Without knowing all the details, Amanda and the other ladies in her book group made snap judgments on a fifty-year-old pregnant woman. They didn’t regret what they did until they found out how serious her pregnancy was.
Amanda was happily unmarried and in her sixties. She never got married or had kids, so she kept herself occupied by hosting a Saturday night neighborhood reading club at her home. Amanda only got along with her book club members over the years. She cherished order, and she would become enraged if a neighbor’s youngster broke a flower pot or soiled her side of the road. Children avoided Amanda’s yard and showed fear of her as a result; they also never gave her the juices and baked goods.Every summer, they sold, to the delight of their other neighbors.
When Amanda went to the grocery store one day, she ran into Jane, a 50-year-old neighbor with whom she had never before spoken. Jane was perusing the junk food in one of the aisles. “Now that we’re older, we shouldn’t be consuming that kind of junk food,” Amanda informed her. With a gracious smile, Jane said that her family always keeps chips on hand for visitors. Amanda encouraged her to get organic ones instead, shaking her head.
The whole neighborhood knew that Amanda always believed she knew best. Jane praised her for the advice rather than battling with her to shut up. When they ran into each other again at the checkout desk, Amanda invited Jane to join their book club, which Jane gladly accepted. Jane turned up that weekend, doing as the club did—talking, eating sandwiches, drinking tea, and discussing a book. Jane continued to attend for an additional two weeks before ceasing to do so. Amanda was horrified that Jane didn’t pick up when she called, and she couldn’t believe that Jane would decline the book club. Jane had not returned after a month. The other women had not heard from Jane since she disappeared, so Amanda, annoyed, asked whether they had seen her.
Amanda dismissed the idea and continued living her life until one day she noticed Jane caressing her round belly as she walked down the street. Amanda was eager to share what she had witnessed with the book club members the next day. She screamed, “I swear that Jane is pregnant!” Speaking up, a second woman mentioned that she had seen Jane that week and thought her belly looked large. Amanda gave a headshake. “She should be watching her grandchildren at her age, not giving birth! It’s repulsive! stated Amanda. What will the infant call her, another elderly woman asked? Mamma? Picture yourself attending parent-teacher conferences when everyone else’s moms are in their thirties and you have gray hair. Members of the book club agreed as they laughed.
Amanda noticed Jane at the grocery store stroking her round belly next to a peanut shelf a few days later. In an attempt to make fun of Jane, Amanda chose to find out the name of her baby’s father. You know, eating peanuts when pregnant is not advised. It might trigger allergic reactions. Amanda sneered. Jane calmly retorted that her doctor had declared her to be healthy and that she was not allergic. Angry, Amanda charged Jane with being egotistical and endangering her unborn child. Jane covered her lips and hurried to the nearest bathroom, feeling terrible. “Ugh,” called Amanda after her. Revolting. For this reason, ladies of your age shouldn’t be bearing children.
Jane’s daughter and her husband come out of nowhere. “What’s wrong? She questioned, “Why are you yelling at my mom?” Amanda clarified that she was instructing Jane on the dangers of selfishness and endangering her unborn child. Shocked, Jane’s daughter said that Amanda had no business knowing about her mother’s pregnancy. She revealed that she had attempted to conceive for two years, but had experienced several miscarriages and had neither luck with IVF nor surgery. Jane offered to be a surrogate for her daughter and son-in-law, Timothy Watson, since she didn’t want to be adopted. Amanda was shocked and mortified and apologized right away, especially after learning that Timothy was the heir to a multi-million dollar company where she had worked.
Amanda promised to do better, and Jane forgave her. After her daughter and son-in-law, Amanda was the first to see Jane at the hospital after she gave birth. Every time Amanda paid Jane a visit, she made careful to inquire if she needed any assistance. Amanda also helped Jane heal by watching the baby. Ultimately, Amanda made a repentance and forged a close friendship with Jane.
