I Knew You'd Have Brown Eyes Read Online Free PDF Page A

work. What I loved about being with her was that she treated me like a normal human being, not a young pregnant girl in disgrace. She didn’t refer to my pregnancy unless I brought it up. There were a couple of occasions in the following months when I cried on her shoulder.
    Dorothy and I had the same obstetrician at the nearby Royal Women’s Hospital. We had our appointments on the same day. These were once a month in the beginning, then twice a month and eventually every week. Our private obstetrician had a special clinic for unmarried mothers. I soon learned that this was a privilege, because the other girls had their appointments in the public section of the hospital. They told us of being stared at by the other pregnant women, and having rude comments said to them about being young and unmarried. I was grateful to Mum for having arranged private health cover for me. Dorothy wore a ring on her wedding finger, which I thought a sensible idea. It wouldn’t have worked for me, though, because I still looked like a child.
    Another girl who also had private insurance came to the home not long after me. Her name was Madeline. We were not allowed to know each other’s surnames. This rule was in place to protect our privacy. Implicit to living at Holy Cross was keeping our pregnancies secret so that we could return to normal lives after the birth.
    After our doctor’s appointment, the day that Madeline joined us for the first time, Dorothy suggested we go to the nearby Lutwyche shopping centre and have lunch in a cafe. It became our regular outing on doctor’s days and I looked forward to this simple act of normality. I felt like a grown-up ordering a sandwich and tea. Dorothy introduced us to toasted ham, cheese and tomato sandwiches – they had to be on white bread with relish – and to this day that combination reminds me of her and that time in our lives. It was in the cafe that we told each other our stories.
    ‘What are you going to do after you have your baby?’
    ‘I’m going to be a nurse.’
    ‘Really? I’m a nurse.’
    This came as a surprise to me. I knew Dorothy was older, but had not thought that she already had a career.
    ‘Why are you at Holy Cross then? Couldn’t you afford to go somewhere else?’
    ‘I come from a country town. The father of my baby is a doctor and, when I told him I was pregnant, he didn’t want to have anything to do with me.’
    ‘Oh, that’s awful! What did your parents say?’
    ‘They don’t know. I didn’t tell them. My parents are quite old and they’d be very embarrassed about it. Everyone knows everyone in the town I come from. I told them I got a job in Brisbane.’
    ‘So no one knows you’re here?’
    ‘No. When my boyfriend didn’t want to marry me, I just arranged to come here and left town.’
    We sat in silence at this sad news. Our new friend had no one to confide in but us. I felt a little relieved that at least my boyfriend hadn’t disowned me. I told them my story and then it was Madeline’s turn.
    ‘I’m fourteen,’ she said. ‘My parents thought it was best for me to come here, since I couldn’t go to school – the nuns wouldn’t allow it. But I’ll go back after I have the baby.’
    I don’t know how many times I heard that sentence from the girls at Holy Cross – after I have the baby. Our lives were on hold. After that day Dorothy, Madeline and I became firm friends, joined together by our common secret. Madeline’s parents were incredibly supportive and took her home on weekends. She had to remain indoors so she would not be seen but at least she got some respite from the home.
    The women with Down syndrome roamed the convent and often came to sit with us at night in our little TV room. One in particular, Gina, was our favourite.
    ‘Whatcha doin’ Gina?’
    ‘Nothin’. Got any lollies?’
    ‘Sure, but not too many.’
    ‘You havin’ a boy or a girl?’
    ‘I don’t know. What do you think?’
    ‘Girl.’
    ‘Mmm,