by Emma Easter
Audrey smiled. Zainah was right. More tents had been set up by the women. She looked back and saw Leila and Malik go into a tent. Sienna and Bryan entered another, and Trisha and Frank, yet another one. Audrey said to Ken, “Well, I guess that one is ours.”
They went into the last tent and Audrey immediately sat on the large rug that had been laid there. “Oh... what a day!” she exclaimed. “I enjoyed the wedding, but I am so ready to crash.” She stood up again and turned her back to Ken. He unzipped her dress and she stepped out of it. She slipped into her night dress and lay down on the intricately woven sleeping rug. Ken lay beside her. She was thankful for the multiple pillows that had been placed on the rug. Even though it was softer than an ordinary rug, she was not used to sleeping on anything but a soft bed. Ken drew her close and before long, she fell asleep.
Her eyes flew open as her stomach turned. She quickly got up and ran out to the back of the tent. There, she threw up everything she had eaten at the wedding. Wiping her mouth, she shut her eyes, and leaned on the tent pole, feeling nauseated.
Ken came outside. “Are you okay, Audrey?” he asked. “You threw up again.”
“Yes, and I feel nauseated.” Audrey covered up what she had thrown up with sand and then took a deep breath and tried to steady herself.
Ken put his hand on her forehead, frowning with worry. “Maybe we can find a way to get to a clinic near here.”
“No, I’m feeling better now,” Audrey said. She took another deep breath and smiled to reassure Ken she was much better.
“Are you sure, Audrey?”
“Yes,” she said. “Besides, how are we going to get to a clinic?”
They made their way back to the tent. Just before they entered, Bisma, the midwife Zainah had introduced her to yesterday, walked by and turned to Audrey. “How far along are you, anyway?” she asked in fluent English.
Audrey frowned. “What do you mean?”
The midwife looked taken aback. “You don’t know that you’re pregnant?”
Audrey stared at her. “What in the world are you talking about?”
The midwife came closer, put her hand on Audrey’s belly, and patted it lightly. She looked up at Audrey and said, “You are pregnant. You did not know?”
Audrey’s jaw dropped and her heart began to beat fast. She said, “No, I did not know. Are you sure I am pregnant?”
“I have been a midwife for a long time. I know when a woman is pregnant. I guess it makes sense you don’t yet.” The woman touched Audrey’s belly again. “You’ve been here for some time, but it seems as though you are about two months’ pregnant. Have you been feeling tired or sick? Are your breasts tender? Have you bled?”
Audrey stared at the woman in disbelief. Was she really pregnant? Suddenly, a wave of excitement crashed over her… and then she shook her head and told herself not to get too excited. She could not afford to get overly excited like the last time she thought she was pregnant, only to have her hopes severely crushed. She would not allow that to happen again.
Ken said to the woman, “You’re sure she’s pregnant?”
“I am,” the woman answered. “However, if you want to be a hundred percent sure, you can go to the clinic in Blima. There’s a small clinic there where you can check to see if you are truly expecting a baby.”
“But how are we supposed to get to the clinic?” Ken asked.
The midwife said, “The trader who came yesterday, he is still here. He waited for the wedding ceremony, but he will be leaving this morning. I think he’s still around, but he was loading his truck with rugs in front of Miriam’s tent when I passed by...”
Without waiting for the woman to finish her sentence, Ken took Audrey’s hand and they ran in the direction of Miriam’s tent while Audrey prayed that the trader was still there.
The man was getting into the truck when Audrey and Ken rounded the tent. They called to him, but he did not hear. The truck began to move and Ken and Audrey ran faster, shouting for the man to stop. Some women who were coming in their direction waved their hands to stop the driver. The truck came to a halt, and Audrey breathed a huge sigh of relief.
They ran up to the truck panting, and Ken said to the trader, “Is there any way you can take us to the nearest town?” He turned to Audrey. “Blima… that’s what the woman called it.”
“Yes. We need to go to the clinic there.”
