The next morning Sabella was awakened by the cries of her two charges.
"Hey, guys," Sabella said getting out of bed and slipping on her robe, "give a girl a break. I'm new at this."
The babies didn't listen they continued crying.
"Okay, okay," Sabella said picking up the little girl out of the drawer, "I guess you either want to be changed or feed."
Sabella checked the little girl's diaper and found that she needed to be changed.
"You need to be changed little lady," Sabella said going over and getting two disposable diapers.
"After I change you, I'll feed you and your brother, then I'll give the two of your baths."
The baby girl stopped crying after her wet diaper was removed. Sabella was taking off the baby boy's diaper when someone knocked on her door.
She opened the door and saw Malcolm standing on the other side dressed and ready for the day.
"Sounds like you need some help," he said.
"You are so right," Sabella said stepping back and letting him into the room. "I told them I'm new at this, but they're not being kind to me this morning."
"Hey, fellows," Malcolm said walking over to the two makeshift cribs where the babies lay, "be nice to the nice lady."
"Could you use an extra pair of hands?" Mabel asked walking into the room rolling up her sleeves.
"Yes!" Sabella said glad to see Malcolm's housekeeper. "I was about to take them downstairs and give them a bath."
"I'm glad I came early so I could help," Mabel said. "I found some clothes that my children wore when they were newborns, and I also found some blankets. I washed everything last night in Ivory Snow® and brought them with me."
"Mabel, you are a godsend," Sabella said going over and giving her a hug. "I was wondering what I was going to do about clothes for these two."
"It's just enough to start them out in," Mabel said returning Sabella's hug.
"Was Janie awake when you passed through the living room?" Malcolm asked.
"She wasn't downstairs," Mabel said. "I didn't see her on the couch. I thought she might be in the kitchen, so I went in there, and she wasn't there either. So, I thought she might be up here with her children."
Sabella and Malcolm looked at each other, both realizing that Janie was gone.
"Maybe she went for a walk," Malcolm said refusing to believe that a mother would or could leave her children.
"Maybe you're right," Sabella said the tone voice saying she didn't believe what she was saying.
The room grew silent everyone lost in their thoughts about what they all knew had happened.
Sabella's mind went back to the conversation that she and Malcolm had last night with Janie when they tried to once again get her to look at her children, and she once again refused.
"I can't do it," Janie said. "I can't do it."
"They're your children," Malcolm said.
"They are not my children," Janie said her teeth clenched together. "They're not my children because I can't be a mother to them, not without Bobby."
"Don't you have family that can help you?" Sabella asked.
"This isn't about my family nor Bobby's family," Janie said still refusing to look at her children her eyes becoming wet. "This is about a decision that I've made. I can't be their mother or be around them. They would be constant reminder of lies told to me by a man I love very much and who I thought loved me, and I can't live with that. I refuse to live with that."
Malcolm was about to say something to Janie when Sabella touched him on the shoulder and told him to leave it alone.
They took the children back upstairs up to Malcolm's room where the twins makeshift beds were.
"What're we going to do?" Malcolm asked placing the little boy into the bureau drawer.
"They'll sleep in my room tonight," Sabella said.
"And after tonight?" Malcolm asked.
"I don't have an answer about tomorrow," Sabella said. "What happens tomorrow is up to Janie and whether or not she changes her mind about how she feels about her children. Now help me carry them into my room."
"You don't have to take both of them," Malcolm said, "I can take the little boy."
Sabella turned and gave him a look that said 'yeah right.'
"Help me take them into my room," Sabella replied.
Malcolm picked up the drawer with the little boy in it, Sabella picked up the drawer with the little girl in it and they went to Sabella's room.
Malcolm suggested that Sabella sleep in the other guest bedroom because it had twin beds, telling her that she could be sleep in one bed and the drawers that the twins were sleeping in could be placed on the other.
Deciding she liked the idea Sabella did as Malcolm suggested.
They went to the other guest bedroom. The room was smaller than the room she was in before, there was only enough room for the twin beds and a dresser.
"I guess I should go to my room so you can get some sleep before they wake up," Malcolm said as he placed the drawer with the baby boy in on the bed furthest from the door beside one with the baby girl in it, then walked over to Sabella.
"I guess so," Sabella said the tone of her voice letting Malcolm know that the events of the evening had left her drained.
"Can I get a kiss?" Malcolm asked.
Sabella leaned forward and kissed him on the lips.
As he kissed her Malcolm put his hands into the pockets of his jeans to keep himself from putting his arms around her and getting her dirty again after she'd the shower, she'd taken before Mabel went home.
"You owe me a hug in the morning," he told her.
"I'll be sure to give it to you," Sabella said her tone teasing, "if I don't forget."
"I'll remind you," Malcolm said turning to head back to his room.
The sound of the baby she was holding crying again brought Sabella out of her thoughts
"We better get them their breakfast before they wake up the whole county," Mabel said teasing.
"You're right," Sabella said.
They all headed downstairs to give the twins their breakfast and to get breakfast for themselves.
When they reached the living room everyone made their way over to the couch to see if they could find anything that would tell them whether or not Janie was really gone.
