Adoption, the
Unnatural Family

BY ANN MIKESKA

Once upon a time, there was a lady and man who started a baby. The lady kept the baby inside her body. Her heartbeat lulled the baby to sleep. Her voice soothed the baby. Her walking rocked the baby. Sometimes the lady cried, and the baby knew the lady was worried and afraid. This made the baby feel scared. The baby wanted the lady. The baby needed the lady. The baby knew the lady. The baby loved her lady very much. 

When the baby was big enough to be born, she came into the world. The baby squinted her eyes and looked for the lady. The baby listened for the lady’s voice. Nothing looked familiar to the baby. Nothing sounded familiar to the baby. Nothing smelled right to the baby. The baby was confused and sad. Where was the lady who had kept her safe and warm? The baby needed the lady. The baby’s little body longed for the lady. The baby’s heart ached for her lady.

The baby screamed for the lady. The lady didn’t come. Someone else gave the baby a bottle. The baby took the bottle, but it didn’t feel right. The baby lay alone with the bottle propped up by blankets. The baby needed to be held. The baby cried because she was so scared. The baby wailed because she wanted the lady. The lady never came. Someone came and gave the baby medicine to make her stop crying. The medicine made everyone but the baby feel better. The baby was now unable to cry. 

The baby was given to a person whose job it is to find married fathers and mothers for the babies who were made by ladies and men who were not married. Only married people deserve to be mommies and daddies to babies. Not all babies should be allowed to go home with their ladies. Some ladies would not make good mommies. 

It took the person many months to find a mother and father for the baby. The baby was moved from place to place. The baby was sad. The baby didn’t grow well. The person was worried the baby wasn’t a good enough baby to be given to a mother and father. 

One day the person found a mother and father who had always wanted a baby but couldn’t start one like the lady and the man. No baby had ever grown inside this mother. This had made the father and mother very sad. They were married and wanted to be a mommy and daddy. 

When the person told the daddy and mommy there was a baby they had taken from a lady they were so happy. They didn’t ask about the lady. They didn’t think about the lady. They knew the lady didn’t deserve her baby. They only wanted a baby to cuddle and love. 

This is called adoption, the unnatural family.

The person had warned the mommy and daddy this baby was not a perfect baby. The mommy and daddy knew the baby was too small. The mommy and daddy hoped they could make the baby healthy. When the daddy and mommy picked the baby up from the adoption agency, the person told them if they decided they didn’t like the baby they could bring her back within one year. The mommy felt relieved she could try the baby out. The daddy was happy the baby came with a money-back guarantee. 

The mommy and daddy brought the baby home. The baby had long forgotten what it felt like to be in the lady. The baby only knew crying made people turn away from the baby. The baby knew to be quiet. The baby knew she needed these people to take care of her. 

The daddy and mommy were so happy with their new baby. The baby never cried. The baby drank the bottle. The baby grew. They were so lucky. They had been given a good baby after all. 

Many people came to see the new baby. Everyone was happy the baby matched the mommy and daddy. No one would guess a lady and a man started the baby, not the mommy and daddy. 

But the baby missed the lady she couldn’t remember, and always wondered if the lady missed her too?