Timeless Allegiance

Chapter 6

I'd never dreamed I'd be living a life of such contentment. When the sun rose in the horizon and I turned to find my wife sleeping peacefully next to me, it was like the Gods had gifted me a chance to experience such love in a way that made me wish I could hold time in a standstill. I never wanted to grow old. I wanted to keep this moment locked together, with me and her, always this way. In my dreams of wandering to find a twin flame, I'd realized that when I bumped into her, she was it. The flame that would be burning for me through all eternity and everything we shared would be an utmost incredible gift of life together.

Her body was changing with the pregnancy and the waist that once was thin began to thicken. My mother and her spent days sewing together new clothes to fit her increasing waist and I watched her have a healthy appetite for everything. My heart expanded with such love when I watched her hand run over her womb. Inside of there, a life that came from our love for each other, was forming. I was amazed at the joyous event that was unfolding before my very eyes. I had everything I wished for and had dreamt for since I was young. Life was perfect.

Perhaps when it's too perfect was when I should have been more cautious. People do say that when you begin to let go of your awareness that things hit you the hardest. It turned out to be truer than ever before for us. The day that changed everything, Mai Thao's mother had sent invitation that she was going to do a blessing ceremony for her new grandchild. But I had already promised my uncle I'd go help him fix his roof. This left us in a tight situation conflicting of time.

"Why don't you wait and we'll go together?" I asked as I prepared my bag of tools to go to my uncle's home. She had a beautiful glow on her face as she finished braiding her hair.

"But you might not be done in time and the ceremony would be over. How about I go ahead and you can come after you're done?"

My heart sank with uncertainty. "I don't want you going alone. Just wait for me, why don't you?"

She made a face. "Boua, come on, I'll be fine. It's just my mother's."

"I know that," I said as I took her into my arms. "But I just want you to be safe, especially now that you're pregnant."

"I'll be fine! You go do your thing and just come by to eat later."

If I could predict what would happen, I'd have fought harder for her to stay with me. But I let her go. I picked up my bag and headed a few houses down the dirt path to my uncle's house. His roof was broken and rain had been leaking for several weeks now. He was already up on the top, pulling at the thatched roofing when I arrived. I climbed up to join him and began working at fixing it. The sun was scorching hot, making me sweat as if I was taking a shower, and my shoulders were aching. All the while I was working, my heart was pounding with a deep vibration that sent my soul lingering elsewhere...to where Mai Thao was. Did she arrive safely? As I was preparing the last thatched roofing, I felt a sudden pain strike my thumb and a small bubble of blood began forming.

"You all right, son?" my uncle asked.

Nodding, I sucked on the injury and replied, "Yeah, I'm ok." That was when I heard my name being shouted as if death was coming. I turned and found my mother racing toward me with eyes widened and her face as pale as the shade of milk. I nearly fell off the roof as I scrambled to the edge and jumped down, my uncle following me.

"What?" I cried.

My mother's howl left me shaking. "Your wife! She's had an accident! Hurry!" I raced past my mother, my heart leaving my soul, as I picked up the pace. Mai Thao! No! What happened? I was blinded with worry and fear was kicking my gut as I ran like I'd never ran before or ever would. When I reached her mother's house, a crowd had gathered and I pushed through them where I heard her mother's voice calling her name.