They didn't have to look very long. There was a folded piece of paper on the coffee table with Raylynn written across the back.
Sabella picked up the note as she sat down on the couch. Malcolm sat next to her and took the little girl from her arms as she opened the folded piece of paper.
Sabella opened the note and read it;
"I know I'm taking the cowards way out, but I just can't be their mother not by myself. I'm counting on you to make sure they have a good life. It's the best I can do for them.
Janie"
Sabella passed the note to Malcolm taking the baby girl back into her arms.
"I wonder when she left?" Sabella asked holding the little girl closer to her chest.
"Probably as soon as she thought we were asleep," Malcolm said as he read the note his voice thick with anger.
"How can she leave these two precious angels?" Mabel asked looking at Sabella as if she expected her to provide an answer.
Sabella wasn't born in the fifties and the prejudice, she had experienced in the twenty-first century wasn't as blatant as it was here but the sting it delivered wasn't lessened. In fact, it was stronger and hurt more because when it happened it was unexpected, like a surprise attack.
Because in the twenty-first century you didn't know who the racists were. They no longer donned their white sheets as they did in the fifties. The government knew who they were, but very few regular citizens knew who the dangerous people were.
But, the other side of that coin was that African-Americans could fight back now both legally and illegally making them just as dangerous as they who would try to hurt them.
Sabella couldn't imagine dealing with the fanatics of the fifties and being unable to defend herself or protect her family. She understood what Janie was facing.
Even with the protection of new laws of the twenty-first century she could still walk in Janie's shoes.
"We don't know her situation," Sabella said. "I know this is going to sound crazy to say, but leaving the twins might just be the bravest thing she could do. It might be the best thing, she could do for her children and for herself."
"How can you say that?" Mabel asked the tone of her words showing she was shocked at what Sabella said.
"Keeping a child isn't always a good thing Mabel," Sabella said. "A mother can grow to resent a child, causing her to hold the child responsible for the bad things that happen in her life and her response to that might be to mistreat, abuse or beat the child. Even thinking that her life might be better if the child wasn't in it and kill it."
Mabel gasped unable to even fathom a situation like Sabella described even happening.
"Mabel, believe me, there is a child in Culbert County being abused right now," Sabella said. "You and the other citizens of this town wouldn't know about it because the tradition is that what goes on in your, neighbors' houses isn't your business and shouldn't be interfered with. You, might even see a child with welts and bruises on its body from getting what you might call a "being taken out to the wood shed old fashioned whipping" and because of the way you think or what your use to, you don't think of it as abuse. You might not even think to question what the child could've done to be beaten so badly, but, in the twenty-first century a parent would have to explain those welts and bruises. A parent wouldn't be allowed to do that to a child for any reason. They would have to find a better way of dealing with their child or risk having the child taken away from them. Yes, Janie's reason for leaving the twins might be selfish, but we don't know that and, even if it is she has made her decision. The thing that should be most important now is, what is the best thing for the twins?"
"What're you going to do?" Mabel asked.
The question caused Sabella to flinch because she had no idea what she was going to do.
A woman who she knew nothing about had made her responsible for her two newborn babies.
"I don't know what I'm going to do," Sabella said as she tried to push down the anger and panic she felt rising inside of her at being put in a position she didn't expect to ever face. "I've never been in a position like this before."
"We could call the Sheriff," Mabel said.
Mabel's words sent a shiver down Sabella's spine. The mere thought of turning the babies over to Jenkins made her flesh crawl.
"No!," she said immediately, tightening her hold in the baby she was holding. "I won't let him anywhere near them. The man is the worst thing that could happen to the twins."
"Okay," Malcolm said going over and sitting on the couch next to Sabella, taking her hand to clam her down, "we won't call the Sheriff. The twins will stay here until you decide what you want to do."
"I'm sorry," Sabella said turning to Mabel, "I didn't mean to yell at you."
"No, harm done," Mabel said joining Sabella and Malcolm on the couch still holding the little girl. "I understand. I don't know what came over me even suggesting turning the children over to Jenkins."
"What happens to colored children who don't have parents to take care of them?" Sabella asked.
"Tillie, who lives on the edge of town usually takes care of orphaned colored children," Malcolm replied. "But, Tillie is getting up in age, and I don't think she would be able to take care of two babies."
"You don't have to make a decision about the twins today," Malcolm said when he saw the worried look that appeared on Sabella's face.
Sabella nodded her head signaling that she heard and agreed with him.
"I'm going to prepare breakfast," Mabel said placing the baby, she was holding back in its makeshift bassinet.
"I'm not hungry," Sabella said.
"You've got to eat something if you're going to take care of these babies," Mabel said. "I bet you haven't eaten anything since the day before yesterday. Have you?"
"No," Sabella replied.
"Well, you're going to eat something this morning," Mabel said, "and I don't want any arguments about it."
"Yes, ma'am," Sabella said chuckling.
"Don't mess with me," Mabel said as she made her way to the kitchen. "How is she gonna take care of those babies if she don't eat?"
"She is something else," Sabella said still smiling as she watched Mabel walk towards the kitchen.
