The Calling

Stillness

Rumbling storm clouds rose from the horizon, gradually blocking out the night sky one star at a time. Louder than the clouds however, was Kholu as she laid on a mattress with her flustered husband, kneeling beside her with a wet towel to wipe the sweat off her forehead.

“Just hang in there baby, the old man is bringing the car around.” said Tefo with a slight quiver in his voice.  Perhaps she had taken him far too literally as she began to tighten her grip on his hand. He instantly used his free hand to cover his mouth lest any squeals of pain escape. The last thing he wanted was to alarm her. The interval between her contractions grew evermore narrow with each passing minute and the journey to the hospital was not a short one. Tefo breathed a sigh of relief as he heard the hoarse growling of the old man’s bakkie outside the door of their one roomed home. Within seconds of parking his vehicle, the old man rushed inside to help Tefo carry his wife to the car. They put a few blankets down in the cargo bed before lifting her in to lay on them. The cramped front seat of his two door bakkie was not spacious enough to ensure her comfort. Tefo sat in the back with her, riddled with panic as he tried his best to keep her calm.

The dark clouds continued to rumble behind them, almost in pursuit. With them came howling winds and blinding flashes of lightening. But even with all its might, the storm could not capture the attention of the father to be. Even the icy wind blasting his face seemed not to faze him. All he wanted was to keep Kholu as comfortable as he possibly could, fixing up her blankets and fluffing the pillow that supported her every now and then. Alas, all his efforts seemed in vain as her cries grew louder while they slowly drew closer to their destination on the empty dirt roads. As her screams grew louder, so too did the thunder. It was almost harmonious how the two sounds rose in tandem.

Suddenly her cries went silent, “It’s too late baby, we won’t make it in time. The baby is coming now.” cried the mother to be. Tefo looked down at her, not quite certain what to do with the information. “Tefo, I said now!” she yelled.
This time he sprung to action, leaping to his feet before tapping the roof of the car. The Old man pulled over and stepped out to check on them. He found Tefo pacing beside the bakkie, repeating the same words in a seemingly never ending loop of anxiety, “The baby’s coming, the baby’s coming.”
The old man stood dumbfounded for a while, he too did not know what to do next. Kholu began to cry out in agony once more. The howling winds blew everything around her, picking up dust and swirling it around the bakkie before dying down and causing the dust to fall. For the first time that night, the weather had managed to catch Tefo’s attention. He looked up and realized that not a single star could be seen. The only light they saw was from the all too frequent flashes of lightning. This hastened the two men into action as they both hopped into the cargo bed.

“We need to get this baby delivered before this storm hits.” The old man proclaimed. Citing his experience with delivering calves, the old man proved to be the most qualified among them to handle the delivery. Tefo could only watch as his wife cried louder than he had ever seen. He gave her his hand and though she seemed intent on breaking ever bone in it, he still looked at her with a smile, all in a bid to keep her calm.
From the corner of his eye, Tefo spotted a pair of headlights coming their way. It was the first vehicle they had seen that night beside their own. He couldn’t dwell on it for too long, the baby was almost out. With each agonizing push, the baby’s grand entrance drew closer. As the baby boy finally made his way into the world, the mystery vehicle came to a stop right in the middle of the road. Once again, Tefo and Kholu found themselves unable to pay it any attention.

The old man had a solemn expression in his eyes as he looked down at the baby in his arms. The gleeful grins on the new parents’ faces gradually dissipated as confusion set in. One more flash of lightening, then the first drop of rain. Within seconds, all were drenched from head to toe. Even through the rain, the old man could not conceal his tears.
“What’s the matter, what’s wrong with my baby?” yelled Kholu. The old man did not reply.