by Deb Stratton
He did not come into the area. Barka came in alone and gathered some extra towels over on the ledge. We worked together to make a comfortable spot and she told me when it was time to deliver that I would get into the water. I felt some pressure and cramping.
I felt overpowered by the pain that started to come over me. I lay down with a towel under my head as a pillow. It had been months since I had been able to have real medication. I had found a small amount of headache pills in those old bags but had never dreamed that this type of pain would come to me without some type of relief.
I starting thinking about the day I fell into the well. I remember the other humans I had seen sitting and lying on those cots. I knew what had happened to most of them. They were on the other side of the underground villages. They were workers and breeders. They were
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Living lives away from their homes and all of the things that had always brought them happiness. They were not as lucky as I was. I was luckier than I had thought because of Stem. I could have ended up hundreds of miles away with some very bad individuals. I could have been taken with so many other unkind bidders at that first gathering. I was not sure if there were many others that were terribly bad. It seemed as though most were kind and intelligent. They were generous and concerned.
I would have never believed in my lifetime that I would witness what I have. I would have believed a photo on the news but I would have not believed that the underground was the hiding place that so many had searched for over the years. It was never imagined and I fell into it. I fell hard. I lived hard. I missed so much and gained so much.
I screamed in pain. It was too much to take. I could not make it through hours of this alone without love around me. I needed someone to hold my hand and tell me it would be ok. I needed comfort.
All I felt was my body shutter with spasms. It was so hard and I felt like the time would be coming soon to push. Barka checked and said that she felt something. She left the room again while I sat up on the hard towel covered slab.
I slipped into the water myself to try to soothe myself and it was a much better change.
I had seen Stem come in with Barka and knew that it must be time. I felt it.
The huge beautiful little hairy love child was coming and I let out a yell that made Stem step back. I cried and pushed. I yelled and cried some more. I tried to stop and breathe. Right at that moment I felt it. The baby’s head was visible. Barka jumped into the water when she seen the blood and she reached down to grab a hold of the baby. She was able to help me breathe and push more until he was here.
The most beautiful little baby was here and I was exhausted and in love. Stem had tears in his large brown eyes and she presented him with his son. According to my internal scale of life he must weigh 11 or 12 pounds.
We shall call him Clump.
Baby Clump.
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