The 'rents and I had a great dinner at our favorite 'hood Mexican restaurant today. The place wasn't crowded, the food was awesome and the price was very cheap (only $5.99 for their all-you-can-eat buffet). We sat at a booth, and I had a clear view of a table in front of the restaurant. It was about 20 feet away, and while I wasn't eavesdropping, I could hear just about everything that was said. Seated at that table was a woman in her fifties, and three young teenage girls, each with a tiny baby. One of the young girls also had a little boy, about a year old. About half-way through our meal, another woman in her forties came in and sat down at the table. They had finished eating, and the woman was asking each girl some questions and filling out paperwork. I heard the woman tell the girls that she would bring a baby carrier the next time she saw them, and then she went on to ask more questions. When she asked one of the girls her baby's birthdate, I almost fell out of my seat when she said "May 7, 2007." Yes, this young mother - a kid herself - was out at a Mexican restaurant with her week-old baby.
We continued eating and I kept on listening and watching, and it didn't take me long to figure out actually what was going on. The older woman was there getting information from the girls and them and their babies in an effort to get the babies adopted. My suspiscion was confirmed when the woman in her forties picked up a bottle and started feeding one of the babies and talking to it and said "I'll sure be glad when they get you a new mommy. Grandma is tired of all of this."
I've witnessed drama, arguments and even a fight or two while dining out at restaurants. I've witnessed people getting upset and crying, and I've seen people behave like total asses, but I have to say I've never witnessed anything like this before in a restaurant. Nor do I think I'll ever seen anything like it again. It was almost sureal - there before my very eyes, these three young girls were making arrangements to give up their babies for adoption. On TV and the movies, that usually happens in a hospital room before or after a young girl has her baby, or in a downtown clinic while anti-abortion protesters are maching outside. But here at the Mexican restaurant, while the rest of us were making a decision about whether or not we wanted a second plate of food, these girls were making a decision that would change their lives.
2 comments:
Wow. That's pretty heavy right here at Mother's Day.
Right now I can only think about my dear friend AS who fought for four months to keep her premature baby alive. She was at the hospital every single day, praying that her son Adrian would live. So many people long for a baby and can't have one. I only pray that these precious little gifts from God will find a loving home.
I guess I should have finished the story. Adrian lost his fight a year ago this week. Born 4 months premature, he held on until the week he was due to be born.
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