La Luz de Luna
Chapter 3
The pains started before dawn on a late summer morning. Though they were only light rushes at first, Kira found she could not sleep through them. Neither could she get comfortable between them. Her body, grown large as a house, had ceased to be comfortable in any position. She rolled onto her side and winced as another rush moved through her back and into her lower belly, straight through the share bone and down her right leg. Thankfully, Sir Thomas was gone again, so she had the bed to herself.
Another rush and she found that she desperately needed to go to water closet to relieve herself. With every pain she felt the baby pressing harder upon her bladder. She got up slowly and moved toward the chamber pot. A warm trickle of water ran down her leg, and for a moment, she wondered if perhaps she had not made it to the pot in time, but with the next pain, she knew better. The huge puddle over the floor told the entire story: her waters had broken. It was time to call the midwife. She reached down and rubbed her belly.
Another rush and she found that she desperately needed to go to water closet to relieve herself. With every pain she felt the baby pressing harder upon her bladder. She got up slowly and moved toward the chamber pot. A warm trickle of water ran down her leg, and for a moment, she wondered if perhaps she had not made it to the pot in time, but with the next pain, she knew better. The huge puddle over the floor told the entire story: her waters had broken. It was time to call the midwife. She reached down and rubbed her belly.
"Soon, soon, Katilinda, I will meet you. The Father will call you by your new name, Lucita, but you must remember the name of your Mother, and of your homeland. You will always be Katilinda. Do not forget."
Kira knew she would have to go next door to summon the midwife. Her neighbor, a very kind woman by the name of Mrs. Greene, had agreed to call the midwife when her time came. Mrs. Greene had reassured her many times that the midwife was very practiced in all sorts of deliveries, even difficult ones, and that her time would come and pass easily. Of that she had no doubt, but Kira knew that her labor would not be easy, and that she would not live to raise her baby. She made her way slowly next door and tossed pebbles at the upstairs window. Instantly, a light appeared, and Mrs. Greene pulled on her cloak, throwing up the sash of the window.
"Is the wee one to be brought forth tonight, then?"
"Yes, ma'am. I'd say she was right in a hurry, too."
"Is she, now? Well, then. We'll have to get the midwife, shan't we?"
Kira didn't answer. The pinched look on her face and her doubled over posture said enough.
"No worries. I'll have her here inside the hour." Mrs. Greene disappeared from view and from the rustling inside it was clear she was waking her husband Caleb to saddle the horse. Kira hoped he would be fast about it, for this baby seemed to be determined to be born any minute.
Somehow--she didn't know how--she managed to walk the distance back home and to climb the stairs to the bedroom. She sat on the stool at the edge of the bed, rocking with each new rush, and humming one of the old tunes to herself. She remembered her grandmother singing it to her when she was a little child, in a high crooning voice. It seemed perfectly matched to her pain now. After what must have been hours, or so she thought, she heard the door open and a voice call out from below. It was Mr. Greene.
"Miss Savageau. The midwife is brought. May she enter?"
But her teeth were clenched and she only howled in answer. Apparently, the midwife took that as a yes, for the next thing she saw was the woman appear at the top of the stairs.
Kira knew she would have to go next door to summon the midwife. Her neighbor, a very kind woman by the name of Mrs. Greene, had agreed to call the midwife when her time came. Mrs. Greene had reassured her many times that the midwife was very practiced in all sorts of deliveries, even difficult ones, and that her time would come and pass easily. Of that she had no doubt, but Kira knew that her labor would not be easy, and that she would not live to raise her baby. She made her way slowly next door and tossed pebbles at the upstairs window. Instantly, a light appeared, and Mrs. Greene pulled on her cloak, throwing up the sash of the window.
"Is the wee one to be brought forth tonight, then?"
"Yes, ma'am. I'd say she was right in a hurry, too."
"Is she, now? Well, then. We'll have to get the midwife, shan't we?"
Kira didn't answer. The pinched look on her face and her doubled over posture said enough.
"No worries. I'll have her here inside the hour." Mrs. Greene disappeared from view and from the rustling inside it was clear she was waking her husband Caleb to saddle the horse. Kira hoped he would be fast about it, for this baby seemed to be determined to be born any minute.
Somehow--she didn't know how--she managed to walk the distance back home and to climb the stairs to the bedroom. She sat on the stool at the edge of the bed, rocking with each new rush, and humming one of the old tunes to herself. She remembered her grandmother singing it to her when she was a little child, in a high crooning voice. It seemed perfectly matched to her pain now. After what must have been hours, or so she thought, she heard the door open and a voice call out from below. It was Mr. Greene.