The man looked at them and said, “Okay, get in.”
“Thank God,” Audrey said as she got into the back of the truck beside Ken.
The drive to Blima took a long time, and Audrey was surprised at how far away the town was. Throughout the journey, she talked to Ken about the possibility of them being pregnant. She kept smiling while telling herself not to get too excited. If she was not really pregnant, she would be devastated.
“I hope we are,” Ken said. “But I’m afraid to believe too much so that my hopes are not dashed.”
Audrey bit her lip. She just wanted them to get to the clinic so she could find out if she was or not.
Finally, about three hours later, they drove into the small town and the trader graciously took them to the clinic. They thanked him, but Audrey didn’t know how they would find their way back to the women’s camp. Cautiously, Audrey said to the man as she and Ken got out of the truck, “Can we ask you for a favor?” she asked.
The man smiled. “I already know what it is you want to ask me. You were one of the couples who renewed their vows yesterday, weren’t you?”
They both nodded.
“You are such a beautiful couple,” the man said. “Don’t worry. I will wait here and then take you both back to the camp. I might have to spend another night there, though.”
“You would do that for us?” asked Audrey.
The man nodded.
“Thank you so much,”
Ken thanked the man profusely and then walked into the tiny clinic hand-in-hand with Audrey.
The clinic was old, but it was very clean and looked functional enough. They entered the reception area and the receptionist, a young woman with braids, told them in broken English to sit down at a bench in the corner of the clinic.
Audrey grasped Ken’s hand and took deep breaths. “I’m so nervous,” she said to Ken.
“I am too,” Ken told her.
The reception area was empty except for them. Audrey glanced at the clock on the wall. The time was almost one in the afternoon. Nurses passed by them, and Audrey tapped her foot impatiently. Finally, the receptionist told them to go into the office on their left.
They both stood up and entered the office, Audrey’s heart drumming. The office was small, and a young, clean-shaven doctor looked up from his files and smiled at them. He told them to sit down and asked why they were here.
They told him about their suspicions that Audrey might be pregnant and he told them they would run a simple blood test now to determine if she was. After drawing some blood from her, he nodded and told Audrey and Ken that the test would take some time to be ready. They could wait at the reception area or go home and come back again.
“No, we will wait,” Audrey and Ken said in unison.
“Okay,” the doctor said.
Audrey and Ken left the office again and once more sat in the reception area. They both held hands while Audrey nervously waited for the test results to be ready. “Lord, please let me be pregnant,” Audrey whispered over and over again. If she wasn’t, she didn’t know what she would do.
An hour passed, and then another, and Audrey began to worry that the trader would leave. “What is delaying the results?” she asked angrily. “They’re supposed to be ready by now.” She frowned. “That trader will probably be gone by now. If he is, how are we going to get back to the camp?”
Ken put his hand on her shoulder and said, “Let me go and check. If he’s still there, I will beg him to be patient with us.”
Audrey wanted to tell Ken that she needed him to stay with her, but they would be stranded here
if that trader left. Ken had to go.
After Ken left, Audrey looked over at the receptionist. She wanted to scream and ask why the test results weren’t ready, but she restrained herself.
Finally, a nurse came to her, “The doctor is ready to see you now.”
Audrey’s heart raced and she stood up. “Oh Lord. Where is Ken?” she strained her neck to look out the door. “Please bring him now.”
The nurse stared curiously at her, and Audrey said, “Please, just hold on a minute. My husband will soon be here.”
Ken, where are you? She groaned and then sighed in relief when Ken entered the reception area. He walked toward her, smiling.
“He is still waiting,” Ken said to her. “He was coming back from wherever he’d gone to eat when I walked out. He thought we were ready to go, but I begged him to give us just another half-hour.”
“Thank God,” Audrey said. “The doctor is ready to see us now, Ken.”
They both went into the doctor’s office together and sat in front of the man. Audrey grabbed Ken’s hand again and squeezed it. She looked up at the doctor, eager to hear what he was going to say, but at the same time, full of fear. When he smiled brightly, she shut her eyes and relief unlike anything she had ever known overwhelmed her.
