(I come from a remote village,where many villagers consider it a taboo that a man be present when a woman is giving birth to a child,thinking that may bring misfortunes to their families.)
THE thick black cloud has covered the sky,making the daytime like dark.Such weather reminds me of an unforgettable experience of last summer holiday.
That too was a gloomy day.I was dozing over a stupid novel in my study when suddenly I heard a womans fierce scream coming from my neighbors house. Whats happening? I closed the book, locked the door and hurried near.It was my neighbors wife!I rushed in without hesitation.Pacing anxiously hither and thither in the sitting room was my neighbor,who,seeing me come in,was so shocked that he cried to me in wild voice, No!You cant come in!Out upon you!,trying to push me out. I kicked open the door of the room from which the scream came and was greatly astounded at what I had seen.In the middle of the room was kneeling a witch muttering something,her eyes closed and hands folded.In front of her rested a table,on which there was a bowl of rice with three chopsticks inserted in it. Next to the wall stood the bed on which was struggling the wife,her face as white as a piece of chalk.---She was giving birth to a baby and obviously,had great difficulty with parturition.Her mother-in-law stood by,desirous to help her but not knowing what to do.
You should take her to hospital!Right now!I turned back and shouted to my neighbor.
Shut up!he snarled to me, Out!
There was no time left.I ran home and phoned my cousin,telling him in brief what was happening.Soon,he came driving his agrimotor. Now the poor wife was already unconscious, her blood having incarnadined the bedsheet. The husband seemed to have realized the urgency and with his help,my cousin and I put his wife on the agrimotor and drove to the hospital at full speed.
The wife was sent to the operation room the moment we reached the hospital,leaving us waiting impatiently outside.After what had seemed a long century,the door opened and a nurse came out,her face serious and solemn.
I regret to tell you that the baby was born dead,said the nurse to my neighbor, Only if you had sent your wife here half an hour earlier!
The man gave a frantic scream, What?!
Like a wounded beast,he stamped with fury and,summoning all his powers,showered his heavy fists on me,roaring hysterically, You!Its you!You have brought such misfortune to my family!I soon became black and blue and lost my consciousness.When I came to myself,I found myself lying in hospital.Mother was sitting beside me,tears rolling in her red eyes.
Words pale before my grief.The horrible moans of the wife,the overwhelming fists of the husband,the shocking words of the nurse and the worried eyes of my mother have been engraved in my heart and,perhaps,will never be erased from my memory.
