Chapter 5 Winston and Sakura

Sakura

It was raining like a tropical storm outside. Lightning sizzled, loud thunder roared and the torrents of rain hitting the roof of the house was so loud, I couldn't hear the television. I wiped my hands on my apron and switched the channel to the news and waited for the weather forecaster to go on. Strange. She didn't mention anything about the rain tonight. Lightning flickered again like a light of a camera and thunder followed it, making the whole house vibrate. A moment ago, the full moon was shining, glistening so beautifully. Then, all of sudden, dark clouds appeared, covering the moon and releasing an angry burst of rain. Oh, well, the weather was always unpredictable.

I was washing the dishes while Winston, my husband, went around the house making sure the windows were all shut tight. The wind was howling outside. He didn't want the rain water to stain our hardwood floors.

Winston and I have been married for quite some time. I'm a first generation Japanese-Filipino while my husband is Bristish. We met in California when Winston became an exchange student at the University I was attending. After we met, we became inseparable and after we graduated, we decided to get married and start a family of our own.

Winston grew up in the rural areas of Anglia and wanted a quiet place to live where we could enjoy skiing, nature hikes, and sightseeing when we felt like it. As for me, I enjoyed the noise, traffic, hustle and pollution of the city. So, we decided to meet in the middle. We decided to move to Whitefish, Montana.

My mother, being Filipino, didn't like the idea of me moving to another state. She had no problem if I moved an hour away just as long as it was still inside the boundary of the great state of California. She understood a married couple's cleaving and leaving, she just couldn't understand why we had to move over a thousand miles away to a state where I didn't have any friends. When we said our goodbyes, I gave her a hug and told her that was the beauty of moving, you get the opportunity to meet new people and hopefully make new friends. She told me I would be back in six months or maybe a year, since I was still basking in wedded bliss. Well, that was five years ago, and up to this day, my mom still thinks I will be coming home even if I have proven her wrong.

Five years of just the two of us...I threw the dish towel on the countertop. JUST THE TWO OF US! I looked down at my flat stomach and leaned on the countertop, trying to shake off the feelings of emptiness. The only thing missing was a baby. My mother had given birth to four of us, my sister has three of her own. My brothers had one each. I was the only one left who didn't have kids. My family thought we were waiting for the right time before we decide to become pregnant. I just didn't have the heart to tell them I couldn't have kids.

Winston and I have repeatedly tried to conceive but it never happened. We did everything everyone suggested. Keep your legs up for five minutes after sex, stop drinking, take your basal body temperature so you know when you're fertile, eat more seafood, take your vitamins... But nothing. NOTHING!

My bestfriend told me the easiest way to conceive was to see a doctor. So one day, I decided to get a fertility check-up by the local doctor. After the results of the series of tests came out, the doctor called me to come see her. I sat in the middle of her office like I was being shot at repeatedly. First bullet..."Mrs. Wright, you are diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS." Second bullet..."I can put you on fertility medication for the meantime so we can induce ovulation and see if you can conceive." Third bullet... "If all fails, we can try IVF." I tried fertility medication for a year. It didn't work. I discussed the IVF procedure to Winston and he told me, "If it is God's will, He'll give us a baby. For now, Sakura, let's just be happy and content with what we have."

Aaaahhhh! I wanted to scream my frustration. So many women out there getting pregnant without even trying, leaving their babies or either having them aborted and here I am willing to offer my life to another human being, but will never be given the opportunity of the gift of life. This was one of life's little ironies and I didn't like it, not one bit.

I sighed looking out the window. I saw a pair of car lights from the distance. Seemed the car was parked out in front of our yard. The lights of the car suddenly turned off.

"Winston," I called. "Honey, there's a car parked in front of our yard."

"You sure?" Winston asked, peering through the window. "I can't see a damn thing outside. It's so dark."

"Yes. I just saw the lights turn off. Maybe it's the neighbors. They might need some help."

Winston went to the closet and took out his rifle. "I'll go check it out. I hear the dogs barking. If that were Chris, they wouldn't be growling like that. Heard over the news, there's been a number of break-ins in our area. Better safe than sorry." Winston checked the barrel of the gun to make sure it was loaded and headed to the front door to see who was parked in front of our house.

I heard him open the door and then he yelled, "Hey you!"

All of a sudden, I heard the car screech away without even turning the headlights on. I frantically wiped my hands and headed to the door when Winston called me. "Sakura come here quick. It's a baby." A baby?

With a look of confusion, I peeked from behind him and saw a baby carrier and a baby bag on our doorstep.

I walked up to the carrier and found a beautiful baby lying in it. I picked up the carrier and brought the baby inside away from the rain. I gently placed the carrier on our dining table and unwrapped the blanket to check the baby's gender. The baby was a girl! A beautiful baby girl!

She had golden blonde hair and sunkissed skin. Her cheeks were pink and she had a beautiful necklace with a moon shaped pendant on her. She started to stir from her sleep so, I gently picked her up and started rocking her.

"There's a bottle here in the baby bag, Sakura," Winston said, while handing me the milk bottle. I brought the bottle to her lips and she immediately started sucking. She was obviously hungry.

The rain abruptly stopped and the moonlight shone through the window of the dining room. It was strange. The light shone on her. The baby opened her eyes a bit and I saw she had amber colored eyes. So rare, so beautiful. My baby was so beautiful.

"Winston, we have a baby." Winston looked at me like I was insane, but I knew in my heart God had granted me my one wish, to be a mother.

I looked down at her as she glowed beneath the moonlight...

I will protect you, I promise, Kiaria.

Good fortune will follow you always.