by D. J. Holmes
* * *
With each new week, Snow Flower is showing more and more as the baby within her continues to grow.
Blue Cloud bends down to talk to Snow Flower’s belly, “Hello, this is your father, I love you.”
Snow Flower smiles, “Maybe the baby would like to hear you play your guitar.”
“Ok. Why don’t you lie down and rest while I play?”
“That sounds really nice, Blue Cloud. My back is starting to hurt.”
Blue Cloud plays his guitar.
“Look, Blue Cloud.” Small feet and hands can be seen pushing out the sides of her belly. “It’s dancing to your music.” A great amount of laughing can be heard coming from their tipi, as they continue to watch the tiny feet and hands making their impressions with the beat of the music.
Two months later, early in the morning, Snow Flower is awakened from a deep sleep by a strange, very strong, tightening pain in her abdominal area.
“Ohhhhh,” Snow Flower moans in pain.
Her moaning wakes Blue Cloud up, “Snow Flower, what is wrong?”
“I think that it’s time.”
“…The baby?” Blue Cloud’s voice raised as his eyes widened. Had the time truly come? He had been so anxious to have their first child. He was wondering at this point if he was really ready to become a father.
“There is so much to teach a child as it grows. Will I be able to teach my child well enough so that the child can take care of itself? Will it be a boy, or a girl? Will it be healthy? And will my wife be alright?” There were so many questions swimming around in his head when Snow Flower, in a great deal of pain, says, “Blue Cloud. Please go and get Mother Red Rose.”
Blue Cloud throws back the buffalo hide, which covered them both, and walks toward the tipi door.
“Blue Cloud, I think that you should at least wear your loin cloth, don’t you?” Snow Flower utters with a questioning smile.
He looks down and feels the cold on his bare skin. He quickly grabs his loin cloth and runs to Mother Red Rose’s tipi. Within a few minutes, Mother Red Rose is by Snow Flower’s side.
“Don’t fight the pain, Snow Flower. Let your body do its job,” Mother Red Rose suggests. “As soon as you feel your stomach tightening, concentrate on relaxing. Go inside to your inner strength. Tune out all the other sounds. Do not talk. Just close your eyes. Breathe slowly, and concentrate on completely relaxing.”
“Blue Cloud, put Snow Flower’s head on your lap and remind her to breathe slowly and concentrate on relaxing, because she will forget to breathe as the pains progressively get harder and faster.”
She continues talking to Snow Flower. “If you fight the contractions, the birth will be harder on you and on your baby. It will take a lot longer to give birth.”
Hours later, as the contractions continue to increase, Blue Cloud’s back is beginning to hurt from sitting for so long. But, he begins to think to himself, “What must Snow Flower be feeling after these many hours?” He was in no pain well, except for a rock that he had been sitting on. But his wife was in true pain, a pain that she had no control over that seemed to be getting worse. He was beginning to gain a new respect for his wife. Particularly because her sweet nature continued, no matter how hard the pains became. Finally, Snow Flower began making a deep moaning sound, as she tried to relax with each contraction.
“Mother Red Rose, why is she making that sound?” Blue Cloud said in a very concerned tone.
Mother Red Rose responded, “The moaning lets us know that the baby will soon be born.” Within minutes the baby’s head is crowning and the whole body soon follows.
“Why isn’t he crying, Mother Red Rose?” Blue Cloud asks.
Mother Red Rose quickly turns the baby over on it’s side. She cleans out his mouth with her finger, squeezes his nose, and pats his back, hoping to get the rest of the mucus out. She then ties a string around the cord in two places and cuts in between them. The baby begins to cry.
“It’s a boy, Blue Cloud, a beautiful, healthy boy. Listen to his cry. He’s got a healthy set of lungs.” Mother Red Rose announces, “Here is your son, Blue Cloud,” as she wraps the baby tightly in a warm, clean, small blanket, and hands him to his father.
“Look, Snow Flower, our son,” and he places the baby in Snow Flower’s arms.
“…My sweet, little son. May you always know that whatever happens, your mother will always love you.” Kissing her son, she hands him back to her husband.
“May I take him out to show everyone who has gathered outside our tipi door?” Blue Cloud says, excited to show off his new son.
“Yes, my husband. Show off our son,” Snow Flower said relieved to have everything over with.
Blue Cloud proudly shows off his son. “He will be called, Running Deer,” he announces to everyone outside their tipi, as he holds up his son so that everyone can see him.
As Blue Cloud is basking in the sun, at the birth of his first son, Snow Flower is starting to feel more contractions.
“Mother Red Rose there is still life within me. I am beginning to feel more contractions.”
“Are you sure? It may just be the after birth,” comments Mother Red Rose unconcerned.
Snow Flower begins to give a low moan. Then she relaxes and takes a breath. “Mother Red Rose, it is the same as before,” Snow Flower announces between contractions.
Mother Red Rose feels Snow Flower’s stomach as another contraction comes and goes. Suddenly she feels a kick. “Blue Cloud, come here quickly,” Mother Red Rose yells very concerned.
Blue Cloud hands his son to Mother Willow and Chief Joseph. He enters the tipi as Mother Red Rose asks him to take his position once again, and help Snow Flower to relax.
“What is going on, Mother Red Rose?” a confused Blue Cloud asks.
“You are having another baby.”
“What?” Blue Cloud’s head is trying to make sense, another baby? No one in the whole village has had two babies at the same time.
Suddenly, Snow Flower requests, “Would both of you please be quiet? Another contraction is coming. I need to concentrate so that I can relax.”
Snow Flower begins to moan again and a head appears. With the next contraction, the body slides out.
“It’s another boy. You have two sons, my children,” Mother Red Rose announces with a great smile. She begins to wrap the second boy, in a blanket, when all of a sudden, there is fluid, being sprayed everywhere. “Well, we know that that works,” Mother Red Rose says with a smile. Snow Flower and Blue Cloud are also laughing as Mother Red Rose hands the second son to Blue Cloud.
“Snow Flower, I am the happiest man in the world. How are you feeling? Do you feel any more life within your body?”
“I think that this time I am finished, Husband,” she announces with relief and gratitude. Blue Cloud, placed their second son in Snow Flower’s arms. She says, “Know also, my Son that your mother will always love you no matter what happens.” She kisses her son, and hands him to her husband.
“Would you mind, my Wife, if I took our second son out to show our family?”
“I would be proud to have you show everyone our second son. But, before you do, have you noticed that both of our sons have a mark of the star on their heart, just as you do my husband?”
“Yes, I noticed. They will be protected in the day by the Sun, and during the night, the mark of the star on their hearts will show them the way.”
Blue Cloud proudly walks to the tipi door and shows off his second son. “His name will be, Gray Wolf.”
Chief Joseph stands and announces, “To all of you gathered here today, know that Running Deer and Gray Wolf are my first grandsons from my second son, Blue Cloud. We are to all help Blue Cloud and Snow Flower protect them, and teach them the ways of our tribe.”
* * *
“I didn’t know that Evan had any children. I wonder where they are.” Julia questions.
“I’m sure that is something that the monitor will show us,” Jon remar
ks.
“Look, his sons are walking now. It must be at least a year, to a year and a half later.”