Mystics of the Tuolumne

Competence #

"Mamma someone is coming for you, it's bad."  Dahlia was wearing her worried look as she sat in the kitchen stroking her kitten.

"I better get ready, here put that cat down and help me."  Dahlia was none to pleased at having to put the kitten down.,  So she stuffed it in her apron pocket with its head sticking out.

Joselito came at a gallop from the  Rancho de Ceres. "Donde esta la bruja?"  he enquired.  

"In the house getting ready for you." BJwas leaning on a rake.

"Muy pronto...muy pronto.  El doctor esta borracho otra vez."  Joselito was jumping around like a frog.

"Que paso?"  Ericia asked.

"La Dona Harrison, esta muy embarazada. La aqua esta rompe."

Joel and BJ had her horse saddled and packed with her equipment. "Take care darlin'"

Ericia wheeled the horse and sped away without uttering a word.  She was in her emergency mindset.

"Joselito,  I need lots of boiling water.  Maria take me to the dona."  Ericia was in charge and the mother and baby were in the best hands possible.

Mrs. Harrison was in bed in a semi-reclined position panting and screaming.  "My God..My God something is wrong this time."

"I am here to help you."  Ericia handed a small envelope to la criada, Maria.  "Make a tea from this and bring it to me at once."

"Si senora. al punto."  Maria sped away with the small packet.

"Mrs. Harrison, I am going to make some measurement with my hands  It will be uncomfortable."

"UHNNGH",  Mrs. Harrison grunted.  

Ericia washed her hands in hot soap and water and then had a young girl helper pour white lightening over her hands into the water.   "lift the covers please but, keep her dignity."  Ericia told the helper.  Ericia reached through Mrs. Harrison birth canal to measure the dilation of her cervix.  Her cervix was as wide as her hand and very thin.  She was able to feel the babies head and worked he finger down the neck to check the babies shoulders. Ericia's blood ran cold when she felt a cord around the baby's neck.

"Move quickly...rapido..rapido!  I need the tea.  Boiling water, my instruments from the horse, clean receiving blanket, and Mr. Harrison's best drinking whiskey.  Ericia spooned the black cohosh tea with sugar into Mrs. Harrison's trembling mouth.  "I can't give you laudanum because it will be bad for the baby."  Ericia picked up her fetoscope to listen to see if the babies heart was slowing down.  It was.

"Maria you come here and mop her brow with a damp cloth."  Ericia gave the bite stick to Mrs. Harrison and instructed her in its use.   "Mrs. Harrison a loop of the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby's neck and his heart beat is slowing when you have contractions.  I have done this before many times.  It is complicated and dangerous but not impossible."  Ericia nodded to Maria who started wiping Mrs. Harrison's brow.  Ericia washed her hands again.

"This will be uncomfortable."  Ericia reached under the covers again.  She had to manipulate the umbilical cord from around the baby's neck.  The cord kept slipping back around the baby's throat.  Ericia was perspiring heavily and becoming more and more concerned but she said nothing.  Mrs.  Harrison was alternating screaming with moaning.  

"Where is Mr. Harrison.  Get him here."  Ericia snarled. "This is difficult," she whispered to Maria "The cord is wrapped twice.  If I can't free the baby, it will not live."

"I am going to try again Mrs. Harrison.  You are very courageous."  Ericia's words were more hopeful than her heart.  She finally got one of the wrapped cords worked free.  Ericia was still racing the clock. The baby was in deep trouble she could feel the lack of muscle tone in the baby.  Finally, the second cord was unwrapped and Mrs. Harrison was pushing as Ericia turned the baby's shoulders and delivered the child.

The baby was dusky blue and flopped like a dead fish.  Ericia took the baby and sucked the material from its nose and mouth.  She spat that out and placed her mouth over the baby's nose and mouth and started giving the baby soft puffs of air.  The baby started turning pink then started screaming and wiggling.  She put the baby to its mother's breast and finished delivering the afterbirth, cleaned up Mrs. Harrison and instructed the household staff on what to watch for.

Ericia drank a half a glass of Mr., Harrison's finest whiskey, lay on the fainting couch, and fell into a fitful sleep for two hours.  She stayed with Mrs. Harrison for 5 days until Mr. Harrison finally showed up.  Ericia had made a friend for life with Mrs. Harrison.  She scolded Mr. Harrison for not coming sooner and took her leave.

"Mamma there is a delivery coming for you."  Dahlia already home from school and had started supper.  Everything in the house was in perfect order.  Joel was out with BJ making some of the constant repairs the property needed.

"What are we having?  It smells so good."  The scent of oregano, chilis, and pork suffused the air.  "We are having chili verde con costillitos de puerco.  Albert is coming to supper."

"Where shall I put this."  Albert's arms were filled to overflowing with an immense basket of flowers, fresh fruit, dried fruit, and candies of every type.  Some were expensive imported chocolates.  There was also a large leather wallet which he handed to Ericia who silently put it aside.

"Aiee Dios mio mijo, what are you bringing me  Set it on the table," Ericia instructed.

"No, not on the table!  I am serving supper there." Dahlia was sharp and demanding giving Albert a small taste of his future.  Albert found a place in front of the hearth which was not in use yet.

"Did you make my favorite, Dahlia,?"  Albert's nose was high in the air following the scent of the bubbling chili verde on the wood-fired cookstove.

"No,"  Dahlia was distant and nonchalant.  She was flippant by nature and Albert was fully aware of that.

He immediately formulated a painting of her at the cookstove.  Her hair was done up in braids that made buns on each side of her head.  She wore a green gingham dress with a bright blue finely embroidered apron, from her grandmother no doubt.  Her bronzed neck shimmered with perspiration.

She wheeled around on him and met his eyes.  She smiled, "Did I catch you painting a picture of me?"

"Of course, I am always painting a picture of you,"  Albert was even then composing another one.  "I have to paint a lot of pictures to sell if I am tp support us when we are married."

San Francisco Magnin's Art Gallery

"The landscapes and trees are very interesting and sellable.  Tell me these portraits, are they all of the same...person?"  The dealer was standing back carefully appraising the   artwork.

"Yes, they are all the same girls from childhood to womanhood.  They are my son's dearest friend."  Robert Sr. explained.  

On those words, the dealer raised his eyebrows.  "Individually they are stunning.  As a series, they are a priceless treasure.  Is your son able to continue this series?" 

"I believe so, he intends to marry his subject," Robert Sr. noted the earlier reaction and saw it again.

"Our commission is 10% of the selling price.  We will frame them at what it costs the gallery.  To whom shall we remit the funds?"  The art dealer was itching to sell these paintings of an unknown but incredibly talented painter.  It would put I.G. Magnin on the map.

Robert Sr. handed him a business card which contained all the pertinent information.  Mr. Magnin handed a signed receipt for the paintings to Mr. McKinley.