It was a new beginning for Valda, a fresh start, perhaps a way to make David love her again she thought to herself. A baby could only bring a couple closer, right? David was by Valda's side, staring down at the new little bundle of joy with a tuft of brown hair that was now in her arms. Valda could not tell what David was thinking. Was he disappointed that the baby was a girl? Valda could not be sure. The couple decided to name the baby Sylvia, after David's late grandmother. The name was also special to Valda, as she was quite fond of poems by Sylvia Plath, who had passed away just a year prior. David finally lifted the baby into his arms, cradling her close to his chest, still speechless. He seemed distant as he held the baby in his arms, his mind in another world. Valda felt confused, hurt, as she watched her husband, who was now sitting in a small wooden chair with their baby. Yet, she still had hope. The first year of their marriage was turbulent, full of several heated arguments in which David became physical with her. The worst argument that Valda recalled occurred just a few months ago while she was pregnant with baby Sylvia. David became enraged when he saw the amount of items that Valda had already purchased for their baby's nursery, the crib being one of the most expensive items. David began to shout at Valda, calling her an "incompetent little bitch." He slammed his fists down on the crib and started tossing stuffed animals across the room in a frenzy. Valda stared at her husband in disbelief and utter terror, as he approached her. He placed his hands around her neck, squeezing tightly and then pushed Valda to the floor. His nearly 200-pound, muscular body was n0w on top of Valda's, his hands squeezing her throat, choking her. She couldn't breathe, and feared for her own life, along with the life of the little baby in her belly. Suddenly, he stopped, leaving Valda on the ground, gasping for air. "I hope that will teach you not to spend my money!" He hissed. As a final blow, David pulled a beautifully framed portrait of a baby deer off the wall and slammed it into Valda's head, causing her forehead to bleed.
    Valda was still laying on the floor of the nursery when she heard David slam the front door shut. She then heard the sound of their Volkswagen Beetle pulling out of the driveway and knew that he was gone. She pushed herself up off the floor with her hands, feeling weakness all over. She then got the courage to head over to a mirror above the changing table and began to sob when she saw her reflection. Her eyes were glassy, bruised, and bloodshot. There were deep bloody cuts on her neck from David's fingernails delving deep into her skin, tearing up her flesh. On her forehead was a bleeding gash that she was certain needed stitches. Her hair was tattered and she could see bruises on her neck in the shape of David's fingers. There was no amount of makeup that could cover her wounds. When he returned home later that night, David had acted as if nothing had happened earlier that day. Valda had a meatloaf in the oven that she had made from scratch, and David just came up behind her and kissed her cheek. "Meatloaf's my favorite, darling. Thank you." She tried to smile up at David, whose 6'4" figure towered over Valda's petite 5'2" frame. She could not smile though, not after what had happened earlier in the day. Instead she just nodded and said, "Anything for you, my sweet." As David began to walk over to his favorite chair in the living room to read the newspaper, he called back to her, "That's my woman."
    As Valda watched David sweetly holding little Sylvia, she reflected on this moment with him and wondered how he could have ever gotten so violent towards her. She feared his temper more than anything she had ever feared before and would do anything to protect her new baby from it. She wanted for she and David to have the perfect little family, and strongly believed that maybe parenthood would change David. Her mother, of course, always told Valda that people never change, but Valda truly wanted to believe that David could change for the sake of their growing family. The new grandparents now entered the room, followed by the new aunts and uncles. Valda's mother, Mildred, took the baby from David's arms and planted a kiss on the baby's forehead. Valda's father, George, put an arm around his wife, drawing her close, and smiled lovingly at his new granddaughter. Valda's brother Harold, along with his girlfriend, Sandy, congratulated Valda on having such a beautiful baby. Finally, David's parents and two younger sisters entered the room. His mother, Anna, and father, Phillip, smiled at their son warmly, and took turns holding the new baby. His sisters, Emily (20) and Mabel (17), stood beside their parents, looking down at their new niece. As Sylvia watched her family greet her new baby, she knew that her Sylvia was already very much loved. She wished that this special moment could last forever and hoped that this love for Sylvia extended to David. David still had not spoken a word to anyone. He just nodded at his family, hugged his parents, and smiled at his younger sisters, who appeared somewhat apprehensive in his presence. Valda recognized this apprehension in herself, something she always felt to her core whenever David was around. Living with David meant endlessly walking on eggshells and being in a constant state of fear. Valda never knew which side of David she was going to get when the man came back from work or sat in the passenger's seat of their car. However, one thing Valda did know was that her Sylvia was going to be protected from David's temper. She would never let David aggressively lay a finger on their daughter. Valda knew in her heart that as long as she would live, she would protect her baby.

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