Long Blue Line: Based on a True Story by E. McNew Read Free Book Online

relieved to see that Lilah was following behind him. At least with Lilah there it wouldn’t be totally creepy and awkward with him in my bedroom.
    The second he started talking I knew what his intentions were. He talked about a former colleague of his who used to perform abortions. “It’s quick and painless. Most Doctors will use metal instruments, but Dr. Smith only uses leaves from a seaweed plant. He soaks the leaves in a saline solution before the procedure, and he uses it to scrape out the contents of your uterus. It won’t cause cramping or pain because the seaweed is soft.”
    I wanted to vomit as he was holding up his fist, as if his wrinkly hand, with grey knuckle hairs, were my uterus. He was trying to show me how a seaweed abortion worked, and I was lucky enough to get a reenactment to go along with it.
    Seriously, what in the hell was that all about anyway?  Seaweed…abortion…? Seriously dude, you’re an idiot , I affirmed. I gave him my attention but never confirmed to him what my decision would be. I thought it was incredibly insensitive of him to refer to my unborn child as “contents.” I could not understand why terminating a pregnancy was so freely accepted as an option, almost to the point of being favored.
    This was my child we were talking about. I consciously chose to give this child life. It should be no person’s decision as to who lives or dies, especially such a pure and perfect creation of God. Our world needs more innocence, more purity. This baby would forever be a part of me, who I was, and what I stood for. I knew this child’s soul. I could envision the face of this child. I saw the smile, heard the laugh…and felt the embrace. These feelings were so intense that they could not be classified as only feelings. It was more than that. It was more than a natural inclination to protecting the human species. It was more than a teenage girl with baby fever. It was meant to be and supposed to happen. She was meant to be. Unable to see past the next year, I did not quite understand how important this small angel would eventually become to the world, and some of the desperate people in it.
    I was getting sick and tired of people being so adamant about this abortion thing. They were acting like it was just another common thing to do and that it was perfectly okay. I chose to become pregnant! Making that decision followed by an abortion would be completely senseless, and it would ruin me forever. I had to find a way to get people off my back. I knew exactly what I needed to buy some time.
    “Thank you for calling the Women’s Clinic, this is Chelsea, how can I help you?” the receptionist said. “Yes, I need to make an appointment to have an abortion.” I confidently announced. The receptionist asked me a series of detailed questions, and I noticed that her voice sounded very caring but somber. That must be a really horrible job; making appointments to schedule the killing of innocent babies, I thought. After answering all of her questions, she confirmed that it would be four hundred dollars. “That will be fine,” I stated, knowing that I would not need to worry about coming up with the money. After she collected all of my information, it was time to schedule the appointment date. I told her that my schedule was open, so she could just choose the day. “Will October 6th be okay, Elizabeth?” she asked. “Sure! Go ahead and book me,” I said. Chelsea must have thought that I was a whack job with how enthusiastic I sounded about this abortion. I just wanted to hurry up and get off the phone so I could announce the fictitious death of my baby and have a moment of peace.
    This particular scheduled day was not just any day. This was my mother’s birthday - a day that I would recognize for the rest of my life.
    I took this as a clear sign. This was not a coincidence. This was God trying to show my mother that this baby was meant to live. When I informed my mother that I scheduled my