by Kurtz, Timna
“Congratulations Connor,” he patted wholeheartedly on his friend-rival’s shoulder, and they smiled at each other with understanding. “She’s a little smaller than you thought, isn’t she, Grace?” He scrunched his eyebrows when he surveyed her size remembering the deep concerns I had in the last few months.
“Now that you mention it, I also think she’s a little small.” Jamila came closer and looked again at little Libby. “This strange-” but before she managed to complete the sentence and make her ruling on the matter, another cry shook the cave, when a sharp pain contracted my uterus again.
“Jamila!!!” I called out to her, “something is wrong! Maybe the placenta didn’t come out, help me!! It is tearing me apart!!” I called out to her in fear, with sharp pain cutting through me.
“Connor, you take Libby out! You not help now—you only look on baby. Jihan, you bring more herbs! Jack!!! You help with Grace—’Yallah’!! (come on) ‘Imshee’!! (go),” she urged everyone to hurry up, practically shoving Connor out of the cave with little Libby in his arms and a look of concern on his face. His squinted eyes were fixated on my face, and until I pleaded with him as well to go out, he still lingered for a few more seconds.
“Watch over her Jack, I am counting on you. And you too Jamila—take care of her and make sure nothing bad happens!” He made them swear and left the cave with a heavy heart.
Now that the three of us remained in the cave, Jamila started to work quickly, instructing Jack.
“You stand behind, hold her hands under shoulders!” she instructed him to support me so I could squat into the proper position.
“Jamila? What are you doing to me? It is just the placenta, just take it out of me!” I called out when another contraction tore at my stomach.
“You not talk now! You only push when Jamila tell you. I think I know what to happen now,” she leaned between my thighs and extended her hand into my uterus, feeling around.
“You not come back for nothing!” A wide smile spread on Jamila’s face. “You come back now because son of you want you here when he come!” Her smile turned to Jack’s blue gaze and stunned face.
“My son…? But how is it possible? Grace? Did you know about this?” he sounded confused and thrilled.
“Grace not know. No one know. But it is miracle! She to be pregnant same day from two of you.” Jamila guessed what had happened nine months earlier, on one of the moonless nights before I left for the Black Island.
“I have a son?? But how do you know, Jamila? He didn’t even come out yet!” he adjusted his grip under my arms, supporting me, understanding the great responsibility that was now entrusted to him.
“Jamila know long time you give Grace son, but I not think it happen together with girl from Connor!” She raised her eyebrows in apology for her misguided prediction, but the happy spark in her eyes made it clear she wasn’t sorry at all!
Her face was showing only joy, when she guided me again through the labor, telling me when to push and when to stop and rest. After fifteen minutes, Jack’s son came into the world, clean and flawless like his sister before him, but with a fuzz of dark hair growing on his head and his skin was darker. When he opened his eyes, I was astounded from the deep blue that was looking at me.
“Jack, look at him, he is so beautiful!” I whispered, tears choking me from excitement. I couldn’t have asked for a greater gift than giving the same happiness to both of the men I loved.
“Grace, my dear beloved woman—you have given me the most wonderful gift I could ever ask for in this world. After the great flood, when I lost my wife and three children, I felt I would never love again. I didn’t believe I would have anymore children, but you Grace, you gave me a reason to live and the ability to love again—and I do love you so much!” he concluded with a teary loving kiss, pouring all of his emotions into my lips, holding my face in his hands caressing it gently.
He looked at me as I was nursing his son, and the tears kept pouring from his blue eyes.
The tears didn’t stop even when I put his son in his arms, and he held him for the first time. Salty drops ran down Jack’s face and on his son’s dark hair as he was crying with bliss. He kneeled next to me, kissing me and his son in turn until he calmed down catching his breath.
“I want us to call him Idan,” he smiled at me with love, his blue eyes moist and sparkling as he touched my heart so deeply. “Idan after the son you lost,” he explained his request.
I welled up as well to hear his statement and choked when I answered him in a loving whisper, “There is no need to call him after anyone. We shall call him Idan (era) as he was born into an era of love and peace. Idan shall be his name because he was born at the beginning of the new world!!”
To be continued…
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Timna Kurtz
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[1](Idan – derived from ancient Hebrew, means an era, or age of time)
