Chapter 4: The Day of Delima

He took out his shears from his waist bag, then he put the baby's umbilical cord in between his left thumb and index fingers and pinned it tightly, very close to his navel. Then he clipped the umbilical cord just above his fingers.

"It is a boy."

"A boy?"

"Yes, Rebecca. We have a son."

Batard chuckled joyfully. Tears of joy rolled down Rebecca's cheek as she chuckled too.

She had Kharl Sterg newborn on her right arm and her newborn on her left arm. She looked into Batard's and grinned.

"Rebecca, my darling, he is beautiful."

"Yes!"

She chuckled again.

"They look cute and, even more, cute together."

He rubbed Rebecca's left cheek gently.

"Yes. Convincingly for a reason. They came together, perhaps they are made for each other."

She gave a chuckle of fulfillment. Batard muttered a laugh.

"Perhaps."

He responded.

"Batard, she is a benediction;  she is here for reason."

"I concur, my dear."

He replied in his sonorous voice.

"You can take them now, lay them on the bed of roses."

"Alright."

He collected the newborns and shuffled towards his left-hand side, and laid them on the bed of roses (a mid-sized gold-colored bed decorated with good and roses around it). The bed of roses was a bed that the people of Nutusel laid their newborns for the first six months of their life on earth.

"Marcelo, that is his name."

Said Rebecca in a faint voice as Marcelo wrapped the newborns with some pieces of clothes.

"That name sounds worthy to me, how did you come of it, my dear?"

He paused waiting for a response but got none.

Dirk entered the Tower of Nutusel after a long run. He could hear his heart beat so promptly.

"Mmm!"

He took a deep breath in front of the door. Then he pushed the door open.

"Dirk Stund, the eldest child of Nutusel."

The men of Nutusel quit praying and focused on what news Dirk Stund had come to deliver. There was a bit of murmur in the court, the men of Nutusel understood that some things were not right, as they did not hear the song of gratitude.

"And Marcelo has not made a single howl, darling."

For the second time, he got no response.  Then he turned to see his wife and, she laid helplessly on the bed. He scampered to the bed where she laid, she had ceased breathing. Batard's eyes became so heavy, filled with tears. He knelt before the bed and screamed out in pangs and sorrows.

"Rebecca! Rebecca!"

He held her by the left arm, felt the coldness of her body. Tears continued to flow down his cheeks.

"The great lord general of Nutusel, the honored men of Nutusel, the members of the court, and the men of Nutusel."

The court became so noiseless, only the voice of the court announcer was heard.

"We have a number added to the people of Nutusel, as Kharl Sterg has begotten a daughter."

Some number of the crowd cheered while the rest argued. The great lord general Zandy sat up in awe.

"That is not all. Listen, my people!"

Calmness was restored in the court again.

"We lost Kharl Sterg..."

"She ran away again?"

The lord general enquired.

"No, my great lord general. We lost her to the undertaker."

"The undertaker?"

"Yes, my great lord general."

"May the paradise be her abode."

Everyone in the court put their right arm forward and chorused a response to the great lord general's prayer.

Rebede knelt before the Papa of Nutusel as she received instructions from her. Rebede was the second oldest child of Nutusel, it was in her place to run such errands in the absence of Dirk.

"Rebede my daughter."

"Yes, my papa!"

She replied calmly.

"Run as much as your legs can carry you. Run to the Tower of Nutusel. Tell the court announcer, tell him that Rebecca Batard begot a son, and tell him that Rebecca Batard is no longer with us. Go and go well with Kabril."

"Yes, my papa."

She ran hastily out of the compound to the Tower of Nutusel.

"My Duchess, bring the newborns and let the rituals begin."

"Yes, my papa."

The Duchess strode into Batard's sitting room, Abeti walked behind her. Batard sat on the stool sobbing heavily. The Duchess before him for a minute without a word, then Abeti joined her.

"Batard, brave son of Kabril, the son of Nutusel. You have to be tough. When the going gets tough, the tough get going."

He nodded in agreement, and she reciprocated.

"We are going to take the newborns for the rituals now. Some of us will mourn on empty stomachs according to the traditions, while the rest will celebrate on heavy stomachs filled with the porridge of gratitude; in fulfillment of the culture and traditions."

They all nodded in consensus. The Duchess and Abeti turned to walk away.

"His and her name should be Marcelo Batard and Kharl Axiel respectively."

He instructed in a sobbing voice.

"So shall it be."

The Duchess replied and they walked past the door into the long passage.

"If I may ask, who delivered her newborn?"

Lord Dido raised a question. Lord Dido was the youngest lord in Nutusel and the youngest member of the court.

"Batard perhaps."

The great lord general answered.

Lord Dido stood and strolled to space just before the great lord general. He wore doublets, a hat, and a pair of black leather sanders. He bowed before the great lord general, then the honored men of Nutusel consisted of all the elderly women of Nutusel that had grown into men according to the customs, and had bowed to his fellow lords.

"And is that not a taboo, my great lord general?"

He enquired.

"And what did you expect him to, lord Dido?"

One of the members of the honored men of Nutusel countered. She sat on her metal-constructed chair.

"Seek the consent of the court that he is not part of, my papa."

He answered back.

"My lord, in his predicament?"

Sporge the great hunter of honored countered him.

"Enough, this is not the time for this commotion, not in this mayhem."

The great lord general spoke out furiously.

"My great lord general?"

"Yes, lord Dido. This will be discussed in the closed court."

Noises filled the air as the crowd muttered to themselves.

The court door opened wisely and Rebede ran in.

"Rebede Jama, the second to the eldest child of Nutusel."

The court announcer announced her presence immediately.

She knelt before the court announcer who sat very close to the entrance door. She whispered some words to his ears as the crowd waited anxiously.  She delivered her message and went to stand beside Dirk just beside the entrance door.

"My great lord general, the honored men of Nutusel, lords of the court, and the great men of Nutusel. News, news, my people."

"What of news, Zeal, the announcer of the goat?"

"My great lord general, good news, bad news."

"We are still in this day of delima, let's hear them."

"Yes, my great lord general. Our number has been expanded again, Batard just begot a son..."

The ground cheered happily. The court waited until the silence was restored, then he continued.

SOMETIMES, IT IS HOW YOU SHINE IN THE DARKNESS DURING OTHER PEOPLE'S MISERY THAT IS REMEMBERED MORE THAN ANYTHING YOU COULD HAVE SAID OR DONE WHEN YOU HAVE SUFFERED JUST AS MUCH.

Shannon L. Alder