Dark Price of Paradise

What Had To Be Done

Lola Halali stood over Jill Lagas. "Push." She told the woman as she lay on the kitchen table. "Push, sweetheart."

Lola saw the head of the baby emerge. Jill's Mother and older sister were both there comforting her. As she pushed out her baby. All of them gasped. Jill's Mother shook her head. They had heard of this kind of baby being borned. The last one had been born four years ago. Jill, her Mother and Sister all began to cry.

Lola shook her head. She couldn't be caught up in this emotion. The baby was alive. Jill's husband, Paul Lagas was outside. In these one room farms, it was the only way for a woman to give birth to a child in the traditional Waka way. Alone with female relatives and a midwife like Lola.

Jill's still living baby was wrapped in a blanket and handed to her. Despite the birth defect, it was alive. Jill needed to hold the child, to give it love. Worse, it was a boy. Paul had wanted a boy. Not this way. Not one who would eventually die. Or if it didn't die, would be a burden to them instead of a eventual farmer like Paul. With the new ways, that was the least that would be expected of him. He could have been much more.

Lola left the relatives to share their sorrow. "I'm so sorry. If the child doesn't pass in the next few days, take it to Doctor Bao, so you will know what needs to be done."

Jill held the baby and cried. Her Sister held Jill. Their Mother looked over at Lola. Her eyes were full of tears. She nodded. They all knew what would need to be done if the child didn't pass. In the meantime they would care for it as any child. Love it for the short time. In a few days, if it still lived they would take it to Doctor Bao to determine what to do.

Lola packed away her equipment. Normally she would have stayed a little longer, to celebrate with the happy family. This was not a happy time. Lola stepped outside with her midwife bag in her hand. She walked over to Paul who had been outside. Alone. It was custom for the man to be alone as the Mother gave birth.

"Paul, I will stop by the big Lagas farm and tell your Father to come here. You need your own family around." Lola said. She put her finger on Paul's lips. "The baby's got the curse."

"Ain't been a curse baby for near four years." Paul was shocked.

"I know, but we all know that some of us were exposed to bad radiation for a little while." Lola shook her head. It had been accidental exposure during a secret ritual the islanders had in a cave. Not knowing it was filled with radiation.

Lola laid a hand on Paul's shoulder. "Be kind, luv. Don't blame Jill for it. It's just the way of things. I've got to go. I'll tell your da, at the big farm."

Lola left Paul who was trying to keep a firm upper lip. She got on her bike. Riding down the street for a while. Far enough away so no one would see or hear her. Lola let it all out then. Folding her arms on the handlebars of her bicycle she laid down her head and bawled. The poor tyke would be dead. The family horrified and saddened by the event.

Once Lola had cried herself out, she continued to ride her bike to the big farm. It was dark, still early in the night, but a sliver of moon. Starlight was bright out here, but not that bright. Paul's Father wouldn't know that before Lola informed him of the tragedy, Lola had cried her eyes out.

Doctor Bao called Teuila the next morning after Paul and Jill had brought the child to the clinic. Li had hoped that the child might pass while in his care. He didn't often hope someone would die under his ministrations, no true doctor wanted their patient to die. Nor did a doctor want anyone to have to make a determination as to the fate of this type of child.