She opened her eyes again and the doctor said, “You are pregnant.”
Audrey turned to Ken and hugged him tightly, joy flooding her heart.
Ken squeezed her and kissed her hair. He whispered in her ear, “We are truly pregnant, Audrey!” His voice was choked with emotion and tears stung Audrey’s eyes.
The doctor told them they were about two and a half months pregnant and then told Audrey she had to start prenatal classes immediately. He wrote out the prescription for prenatal vitamins for her, congratulated her and Ken, and sent them on their way.
Audrey felt like skipping as she and Ken walked out of the clinic to the waiting truck. “I cannot wait to tell my sisters,” she said happily. She suddenly couldn’t contain her joy and screamed. “Ken, can you believe it? We are finally pregnant!”
Ken hugged her again and they walked to the truck and got in. They thanked the trader for waiting for them, and then held each other tightly as the man started the truck.
Audrey rested her head on Ken’s shoulder as he put his hand around her waist. She sighed in contentment. In less than a week’s time, they would go back to the United States, and then they would share their news with Esther. She would be overjoyed because she had been asking for a sibling for some time now.
Audrey sighed happily. She couldn’t wait to start a new life with a new addition to their family. God had already blessed them with so much, now He had blessed them once more with what they had been praying over for such a long time. If there was anything like a perfect life, she had it, and she was extremely grateful.
Chapter Twenty-One
Trisha opened her front door and reached out to hug Lauren. “Come in, Lauren,” she said, smiling.
Lauren came into Trisha’s living room and sat on the sofa.
Trisha sat next to her and said excitedly, “So tell me, Lauren. How did your date with Mark go?”
Lauren shrugged. “It went okay. He’s a really nice guy.”
Trisha nodded. “Okay, I know he’s a nice guy. I set you up, remember? I want to know the actual details of the date. What exactly happened? Where did you go?”
Lauren sighed and said, “About that, Trisha. When Mark and I went to dinner after we left the cinema, we went to your husband’s restaurant, and guess who I saw there?”
Trisha shut her eyes and then opened them again. “I’m so sorry, Lauren. I forgot to tell you that Nick came here to handle the day-to-day running of the restaurant while Frank and I travelled.”
Lauren looked away and shrugged. “I just wish you had given me a heads up that Nick was in town. We would not have gone to your husband’s restaurant if I had known.”
“But I thought you had gotten over him, Lauren. It’s been, what? Over two years since you last saw him?”
“I have gotten over him, Trisha,” Lauren said. “It’s just that when I saw him again, it brought back a lot of the feelings I had for him. But anyway, I have truly gotten over him. About Mark. I like him, but...”
“But you don’t think he’s your type, because he’s a nice guy.”
“It’s not that.” Lauren sighed.
Trisha chuckled. “I know you, Lauren. You still like bad boys.” Trisha shook her head. “Stop looking at me like that. Nick has already left Rosefield, and, no, he hasn’t changed.”
Lauren sighed. “I guess I will continue to remain single, but that is a good thing. I’m learning to love being on my own.”
Trisha said, “I know, Lauren. Two years ago, you were obsessed with being in a relationship. Now I think you are a much happier person. I like this new Lauren.”
“I just got closer to the Lord and found out that I am enough with Him. He’s all I need. If He brings someone special into my life, that’s fine. But if He doesn’t, then that’s also great.” She grinned. “Trisha, that doesn’t mean you should stop setting me up. If you find someone you think I will get along with, then don’t hesitate to let me know.”
“That was why I set you up with Mark, wasn’t it?”
“I know,” Lauren said. “But I just wasn’t feeling it with him.”
“Fair enough,” Trisha put a hand on Lauren’s shoulder. “You don’t have to settle if that isn’t what you want.”
