Journey in the Darkness: A Tale of Fear and Faith

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Two Feathers had reached out for her and taken her away from the pain. They were in a place of complete darkness; no trees, no clouds, no water; only his hand and his eyes; he was the only person she saw; the only thing she saw. Am I dead? “Dideyohvsgi,” she asked.
“No, Utaluli, Usdi Sa quo, It is not yet time,” he answered.
“Will the time come soon?”
“Ta la- not today, Little One; it is not the wish of the Great Spirit.”
“Why is it so dark,” she asked. “Are you sure, I am not dead?”
“Utaluli, Usdi Sa quo,” he replied, firmly. “I not speak two-tongued; I mean what I say and say what I mean- not one thing and then another.”
“I am afraid,” she said. “It is so dark here- are we in Wudeliguhi, the Land of the Dead?” Charity feared the land …show more content…

Gosh darn it woman, I said push!”
She opened her eyes to see a man she had never seen before, bend over and reaching between her thighs. She bore down and pushed as hard as she could; the baby burst forth from her womb. The strange man held the baby up by her feet and swatted her bottom, but the baby didn't cry! Charity‘s mind screamed, “Cry!”
When the baby did not cry, the man placed his mouth over the baby's mouth and nose. What is he doing? Is he sucking the air out of her, Charity wondered. The man, who she now realized was a doctor, raised the baby up by her feet again and then slapped her across her bottom again. This time the baby made a noise, faintly at first, but then, her cries became louder. The doctor wrapped her in a blanket, and then gave her to Charity, who smiled weakly.

“Sometimes, babies need a little help to get started breathing,” he said. “For a little while, I thought I was going to lose you both.” Charity was exploring her new daughter’s face with her fingertip. “I reckon if you hadn't a fainted, like you did, I never would’ve gotten that baby turned around- You didn’t know what you were doing, but you was fighting tooth and nail to keep me from turning that child. When she finally came out, she wasn’t as big as I thought she was going to be- she’s a might small. I'm thinking she was a month or so early. It’s a blessing you got there; eight month babies, don‘t usually make,” he …show more content…

“I'm Doctor McAdams,” the old man said. “Your grandfather, come and fetched me after him and the niggra woman couldn‘t get the baby turned.”
“My grandfather?” she questioned; her mind going to all her grandfathers, even Two Feathers... They were all dead!
“Yes, Mr. Jeremiah. He came and got me.”
Charity nodded- she wasn’t going to deny Jeremiah as being her grandfather- after all, he was very much like a grandfather to her.
After examining her, he said, “Everything looks fine- no hemorrhaging, and the baby seems to be doing well, too. You get some rest, I’ll check on you later,” he said, and then gave her a strange look. “Are you sure you’re okay- you seem a little out of it.
“I’ll be all right,” Charity replied, adding, “I’m just tired.”
He patted her on her shoulder and said, “I'll be back in the morning to check on you and the baby.” As he gathered his bag, he said, “You’ve got some good folks to look after you. Now, don't go a jumping up too soon and trying to do too much. All that childbearing you’ve been doing, is taking its toll on your body,” he said gruffly. He then got a stern look on his face, and said, “After what happened today, I wouldn't recommend you having anymore

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