What a day! What an absolutely insane day!
I still can’t believe what just happened. I’m sitting at my computer trying to type this and I just keep going over the events. I don’t even know where to start. Well, I guess anyone reading this should know I’m a twenty-year old guy, working at a pizza shop to save money for college. This pizza shop job is exactly what got me into this mess. Maybe not so much a “mess,” as a… very confusing and adrenaline-inspiring set of events? Yeah, I’ll go with that.
So I started my day off like any normal Tuesday. I went to my Bio and Psych classes as usual, then headed to work. I usually work about five hours then have an Anthropology night class. Little did I know I would not be arriving to that class today.
I’m still praying my professor will take pity on me.
No, I didn’t skip out on purpose. I’m not that type. I’d been at work, just dealing with the daily grind. At work, I’m an insider. I ring people up on the register and help out in the kitchen. I mostly spend Tuesdays staring at the clock with the hope that it will suddenly switch to six o’clock and I’ll be able to leave.
Out of nowhere, we got our dinner rush pretty early. It was about ten till five. We realized the pizzas were all made but our regular drivers were all off delivering other orders. Since my main job is the cash register, my boss figured he could just work it and send me out. He sent me with three pizzas. I wasn’t too upset about this ’cause at least I’d be making some tips.
The first pizza delivery went smoothly. The dude, who desperately wanted his pineapple bacon pizza, tipped me five bucks. I can’t say I blame him for being generous: that pizza smelled awesome.
Now, this second house. This is where things got a bit… out of control. It was a rather drab, run-of-the-mill white house with black shutters in a suburban neighborhood. I kept thinking, “This will be good money, I just know it.”
The woman who greeted me at the door looked rather young, probably just about my age, and definitely pregnant. Her arms were covered in a whole slew of gold jewelry, and I thought I’d hit the jackpot.
I handed her the supreme deluxe pizza and waited as she grabbed her wallet to pay me. All of a sudden, she gave out a quick cry and I noticed what looked like a puddle underneath her. She looked at me in horror. Being a bit naive, I asked her what was going on.
Frantically, she shouted, “I… think I’m going into labor.” She cursed and said, “My parents are out of town.”
I stared.
She winced and cried out in pain again. She said, “My boyfriend lives almost an hour away. Will you… will you help me? Please!”
I was in an absolute daze. “Help you?”
Just how in the hell was I supposed to do that?
I tried to calm myself. I looked at her and asked what she needed. I could tell she was getting nervous and agitated. She seemed to be struggling just to stand. She managed to gasp and the word, “DRIVE!” came out.
I barely had time to think at this point. I wrapped my arm around her and helped her to the passenger seat of my car. I jumped into the driver’s seat and did exactly what she had ordered me to do. In my mind, all I could do was calculate the fastest way to get to the hospital. I was sure as hell not going to have some random girl give birth in my car. I’d help her all I could, but I’d just bought this car and didn’t want to even think about that possibility.
As I was doing my mental calculations, she was desperately trying to call her boyfriend on her cell phone. The problem was that she could barely get the words out between all her heavy breathing and gasping. On top of that, he apparently didn’t have great service.
At one point, I grabbed the phone from her, and said bluntly, “Your girlfriend is giving birth. I’m the delivery boy, and I’m taking her to Mayberry Lane Hospital. Drive there ASAP.”
Then I hung up.
I wasn’t trying to be rude, I swear. I just didn’t have much time to talk on the phone while weaving in and out of highway lanes, trying not to miss my next turn. At least I told him I was the delivery boy and not his girlfriend’s secret lover or something. I started to drift off into thoughts like those until the car behind me honked its horn. I’d been sitting at a green light. Dammit!
We were finally about halfway to the hospital, and it was already twenty past six. I knew at that point that Anthropology class would not be happening for me that night. In fact, I didn’t know what would be happening for me.
I managed to get some information out of the girl. Her name was Jenna, and she was about thirty-seven weeks pregnant. Her parents were in Cape Cod, and her boyfriend Ross lived just outside of town. Her parents had planned for Ross to stay with her while she was away because it was so close to her due date, only one week away.
Problem was, Ross got a call from his own mom asking him to stop by the house and feed the dogs while she was at work. He had literally only been gone about an hour when I showed up to Jenna’s doorstep.
I kept wondering what exactly caused her water to break at that moment. In my head, I joke that it was the sight of that deluxe pizza. The excitement was just too much for her, and even the baby wanted some. Well, anyhow, that’s how I’d think if I were a baby in the womb.
We were finally at the hospital. I parked in front of the entrance and ran inside to tell the staff what was going on. Immediately, five of the employees–nurses and aides–grabbed a stretcher and ran outside to take care of Jenna. I walked with them, and as they skirted her off, I asked where she’d be. After I knew the room number, I went ahead and parked the car.
Part of me considered leaving at that moment, but I was already personally invested in the outcome of the whole situation. I couldn’t just leave Jenna like that. I barely knew her, but we were in this together. I had to see it through and keep her company. At least until her boyfriend was there.
All this was in my mind as I smoked a quick cigarette to calm my nerves before heading into the hospital.
I managed to find her room without too many problems. The nurse told me her contractions were only a few minutes apart. I didn’t really know what that meant, but I could tell from the look on the nurse’s face that the birth would happen pretty soon.
Meanwhile, Jenna was flipping out. “Is Ross here yet? He’s going to miss the birth of our son.”
She was crying.
The nurse asked me if the father of the child had been contacted. I told her he had through a poor service connection on the cell, so I wasn’t really sure what else could be done. At that moment, a disheveled looking twenty-something walked in, hair a complete mess and white as a ghost.
The young man shouted, “Oh thank God, I found the room! I didn’t know if I’d make it in time.”
As I watched Jenna and Ross hug, I have to admit I found the scene to be pretty damn sweet. At that moment, as if the baby had been waiting for his dad to get there, the nurse yelled, “Everybody out!”
As much as I wanted to share in their experience, I was not offended at having to leave the room while Jenna gave birth. Sitting out in the hall, I felt completely exhausted. My anxiety levels began to drop but still were not at baseline.
Finally, the doctor opened the door and stepped out. I was able to peek inside at that moment and see Jenna cradling the little boy with Ross standing next to her, petting her head.
Jenna caught my eye and motioned for me to come in. “I didn’t think you’d still be here,” she said.
Ross encouraged me to touch his son’s tiny hands. He then pulled me aside.
Honestly, I’ve gotta say I was expecting a much more awkward conversation from him since I was just some random guy who rushed his girl to the hospital. Instead, Ross told me I was the best damn delivery boy he’d ever heard of. In his eyes, I delivered the pizza on time and then ensured the delivery of something even more precious. He slipped a one-hundred-dollar bill into the palm of my hand, told me I absolutely had to keep it, and said he’d be calling my boss tonight to let him know just how great I was.
So I got my tip after all, and even got to help a new family. My boss wasn’t very happy about the third pizza I neglected to deliver, but he was pretty understanding about the situation, especially after Ross called him. Ross told him I had made permanent customers out of them. I just hope my anthropology teacher will be that empathic…