"Miss Savageau. The midwife is brought. May she enter?"
But her teeth were clenched and she only howled in answer. Apparently, the midwife took that as a yes, for the next thing she saw was the woman appear at the top of the stairs.
"I am here, Miss Savageau. My name is Miss Brighton. All is well. You shall be delivered soon."
Her words were warm and comforting, and Kira found that she wanted to believe them, so true did they sound. Perhaps, after all, it had only been her fear that had made her have such frightful dreams.
As the hours passed slowly, Miss Brighton brought her cups of warm broth and sat with her quietly. She was very good not to talk to her over much, or to disturb her peace when she was able to find it. Often, she slept fitfully between rushes, but as night turned to morning and finally to afternoon, Kira began to wonder if the baby would ever appear. It seemed she was not in such a hurry after all. At some point in the foggy haze of her pain, she heard Sir Thomas reach home and try to come to bed to sleep off the night, but Miss Brighton shooed him away with a fury that no one would have thought her capable of.
"I can NOT do this ANY MORE!" Kira shouted in the old language, through her pain. She knew the midwife couldn't understand her, but nothing mattered any more. Nothing but making the pain stop.
"You can do this. You will have to do this. Think you anyone else can do it for you?"
So the midwife had understood her, after all. Perhaps all women said such things in labor. Kira didn't know. But the impossibility of the situation seemed to be quite certain to her.
"Look. I know it isn't what you want to hear, but I think the baby is ... well ... not positioned correctly. We'll have to turn the baby, if he is ever to be born."
"She. The baby is SHE."
"Yes, okay. She. But do you understand? I have to turn her around, inside of you, if she is ever to be born."
"Yes. Do whatever you have to do."
Her words were warm and comforting, and Kira found that she wanted to believe them, so true did they sound. Perhaps, after all, it had only been her fear that had made her have such frightful dreams.
As the hours passed slowly, Miss Brighton brought her cups of warm broth and sat with her quietly. She was very good not to talk to her over much, or to disturb her peace when she was able to find it. Often, she slept fitfully between rushes, but as night turned to morning and finally to afternoon, Kira began to wonder if the baby would ever appear. It seemed she was not in such a hurry after all. At some point in the foggy haze of her pain, she heard Sir Thomas reach home and try to come to bed to sleep off the night, but Miss Brighton shooed him away with a fury that no one would have thought her capable of.
"I can NOT do this ANY MORE!" Kira shouted in the old language, through her pain. She knew the midwife couldn't understand her, but nothing mattered any more. Nothing but making the pain stop.
"You can do this. You will have to do this. Think you anyone else can do it for you?"
So the midwife had understood her, after all. Perhaps all women said such things in labor. Kira didn't know. But the impossibility of the situation seemed to be quite certain to her.
"Look. I know it isn't what you want to hear, but I think the baby is ... well ... not positioned correctly. We'll have to turn the baby, if he is ever to be born."
"She. The baby is SHE."
"Yes, okay. She. But do you understand? I have to turn her around, inside of you, if she is ever to be born."
"Yes. Do whatever you have to do."
The midwife's hands were pleasantly cool in the late August heat. She worked between contractions and nudged and prodded, trying apparently to convince the baby to move on her own. Kira wasn't sure if what she did had worked or not, but some of the rushes seemed less awful afterwards. Still, she thought she heard the midwife belowstairs, when she went to boil a kettle of water, and the sound was not encouraging. She imagined her bent over in front of the fireplace, wringing her hands, but that might have only been a fantasy. Kira didn't know.
"Miss Savageau. Feel you any desire to bear down? Think you that this babe mayst be ready now?"
She kept asking the same questions. Kira was too tired any more to keep going. It had been already twenty hours. Sir Thomas, she knew, had already left again, unable to tolerate her screams. She thought everyone in town must have been able to hear her.
She kept asking the same questions. Kira was too tired any more to keep going. It had been already twenty hours. Sir Thomas, she knew, had already left again, unable to tolerate her screams. She thought everyone in town must have been able to hear her.
A fire-searing pain ripped through her lower belly, the worst pain imaginable. This was like nothing else she'd yet felt.
"I can't do this anymore. I can't. I'll die."
"I can't do this anymore. I can't. I'll die."
"Pull yourself together. You have to do this. It is the lot of every woman living."
"You are a strong woman. The strongest I've ever seen. By Divine Providence, it be a heresy for me to say so, but your strength could turn back armies of men. Thinkst thou to say that this babe can't be born of thee? It can. Thou must believe it."
Kira looked at the midwife in silent awe. No man or woman had ever spoken words that took such flight into her heart.
