SHOW ME YOUR DREAMS

Chapter Three: Then Came The Children

For Biko, time seemed to fly like a bullet. And everywhere, nature had seemingly responded to time stimulus with its harshest wrath, making everyone vulnerable to starvation.

The dry season was upon everything, scarring the earth mercilessly. The vegetation and iron roofs of buildings bordering the streets were dusty and dirty, evidently covered with layers of dust heaped onto them by vehicles driven by.

Biko's rooster had also grown into a big mature bird. Its early morning crows were a daily reminder of how life changes things with every sunrise.

As these changes were taking place so did those in Atieno's belly. And time had made sure that all these happened in harmony with nature.

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When November arrived, Biko's moment to be a father neared as well. It could happen any day, he knew.

Indeed, during the second weekend of November, Atieno woke up nauseated and tired. So, it was Biko who had prepared breakfast, before he went to tend to their garden outside.

Atieno was just finishing having breakfast that Biko had prepared for her—boiled sweet potato with fermented millet porridge—when she felt the first pang of pain tear through her belly. It took what seemed like an hour for the pain to ebb away.

No sooner had comfort returned than another wave of pain came. This time around, it began from the depths of her lower middle abdomen, and tore right through her ribs, towards her temple.

Even though she had tried different positions to rest her belly, nothing she did could make her feel better.

The next several minutes were unimaginably excruciating: the throbbing nature of the pain threatened to tear her ribs apart. Sitting even worsened the contractions. She had to gasp several times to let some of the pain out through her mouth.

When Biko had found Atieno groaning in pain, her breathing erratic, he wasn't sure of what to do since he was inexperienced at midwifery. So he had promptly called his mother, Teresa, to help.

Teresa then rushed to bring Anna, the midwife who lived in the neighborhood. As it was close, Anna was in Biko's house in an instant. After scrutinizing Atieno's pregnancy, she immediately knew that the baby was due.

Biko, by custom, didn't witness his child's delivery.

So he went outside, anxiety brimming in his throat, waiting to hear the first cries of his baby. The wait quickly became excruciating, almost making him sick to his stomach, because all he could hear were Anna's voice being punctuated by Atieno's low and painful murmurs.

But when his ears reported the cry of a baby coming from within his house, his whole body instantly broke into thin sweat.

Overwhelmed with emotions, he had waited a little longer until Teresa opened the door to announce the arrival of the baby.

"Mom, is everything okay?" Biko had wanted to know.

"Yes. Atieno is still being attended to by Anna, though," Teresa had replied, elated at being a grandmother. "It's a baby girl," she announced.

"Wow!" Biko exclaimed, patiently waiting to see his wife and newborn baby.

Half an hour later, Biko finally got into the house and held his baby. Together with Atieno, they decided to call her 'Salima.'

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The months that followed were awakening for Atieno. Like many first time parents, she was incredibly naïve.