Lauren beamed and said, “And for your information, I don’t really care if Nick has changed or not, or if he has left Rosefield…”
Trisha laughed. “Sure you don’t.”
Lauren laughed along with her and then changed the topic. She asked how the trip was and Trisha told her how much fun they’d all had and how fascinated she had been with the place. “I want to go back there soon,” she said.
“You said it’s just a vast desert and tents?”
“Yes, and a lot happened while we were there.” Trisha told her about the men’s camp and how the women discovered there were men staying near them, and the love connections that were made, and about the weddings and their vow renewals.
Lauren giggled. “Maybe I should go to that desert and find me a man,” she said. “Imagine those women who had no hope of ever getting married suddenly having a full camp of Christian men move close to them. Life is just not fair.”
Trisha laughed. “You have men everywhere in Rosefield, Lauren. You’re just looking for a particular type of man.”
“Well, like I said, Jesus is the only man in my life now, and He’s enough.” She searched Trisha’s eyes and asked, “How about Faizan? How is he doing?”
Trisha gave her a small smile. “He’s doing very well. He’s very happy and his wife gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on the very day we arrived.”
“What?” Lauren said. “She gave birth right on the day you got there?”
“Yes, she did. It was glorious!”
For a short moment, Lauren had a faraway look on her face, and then she gave Trisha a big smile. “One day, the Lord will give me my own family, too. But if he doesn’t, at least I’ll still be an aunt to Ruby and Molly. I hope you don’t mind if I share them with you. When we’re old and grey, I’ll still come and visit and play with their children.”
Trisha laughed. “I don’t mind… but that is only because I think by then you will have yours.”
Lauren’s face lit up. “From your lips to God’s ears, Trisha,” she said smiling.
*****
Sienna looked back for the final time at the house they had lived in for years in Lima. Ethan had been born and had grown up here. She would miss this place terribly. Most of all, she would miss the children and staff at the orphanage. Still, she couldn’t wait to finally get back to Rosefield; back to the town she had grown up in, and, most importantly, back to her sisters.
Her dream was that Ethan and the baby that was in her belly now
would grow up with their cousins and aunts. Now that would finally come true. She was giddy with excitement, but somewhat somber at the same time.
Bryan came to stand beside her with Ethan in his arms. He said, “Are you ready to go, Sienna?” He gave her a big smile.
She nodded. “Yes, I am.”
Bryan locked the door and walked toward the taxi that would take them to the airport. Sienna pulled her suitcase behind her and stopped beside the taxi. After the driver had gotten their things into the trunk of the cab, she got into the backseat. Bryan buckled Ethan into his car seat and got in beside him.
They got to the airport about twenty minutes later to check in for their flight. After that, they went through security and settled down at the departure lounge. Ethan began to fuss, and Sienna handed him his favorite toy. She sighed in relief when he stopped fussing, and then placed her hand on her belly as she felt her baby kick.
Bryan turned to her and said, “Are you okay, sweetie?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “I felt the baby kick again.”
Bryan grinned and bent his head to kiss her belly. He said to her, “Maybe he or she will be a dancer. I won’t be surprised since she was conceived on the night we did all that dancing at the women’s camp in Africa.”
Sienna smiled, remembering that night clearly. They’d had a beautiful ceremony where they’d renewed their vows and then had fun at the reception. She grinned at Bryan. “We had way too much fun that night, and now, here we are, with another child on the way.”
Bryan looked down at Ethan and ruffled his hair. He said to their son, “Soon, you will be a big brother.”
Ethan said, “I am big and strong!”
Sienna laughed. “Yes, you are, and you will need all that strength to take care of your brother or sister.” They had refused to find out the gender of their baby, as they wanted to be surprised.
Ethan gave her a sweet smile and then focused on his toy train again.
An announcement came over the speaker saying that their flight would be delayed. People around them grumbled, and Sienna turned to Bryan and smiled. “Well, at least we will get to spend a bit more time in Peru before we finally leave for the United States. I will miss this country, though. I think I would like to come back and visit in the future.”