"Every woman has doubts Miss Savageau. It means only that the babe is near to arriving on this earth, this stage of fools, as it has been called by men wiser than I.
"Every woman has doubts Miss Savageau. It means only that the babe is near to arriving on this earth, this stage of fools, as it has been called by men wiser than I.
"Soon we shall meet this wee one who hast caused thee such misery, and as dear a creature as Providence ever gave shall she be, too. Of that I have no doubt."
"Miss Brighton?" "Yes?" "Thank you." "All that you need to do to thank me is to bring forth this child, Miss Savageau, and that I think you shall do directly." It was true. On the next rush, Kira felt the baby slip down, lower than she had ever felt her. Why would she not slip quietly into the world? Why must her coming hither be so difficult? Another wave of pain, accompanied by nausea, swept over Kira and she bent over the chamber pot and released the contents of her stomach. Warm broth swirled in the bottom of the pot. It looked no different than when she drank it. She rocked back and forth in a squat by the side of the bed, waiting for this last rush to pass before the midwife spoke again. |
"Thinkst thou to bear down now?"
"Oh, yes." There was no doubt this time. The desire to push consumed ever fiber of her being.
"Then, place thy hands and knees upon the floor, the better I may see the babe's coming forth."
"Oh, yes." There was no doubt this time. The desire to push consumed ever fiber of her being.
"Then, place thy hands and knees upon the floor, the better I may see the babe's coming forth."
With each new rush, Kira bore down with every ounce of strength she had, biting a piece of rolled up cloth between her tenth. If this were the strength to turn armies, she thought she must have staved off the very empire, but no matter how she pushed, nothing seemed to happen.
Finally, the midwife suggested a second position. She spoke strange words of "crowning," and "rings of fire," but to Kira these were meaningless and did nothing to end the misery, nor to relieve her fatigue. She wanted nothing more than to sleep a long sleep in the warm sun, the ocean breeze wafting gently over her.
"Wake up, wake up! Miss Savageau it is time. Feel your baby. She is here."
Kira felt her hand being led below, and in her outstretched palm she felt a small, soft rounded ball. Surely, if this were the babe's head, it must be deformed, perhaps ... but she found that she could not think about it further. Another rush came upon her and she pushed, hard, into her hand and there she felt a baby's bottom slip through. So that was what it was. And not a head at all. She wondered if that was why she felt so much pain, but there was no time to ask, for again she felt for all the world there was nothing to do but bear down with all her might.
Finally, the midwife suggested a second position. She spoke strange words of "crowning," and "rings of fire," but to Kira these were meaningless and did nothing to end the misery, nor to relieve her fatigue. She wanted nothing more than to sleep a long sleep in the warm sun, the ocean breeze wafting gently over her.
"Wake up, wake up! Miss Savageau it is time. Feel your baby. She is here."
Kira felt her hand being led below, and in her outstretched palm she felt a small, soft rounded ball. Surely, if this were the babe's head, it must be deformed, perhaps ... but she found that she could not think about it further. Another rush came upon her and she pushed, hard, into her hand and there she felt a baby's bottom slip through. So that was what it was. And not a head at all. She wondered if that was why she felt so much pain, but there was no time to ask, for again she felt for all the world there was nothing to do but bear down with all her might.
"Aaaaaaaah!!! eeeeeEEEEE!!!"
"Good. More. Bring this babe forth!" Kira took a deep breath and pushed again, for all she had within her. If this did not bring forth the babe, then nothing would. "Yes, good." The midwife's voice was quiet, but intense. "Now. Slow down. Just pant." She felt her reach within, past the body of the babe. "Now. Push again. Just a small push." Kira closed her eyes and pushed. |
And she felt the swiftest release she'd ever known as the babe finally came forth into the midwife's outstretched hands.
"And it is a girl!"
"She is Katilinda. The light of the moon."
Kira barely had the strength to speak the words. The midwife bathed her body with a cool cloth, and tucked her into bed. She fell into a deep sleep as the midwife cared for the baby.
"And it is a girl!"
"She is Katilinda. The light of the moon."
Kira barely had the strength to speak the words. The midwife bathed her body with a cool cloth, and tucked her into bed. She fell into a deep sleep as the midwife cared for the baby.
"Such a beautiful creature. Just as your mother said you would be. Though you gave her much misery, didn't you? But all is quite well now. Mother and babe doing fine."
