The boy with two birthdays was born on both December 6 and December 7. As with so many questions that perplex not him but those who feel they must render verdicts, the date depends on who defines birth, which would seem to be a settled subject but which wiggles like our hero’s ears when he gets a new idea. His mother was unconscious throughout the adventure, while instruments monitoring the unborn fetus-boy during Mom’s long coma first chirped to signal a startlingly elevated heart rate from within the womb, then went silent as his noble heart slowed, then chirped again and repeated for hours in what came to be known throughout the hospital as baby labor. The boy was pushing. How else to explain it? He had turned himself the night before and now, not patient for Mother to dilate, he was screwing his own head through the canal. No one else had a role to play, so they worried or placed bets. Toward midnight, the coronation hour, he crowned. He poked his head out into the wide white world. He coughed once to clear his lungs, wiggled his ears and screamed. Almost immediately, he was back inside and nothing, and no one, could coax him into the world. He turned himself and clung, one imagines, to the ribs. He kicked at the forceps time and again and either his first scream echoed through the ward or he was screaming still from where he would not leave. He was polite, reticent, when they cut him out early on the seventh, but through the years he has never stopped thinking of this immaterial world as a place from which to be delivered. If he teaches us anything, which would seem to be a settled subject, we will follow his lead.
Copyright © May 28, 2008 David Hodges
5 comments
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May 28, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Jethro
One of your best, I love it! I don’t get over to comment often enough, but you do some great (and inspiring) writing.
Thanks.
I appreciate that, Jethro. It means a lot to me that you left a note this time. Welcome to Very Short Novels!
–David
May 28, 2008 at 10:28 pm
Emily
Dude. This is WAY too close to home. Except I was awake for the birth of my first child who basically had to be born twice. Stop stealing my drama 🙂
I’ll stop stealing your drama when you stop living such perfect fictions. Thank you, Emily.
–David
May 29, 2008 at 4:51 am
briseis
Hahaha, of course he’d want to go back into the womb! I like the image of clinging to the rib-cage. Very clever, of course, David.
For myself, I came out feet first and running! Thanks, Briseis.
–David
May 31, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Peter McCartney
Hi! Talking about birthdays, thank you for the support you have given me over the past 12 months. It’s been great and I am very grateful. Take Care – Peter
Thanks, Peter! I don’t feel as if I’ve done nearly enough, but I do encourage everyone to follow your link back to Darlinghurst for your heartfelt and delightful posts. Happy 1st Anniversary!
–David
June 2, 2008 at 2:42 am
wizzer
If we each had a choice would we also turn back? So intuitive for one so young!
Sometimes it only takes a glance to size up a situation. Thanks, Wizzer.
–David