By mid-July, Mary felt like she was back on the ship.
She vomited first thing every morning, and the smells
of foods she ordinarily liked made her queasy and
nauseated. Stephan was alarmed; he kept telling her
to eat. “If you will just tell me what you would like,
I will get it for you. You have to eat for two now,” he urged.
“I will be fine,” she assured him. “This will pass soon.
And Anna says that morning sickness is the sign of
a healthy baby.”
Stephan was not convinced. His mother’s sister as well
as her baby had died in childbirth, back in Austria. He
did not communicate his fear to Mary, but he confided
in Anna.
“We will not let anything happen to Mary or the baby,
Stephan,” she soothed him. “She needs our strength,
now.”
He was relieved when Mary was able to eat again, and
her robust stamina returned.
Anna and Mary spent the remainder of the summer
harvesting the vegetable garden. They spent days
canning vegetables and storing them for the winter.
They canned fruit and made jars of fruit preserves.
With the vibrant colors of the falling autumn leaves,
the cabbage patch in the vegetable garden came into
fruition. Never had Mary and Stephan seen such
gigantic cabbages. The large, green leaves lent
themselves to delicious Golabki, rolled cabbage leaves
filled with meat, minced onion and rice, baked until
tender, in a savory sauce of diced tomatoes, garlic and
bacon. This nutritious, one-dish, complete meal is served
with a crusty loaf of fresh, buttered bread. Uncle Archie
and Aunt Tetta would visit on Sundays to partake of this
family favorite.
Stephan worked long hours at the factory. His job seemed
to be any task that wasn’t somebody else’s job, and his employer
depended on his brawn, his reliability, and his get-it-done
attitude so much that he was given a small raise within a few
months, which was unheard of.
Christmas of 1909 was a beautiful, white Christmas, with
a fir tree which they happily decorated with handmade
ornaments, and finished with a popcorn and cranberry
garland. There were small gifts for everyone, especially
the coming baby. Little Mary’s belly was large now, and
it was all out in front. Anna and Aunt Tetta said that meant
it would be a boy. Stephan and Mary had no preference;
they would be happy with a healthy baby of either sex.
In January, Mary and Stephan began to notice that Anna
seemed to be losing weight. She was no longer plump
and her appetite was small. She tended to retire early
in the evening, usually directly after supper. Concerned,
the Voloshins urged her to see a doctor, but Anna said
she was just tired, and she wasn’t getting any younger after
all.
In early March, Mary awakened during the night in labor.
It wasn’t very strong, and she kept falling asleep in between
the pains. By morning, the pains were strong and coming
closer together. She woke Stephan and told him their
baby would be born that day. They happily went to Anna’s
room to wake her, but Anna was unable to get up. In a
panic, Stephan left Mary at Anna’s bedside, ran to his
uncle and aunt’s house and brought them back to the farm.
When they arrived, Anna was unimproved. Mary was with
her, talking to her and holding her hand. Mary was in hard labor,
and Stephan insisted that she get into bed. Leaving Uncle Archie
with Anna, Aunt Tetta and Stephan walked Mary back to their bed.
Suddenly, there was a gush of fluid on the hallway floor, and they
got Mary back to bed just in time. Mary held Stephan’s hands, and
giving a mighty push, delivered their son into Aunt Tetta’s waiting
hands.
They named their son John. Stephan had been named after his
father and he wanted his own son, born on American soil, to
have his own name; grow up to be a free man.
When baby John had been all cleaned up, Stephan carried his
sleeping baby, and Aunt Tetta helped Mary walk to Anna’s room.
"She has been asking about Mary and the baby," Uncle Archie
told them. Mary sat in a chair close to Anna and took her hand.
“It’s a boy, Anna, just like you always said,” she whispered.
Stephan held up the baby for Anna to see. She reached out weakly,
and Stephan carefully laid the baby in Anna’s arms. Anna smiled
and drew her last breath.
