Chapter 4 #2
Precious knew she would never achieve the acceptance or popularity of her mother because of her marriage.
It had gotten back to her that although she’d married a man with a sizable fortune, he still lacked the education that would make him their peers.
There were those who continued to question how he’d initially made enough money to invest in real estate.
A grocery store owner, selling to poor Negroes, mostly on credit, would be hard-pressed to maintain a profit year after year.
The ongoing rumors that he had been involved in prostitution and bookmaking for Italian criminals continued to persist, even after Dennis moved from Harlem to Mount Vernon.
Reaching for her handbag, Precious left the exam room and walked several feet to Dr. Raitt’s office. Dennis was already there, and he rose to stand along with the doctor when she entered.
He cupped her elbow. “Please sit down, darling. Dr. Raitt was just telling me that based on his calculation, we should become parents in early summer.”
“Your husband is right,” Dr. Raitt said, as he adjusted his glasses. “However, what I didn’t tell him is that the laboratory reported a small amount of blood in your urine, which indicates you may be spotting.”
Dennis leaned forward. “Is that serious?”
Dr. Raitt laced his fingers together on the top of his desk. “Not as serious as it is risky. What I mean by that is you have to abstain from sexual intercourse over the duration of your wife’s confinement.”
Dennis shook his head, seemingly in disbelief. “Are you telling me I can’t make love to my wife?”
“Yes. That is if you want her to carry her baby to full term. Otherwise, there is the possibility that she may miscarry. The choice is yours, Mr. Boone.”
A beat passed before Dennis said, “I’ll do whatever needs to be done, because I’ve waited a long time to become a father.” Reaching for Precious’s free hand, he gently squeezed her fingers. “Both of us have waited a very long time for this moment.”
Dr. Raitt smiled. “And because you have, I need for you to go along with my recommendations. I usually ask impending fathers not to share the same bed as their pregnant wives, and that means sleeping in another bedroom, because it’s difficult to control temptation.
As a young, healthy male, you don’t need me to elaborate for you, Mr. Boone. ”
Dennis also smiled. “I understand exactly what you’re talking about, Doc.”
“Good. I want your wife to increase her intake of food, because she’ll not only be eating for herself, but also the baby. You don’t want her to deliver an underweight baby, which can lead to a number of problems.”
“No, I don’t,” Dennis agreed.
“I’m going to come out to your home to check on Mrs. Boone, rather than have her come here to the office.
It will be once a month, then twice a month once she’s in her seventh and eighth month, then every week during the final month.
If she follows my instructions, then you both should welcome a healthy baby boy or girl before the end of June. ”
Dennis released Precious’s hand and extended his to the doctor. “Thank you, Dr. Raitt, for everything. I will make certain my wife follows everything you’ve told her.”
Dr. Raitt shook the proffered hand. “You can thank me later, once I deliver your baby.”
“How much do I owe you?” Dennis asked.
“You can speak to my receptionist about the bill.”
Precious lowered her eyes rather than glare at the doctor.
Her mother had probably paid Dr. Raitt a tidy sum, but the greedy little bastard was probably going to inflate the bill because he knew Dennis would pay it without questioning the amount.
She picked up her handbag and followed Dennis out of the doctor’s office.
“I’m going to wait in the car, while you settle the bill.”
Dennis met her eyes. “Are you okay?”
“I’m just a little tired and I need to rest,” she lied smoothly.
Precious had read everything she could about pregnancy—fatigue, weight gain, cravings, and mood swings, and she intended to become an award-winning actress in the role of expectant mother.
A pseudo-pregnancy was what she needed to decline social gatherings, while lying in bed eating her favorite foods and catching up on her reading.
She would also refuse to see visitors. The exception would be her parents.
She didn’t have to concern herself with a private duty nurse, because her mother would assume that role.
Precious truly had to applaud Lillian Crawford for her ingenious machinations to ensure her status as a grandmother.
So many of Lillian’s sorors were grandmothers and were constantly questioning why her daughter hadn’t given Dennis Boone a child.
It had become a point of irritation for Lillian, who knew why Precious hadn’t been able to conceive, while she accepted the blame for her daughter’s condition.
Well, her plan had become foolproof once Lillian had gotten Dr. Raitt to go along with her ruse.
Precious wasn’t aware of her mother’s relationship with the family doctor, but at this point, she didn’t want to think about it or question it.
When it came to powers of persuasion, Lillian Crawford was the best. And if she had been a man, then she would’ve been perfect as the power broker pulling the proverbial strings behind the scenes for a politician seeking an elected office.
Dennis gave her the keys to his Cadillac, and Precious left the one-story building, walked to the parking lot, and got into the vehicle that still had a new car smell.
Dennis could be counted on trading in and purchasing a new Cadillac every two years, because he claimed it was a testament to his success as a real estate mogul.
Rockefeller had oil, J.P. Morgan banking, Ford automobiles, and Dennis Boone real estate, when he’d secured short-term bank loans to purchase foreclosed properties, renovate them, and then resell them at a profit while repaying the bank loans before their due date.
If Dennis concerned himself with bank loan due dates, it was now the same for Precious.
Justine Russell was due to deliver at the end of June, and she prayed the girl wouldn’t do anything to harm the baby growing inside her.
When she thought about it, Justine would also get something out of the deal.
After graduating, she would be given an opportunity to acquire the skills needed to work in an office.
Skills that would offer her paid employment, while she was guaranteed to live rent-free in an apartment while she attended night classes.
All Justine had to do was go along with what Precious and her mother had designed for her, and she would be able to continue her life as she’d planned. She would graduate college and become a schoolteacher.