A Daughter is Born…
The second of the three babies was born as Nativity Night drew near. One of the women who helped in the kitchen had a daughter just a few weeks after Serept’s son. Sarita got to hold the tiny girl and was embarrassed when the woman said they were naming her Sarita after the Sera.
A few days later, she began to have pains in her back and a burst of energy. She asked Marta if she could walk to the market in the square.
“Lots of energy?” Marta asked softly. “Any pain?”
“My back hurts, but that’s been a problem. I thought a short walk would help relax the muscles.”
“You will please go to your room and take a nap,” Marta smiled. “Those are good signs. I think we may have another birth before the night is over.” Sarita remembered a warning from the older women of the spinning group. “When you get that feeling of such energy that you want to scrub the floors, go lay down. It is almost over.”
***
Marta let Megal know that she expected the baby to be born that evening. He could join Sarita in the birthing room if he wished. Megal and Sarita had discussed whether or not he should join her. It was not common in Refugio, but was encouraged in Utopia, especially when a couple were strong psy partners. He decided to join her if for no other reason, he needed to work on shielding himself emotionally. Marta warned him Sarita had hard work ahead. He should be ready for that.
“I have assisted with the birth of grazers, and I can’t imagine a human birth would be less work even if a human infant is quite a bit smaller,” Megal said.
“Please don’t mention that comparison among the women, Megal. Some of them might be offended,” Marta said sternly. Megal grinned and gave his stepmother a hug as she fussed at him. “You always know how to say something to get a reaction from me, you are bad, Megal, very bad.”
It was not as long a night as predicted. Sarita complained she was having muscle cramps all over her abdomen and that she seemed to have wet the bed. The midwife gasped. She called Megal to help get his wife to the birthing chair. Those cramps were the birth contractions. Sarita was helped into a soft linen gown, open in the front, but with long sleeves. Megal helped her lift her feet to the padded shelves. The new birthing chair had been made specifically for her because of her long legs. It was something that Juan Hypath had insisted on. Sarita cried out as the contractions spasmed, but the midwife urged her to wait just a bit.
“Grab that large towel, Megal,” the midwife said. After several rounds of hard contractions, the midwife called out for her to push this time.
Within minutes and several loud cries, a very slippery baby girl landed in the hands of the midwife. She handed the now loudly crying baby to Megal.
“Place her on Sarita’s tummy and help her find a nipple. We need to get the after birth out.” Megal caught his newly born daughter with the coarse warm towel. He turned and placed her in Sarita’s arms. Sarita’s mother Rita, a well-trained healer, was quick to tie off the cord as Sarita placed her breast where the infant’s mouth could grab hold. Rita’s eyes filled with tears.
“I was never able to assist with your sisters’ boys. Welcome Esperanza!”
“Welcome to the world, Esperanza,” Megal stood in awe of the tiny being clinging to Sarita’s breast. He was struck by the similarity of his previous experiences. The newborn was wet, sticky, and loud. The midwife smiled up at him and offered her congratulations.
“She will be our leader some day and I was the one who caught her. The name is fitting. She will be esperanza, hope for our people. This will be a thing of pride for my family, Ser Morales.”
The new grandmother took the baby and moved her to a clean towel. The midwife indicated they could get Sarita out of the birth chair and into bed now. The afterbirth had cleared and was complete. Megal helped her up and into a clean, dry sleeping shirt. The midwife helped Sarita put on a belted pad explaining she would need it for a while.
“You will need to use these for at least a few weeks, Sera. There is much fluid that is no longer needed.” Sarita wanted to watch the baby get her bath, but the midwife shooed her to the bed.
“You need to rest, Mama. You have worked hard.”
Marta and Rita were helping with Esperanza’s first bath, which the baby was not happy about. Marta laughed as she wiped the mop of black hair on the baby’s head.
“She is your daughter, Megal. Your hair looked like this when we delivered you. She is larger than you were, but your mother was a smaller woman than Sarita. Please, while we work, go tell your father he has a new granddaughter.”
***
It was late when Megal entered the bedchamber set up for Sarita and Esperanza. They were sleeping. The baby was wrapped in a tight blanket and laid on her back in the small cradle next to the bed. Sarita was stretched out on her side close to the cradle. He stood in the dim light trying to process this incredible change in his life. To imagine that his passion and joy at finding this woman could produce such an incredible thing as this tiny person sleeping there, was almost beyond belief. One of his cousins rose from her sleeping mat in the corner of the room and whispered to ask if he needed anything. He shook his head and slipped out of the room to his empty bed. There would be years to get to know this tiny person and to show his respect and awe of the woman with whom he was joined.
***
The tradition in Refugio was to baptize and name an infant when the Keepers of the Blood had certified it. Now that organization was shut down, the Poh ruled that infants were to be brought to the church when the mother was recovered from the birth. It was clear his wife was very involved in that decision.
A week after the birth, Sophia Garza called on Sarita. She brought a lacy, long dress for Esperanza to wear.
“This was brought by my ancestor from Terra. In the old church, this was a very special occasion, and families dressed the baby to show how rich they were,” Sophia said. “Can you imagine? Using a baby to brag about your wealth?”
“This must have been very valuable. It is such a beautiful thing, are you sure? I’m worried about damaging it!”
“Please, do not worry, I can repair it. It is meant to be used. It will be noticed and perhaps start a custom of dressing them up for christening. Also, some of my family is working on making lace like this from the fibers of the seaweed. It is a longer fiber than the pod silk.”
“I have heard of the hours of work it takes to make fragile fabric like this. I will be very careful with it and so appreciate your letting us use this gown.” Sarita said. This was another use she needed to remember to tell Mandy about. The sea silk thread would be a trade item just like the fabric. Perhaps they could dye it as they did the scarves, and it could be used for thread work.
The ceremony was held in the main church and because the Morales family was involved, a meal was expected. Serept arranged for the meal and serving in the plaza. Esperanza was cooperating and sleeping as Poh Juan began the ceremony.
“What name do you give this child?”
“Esperanza, Rita, Marianne” Megal said. Rita gave a small cry, and tears began to stream down her face. Sera Cath Bethal, Megal’s maternal grandmother also reacted when her late daughter’s name was said. Sarita helped Megal strengthen his shields before his own emotional reaction affected the baby. Sarita had asked Serept and his wife to stand as padrinos for the child. It was out of tradition, but she had come to respect and love both Serept and his wife Anna.
As the water was poured, Esperanza awoke and objected loudly. The Poh smiled as the audience knowingly chuckled. The festivities in the plaza lasted late into the evening, but the honoree and her mother left early. She was a bit young yet for late night parties, her father explained.
| ← Chapter 43 | To be continued… |
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Book One
Book Two
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