Blessed Twice

It was a warm evening that day as I watched the sheep graze. The same old routine every day, nothing really special. My thoughts turned to my wife, Hinawa. We were expecting our first child together.

The door went as she walked out of the house, our pup Boney following shortly behind her. She was heavily pregnant now, not long to go. I turned to her as she sat down on the steps and started to embroider another blanket for the coming child. Returning to the sheep, I got ready to herd them back in for the day.

**

The night she told me, we had just finished off dinner. I was about to go back out one last time to check the sheep when…

“Flint…” I stopped at the door. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

“Sure. What is it?” I returned to sit at the table.

She grasped my hand as she sighed, building up the courage to speak.

“I just found out today… Flint… I’m going to have a baby…”

Had I just heard what she said? We were going to have a child at last after many years?

“Hinawa! I- Can’t believe it! Our first-born!”

She smiled as she let out her airy, melodic laugh.

“I guess Alec will be pleased to know that he’s going to be a grandpa! Or not”, chuckling.

“Hinawa,” reaching round and hugging her, “This is great news! Just think, a little son or daughter; It’s what we’ve hoped for a while now.”

“Aren’t you even a little bit nervous?”

“Nah, I can’t wait.” kissing her.

**

She looked up at me from her sewing as the sheep were herded back in. I could probably guess it was sunflowers, her favourite, once again. Boney sat at her side, watching the flock disperse back into the pen, wagging his tail in delight. I smiled at Hinawa as she quickly got back to work on the embroidery.

Just then, she let out a small “ouch”, followed by shallow breaths.

“Hinawa?” I rushed over to her, “Hinawa? Are you…?”

“Flint…” she gasped “I think the baby’s coming…”

“Are… are you sure?”

“Just get Tessie! Quick!” as she grasped her stomach and stood up, letting out small cries of pain.

I rushed into town, to the Yado Inn where Tessie worked; she had some knowledge of delivering babies. Hopefully she would be there.

**

“Okay, just a few more seconds… And… stop.”

Hinawa had been at this for nearly most of the night now. She breathed into my chest, sweat dripping from her brow. It seemed the pain was too much for her to bear.

“Oh Flint… I…”

“It’s all right” stroking her head “I don’t think it’s that long now. It’ll all be over soon”

“Ready Hinawa?” Tessie called “Now push!”

She closed her eyes, and pushed harder, nearly crushing the bones of my hand

“Come on now! It’s nearly there!”

She pushed until we heard a faint crying noise. Our child was here.

“Congratulations! You have a healthy baby boy.”

Tessie swaddled the boy in the unfinished blanket Hinawa had made earlier, and handed him over to us at once.

I looked down at the baby in my wife’s arms. He had hair just like his mother’s, brown, but with a slight orange hue to it.

He stopped crying and opened up his eyes to us.

“Hello,” Hinawa whispered in between sobs. “My… Our son…”

“Hinawa…” Tessie called

“Huh?”

“I don’t think it’s over yet”

“What? I-”

She let out another scream of pain

“Hinawa! What’s happening to her?”

“I think- Well… I think… That wasn’t the only one”

“What?”

“She’s having another baby!”

We had been blessed twice?

S’pose I should have seen that coming. Hinawa had been worried about it recently, especially on one wet morning…

**

I had gotten up early that day to check on the flock. As I got back into the house, I saw Hinawa still asleep, Boney curled at her feet. Usually, she’d be awake by now, preparing for the new baby.

“I guess she had trouble sleeping again last night” as I removed my coat and looked around the room.

“S’pose I could… Make her some breakfast…”

I heard her stir as she turned to face me.

“Flint?” yawning, “What time is it? Have I overslept again?”

“No… Did you sleep much last night? Only I thought-”

“I’m fine.” She got out of bed and headed over to the kitchen table, her hand pressed to her now large stomach.

“Flint, there’s something… off about this pregnancy. My womb, it’s much more… bigger than I think it’s supposed to be.”

I looked up, bewildered at what she had said.

“Um, Hinawa… I don’t what you’re saying but… I don’t think it’s…”

“It’s just… When Fuel’s mother was pregnant, she wasn’t nearly as big as I was; and didn’t complain of exhaustion as much I did.”

“Hmm… Now you think of it…”

“What if there’s something… wrong with the baby? Maybe I’m just overly worried, but…”

I put my hand on her shoulder. “I’m sure everything’s all right. Go and see Tessie today, and tell her you’re concerned about some… aspects of this pregnancy, okay?”, kissing the top of her head.

**

Little did I know the importance of what she had said then.

The first baby had been put into his cradle as Hinawa prepared herself for the next one.

“Okay, this one should be easier. Ready? Now push!”

She squeezed my hand again (by this point, it’s safe to say it lost all feeling), letting out a loud cry.

“It’s nearly there! Keep going!”

Taking a breath, she continued until we heard the sound of baby’s cry once again.

“It’s another boy!” Tessie smiled.

Once again, she swaddled up the baby and placed him gently into Hinawa’s waiting arms, then handed his older brother to me. His hair was blond, I guess from his grandpa.

Even in his mother’s embrace, he hadn’t stopped crying.

“He’s… a lot more vocal than his brother, don’t you think?” I joked

“Shh… Hush now… Mother’s here…”

“That’s it, I think that’s all you’re having” Tessie called over.

Twin sons. We had indeed been blessed twice.

**

Our boys had been tucked into their new beds, fast asleep. One of the villagers had kindly lent us another cradle to accommodate our surprise child.

“Just look at them… To think… we would be blessed with two children at once…” she sighed as we watched our sons. “I bet they’ll accomplish things together they wouldn’t alone…”

“I’m sure they’ll argue a lot too, and I can see them helping each other out when they need it.”

“Claus,” she touched the side of the elder one’s cheek, and turned to the younger, “and Lucas…”

“I bet we’ll mix them up a lot until they get bigger…”

“Claus and Lucas huh?” I turned to Hinawa. “How do you want them to grow up to be?”

“To be kind,” she looked at me, “just like you.”

“Oh. I was just about to say… to be kind… just like you.”

“Great. Then it’s decided…”

We turned back to our sons.

“Claus,”

“Lucas,”

“Make us proud…”