The baby gurgled and cooed. "That's right. Sing to us as we've sung to you. You shall be quite a joy to your mother, I should think. Yes indeed." In her stupor, Kira heard the voice of the midwife as a distant beacon, one of hope and light. She had been saved, somehow, from the death that was awaiting her. The worst travail of her life, but she had survived it. And now, she had her babe. Perhaps she would not have to give her up, after all. |
The midwife brought the baby and laid her beside her to nurse. Kira stroked the top of her head. Her Katilinda, the most beautiful creature, just as she knew she would be.
Soon after, she fell asleep, and the midwife stayed to tidy and keep an eye on things. And Kira fell into a dream. Her grandmother was speaking to her, in the old language.
"It is time, Vuni. You must come with me now." She hadn't heard herself called her true name since she left home so many months ago. Everyone called her Kira now, though it was only a mispronunciation of the name of her country. Sir Thomas never knew her real name.
"But no. I have done this great deed Mother Tokita. I have survived. I am strong, like the midwife said."
"Your strength, Vuni, lies in your dedication to your path. Your destiny lies this way. You must let Katilinda find her own way now."
Through the haze, Kira saw her grandmother's face more clearly now. She sat under a tall plantain tree, plaiting a rush mat.
"Grandmother, you are wise. I am simple." It was a traditional greeting. She knelt low to the ground, letting her face touch the sand.
"Yes, wee one. I shall help you find the path."
"I will follow."
"It is time, Vuni. You must come with me now." She hadn't heard herself called her true name since she left home so many months ago. Everyone called her Kira now, though it was only a mispronunciation of the name of her country. Sir Thomas never knew her real name.
"But no. I have done this great deed Mother Tokita. I have survived. I am strong, like the midwife said."
"Your strength, Vuni, lies in your dedication to your path. Your destiny lies this way. You must let Katilinda find her own way now."
Through the haze, Kira saw her grandmother's face more clearly now. She sat under a tall plantain tree, plaiting a rush mat.
"Grandmother, you are wise. I am simple." It was a traditional greeting. She knelt low to the ground, letting her face touch the sand.
"Yes, wee one. I shall help you find the path."
"I will follow."
Kira paused. She turned and looked back toward the jungle. She heard someone calling her. She felt herself drawn toward it, but it was so peaceful here, by the beach. She hated to go back to the dark jungle where danger lay all around her. She peered hard into the tree line. Who could be calling her? If only she could see their face, that calm, insistent voice.
"You must wake up. Your baby needs you."
"Come, wee one. It is time." Grandmother held out her hand to her. She had risen from her spot. Kira saw a path before her. "It is the way of spirits, Vuni. Let us walk."
"I am here Mother Tokita. I am following."
"You must wake up. Your baby needs you."
"Come, wee one. It is time." Grandmother held out her hand to her. She had risen from her spot. Kira saw a path before her. "It is the way of spirits, Vuni. Let us walk."
"I am here Mother Tokita. I am following."
Melissa Brighton sobbed quietly. She hoped the master of the house, Captain Thorne, would not find her here, in despair. It made no sense how this could have happened. In all of her years of experience, she'd never seen a woman so convinced she would die of childbirth as this woman, and yet, in her understanding, there had been nothing particularly unusual about the birth. Sure, it had been long, but not exactly complicated.
|
One moment, there was a happy, healthy mother and strong, vigorous baby, and the next minute, the mother had slipped into a sleep of death. She had tried waking her, but to no avail. And when she'd drawn back the coverlet, the reason was horrifyingly abundant. Spread across the bed was a ghastly pool of dark, red blood. A few minutes later, and mother's pulse was all but absent. Within the hour, her skin was cold.
Now, it was time to tell the Captain the truth. She wished that there was anything else in the world that she had to do.
Now, it was time to tell the Captain the truth. She wished that there was anything else in the world that she had to do.
She spoke the words as gently as she could. At first, he refused to believe her. She tried to explain, but there were no words that could be spoken. Nothing that would make him hear the truth.
Thinking him to be crazy with grief, Melissa reached out to him. "Sir, take comfort. Thou shalt not kneel before me, sir. 'Tis not the worst case, sir."
"It is. It is the worst case. You don't understand. You foolish woman. You have ruined me. There is no recompense now. Nothing ... nothing can be done now." "But, sir, you have a strong and healthy baby. You must take comfort, sir. There is yet much to be happy for."
"Think'st thou I would make a good father? I am no one's father, Miss. What use have I for that bastard? She is nothing to me."
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"I shall take the child, then, sir. If thou wilt let me, I shall bring her to the church, as Miss Savageau asked me to do. Begging your pardon, sir, but she knew, sir, how you felt in this matter."
"Do as thou, wilt. I have no desire to know what becomes of her what's killed her mother."
"Do as thou, wilt. I have no desire to know what becomes of her what's killed her mother."
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