JUST AS SHE IS Chapter 1 The Baby is Born

 Chapter 1

                                          The Baby is born

                     The summer was ending, the autumn was drawing near and the midnight air had become colder. The gentle breeze has blown a silent sleep on the land. Yet, at a public hospital, the maternity ward was awake with a pregnant woman's cries. Susan's labour began two hours ago and she has not yet delivered. The nurses were waiting on her and expecting to hear a baby's cry any minute. It was half past midnight, and Susan looked like she had no strength left. Just when it looked like Susan was about to faint, a new cry apart from her's filled the air. A wail from a new life. The baby's cry drowned the feeble moan of Susan's. 

                 "It's a girl," said the nurse to Susan.

                Susan, whose strength was failing, did not respond. She didn't show any sign of joy or relief. Instead, there was a disappointed look on her beautiful and tired face. Susan was a lovely creature with a round face, sharp nose and long neck. She was tall and fair with a slim waist. She would have easily made it into the fashion industry. Heads turned around when she walked past. Her friends usually said that she would go places. Her father wanted her to be a police officer. Her mother desired her to become a teacher just like her. But none of this happened. Here she was, in a public hospital, broken and sad. She was expecting a boy, but she had a girl. She was not happy and I don't blame her. In a society where a male child is preferred and giving birth to male children is considered prestigious, Susan knew she was going to hear the taunts of people all her life. And this added to the pain that she was already bearing in her body and heart. 

   "Where is the father?" asked the nurse, as she took the baby out of the delivery room.

"Uh! He has not yet come but will be here soon, " replied Susan's sister, Nancy with some uneasiness.

The nurse raised her eyebrows handed the baby to her and said, "Tell him to meet me as soon as he comes, he needs to sign the form."

"Hmmm okay," replied Nancy "Can I see my sister?" she asked.

"After half an hour she will be brought to the ward," replied the nurse and left.

Nancy saw the nurse turn and leave with a thoughtful look. Nancy looked down at the tiny creature crying in her arms. She thought that the baby looked just like Susan. 

"What is going to become of you, my sweet little darling?" said Nancy softly with tears running down her eyes, "If you knew what is happening now and what might happen hereafter you would cry even more loudly than this."

Nancy wiped her eyes kissed the baby and said, "May God help you!"

 To us, Nancy's words might seem strange. We could have expected her to say "May God bless you", but instead she said," May God help you!" And it was the right thing for her to say, I believe that even she had no idea how important her words were. It seemed like the first prayer that was said and most needed for this newborn baby in her journey of life. 

It was about an hour when Susan was brought to the general ward, where the baby was already fast asleep on the cradle next to her bed. 

" Did you see her?", asked Susan to her sister Nancy.

"Yeah! She looks beautiful just like you. She fell asleep just now," replied Nancy.

"Beautiful?" sighed Susan "Hope she doesn't end up just like me."

"Susan! Why do you speak like this? She is just a baby!" replied Nancy displeased.

Susan looked at her, and with a scoff, she asked, "It is surprising that you even ask after knowing everything."

Nancy looked down at the cradle and the baby sleeping peacefully, "But it's not her fault" she said. 

"Isn't it, my fault?", asked Susan dignified.

            Nancy chose not to answer this question instead she simply said, "The nurse asked for the father, I said he will come soon." She was still looking at the baby when she said this, either because she didn't want to face her sister while she said it or because she was worried about what would happen to the baby if her father didn't turn up. 

Susan did not answer this time, she lay on the cold bed and wondered whether Ivan could turn up or if this child would become fatherless after all.  

                                                                                   ....... to be continued