The hazardous delivery [Archives:2003/651/Culture]

By Mahamoud Dualeh
For the Yemen Times
Presumably, you must have felt the bliss of getting a new baby sibling, or a new baby infant. Well, a week and a day ago I, Jesse Carpenter, had the pleasure of getting a new baby sibling; a sister, actually. I was picturing in my mind how cute she was going to be. The numbers of pictures of my baby sister racing through my mind were practically infinite. To decipher how it went from absolute contentment to total depression in just the modest instant you would have to read the rest of this account.
“I wish she comes soon.” I said excitedly. Getting a new baby sister is rewarding in so many ways. First of all, you get to teach them what's right or wrong. You could have the bare privilege of seeing them grow up. In a way, its practice for when, or if, you ever get a child of your own.
“How do you think he, I mean she, will look, Jesse? Do you think she will look anything like me?” My sister, Julia, asked quizzically, yet, very excitedly. “Yeah, Jules, I do think she will look quite like you.” I answered very calmly. Even though I was acting normally, I was also really excited. The thought of having a new baby sister was just too thrilling.
My unaccompanied period was ruined because of the phone ring. “I'll get it!” I yelled while hurrying to the phone. When I reached it I picked up the handle and said, “Hello?” I could have heard familiar sobs in the background by then. “H-h-hello?” My aunt said trying to hold her tears back. “What happened?” I asked with a quite raised voice. “Jesse, you have t-to arrange the b-bab-by's stuff-fff.” Then she burst into tears. “Just calm down and tell me what happened from the beginning.” I said quietly. “No time!” My aunt shrieked and hung up very violently. What could have possibly happened? All I could have done at that moment was packing my sister's belongings.
In about ten minutes my aunt came with my uncle from the hospital. My aunt had tears slowly dripping down her face. She was trying to cover up her dreadful heavy sobs. It made me just want to cry, but I held back my tears enough for my aunt to say, “Jesse, t-the doctor-r said t-hat-t,” then she burst into tears again. My uncle took my aunt inside the house and told me to wait in the living room.
“What could have possibly happened?” I thought. “The baby couldn't have died because she wanted the baby's things. Maybe, no that would be crazy, but it could happen. What if my mom died?” And I continually was deeply thinking about all of these possible dreadful matters.
My uncle came back in about two minutes. He told me that my mom was going to get an operation because the baby has the cord, the umbilical cord, wrapped around its neck twice. He said, “We are still waiting for the answer from the doctor. I wish everything is fine.” So my uncle kissed me on my forehead and took off.
I was waiting for the dreadful moment that my uncle will call and tell me the good news, or the bad news. So, I was passing up and down the living room. All the content-filled moments with my mom were flashing through my eyes. I could see everything. I was not going to let my mom die. Not right now.
“Jesse is mom going to be alright?” my sister asked. “Yes, Julia, mom is going to be alright.” I answered with a lot of confidence. Then I saw my aunt came in with total happiness in her face. How could she be so happy? Then it stroke me. My mom made it. Then my aunt, Elizabeth by the way, said, “Jesse, Julia, your mom went through the terrible operation!” She exclaimed excitedly. The happiness that filled my face that instant was just unbearable. I was terribly glad that my mom was able to live the operation. Even though she was going to be in for the next three days I was still the most blissful guy on this planet.
When my mom finally came back from the hospital we welcomed her with a huge party. Well not that big, but she was still happy for all that we did. To prove that she said, “You know, when I was in the hospital all that I could thing of were you. All you guys went rushing through my mind.”
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