SHE IS LAUGHING
"I love you, Lexine. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You are the best thing that could ever happen to me Lexine. I promise I will make you the happiest woman ever. Just please stay with me Lexine. Life will not be the same without you."
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(Phone ringing) (Caller ID - Jack).
Lexine stared at the phone with sadness in her eyes. The phone kept on ringing. It ended on the 5th ring. Baby Tara started crying due to the noise. Lexine took her into her arms and started rocking her, but baby Tara was having none of it. Not knowing what to do, Lexine started humming.
It was a song from her tribe. One that was sung when they gathered together under the big Banyan tree. It was a song for the spirits. That song brought the village people together.
Slowly baby Tara stopped crying. She became so quiet listening to her mom hum. She stared at Lexine and much to the surprise of Lexine, Tara lifted a hand and touched her mother's cheek. Lexine stopped. She was in shock. Baby Tara looked at her as if telling her "It's alright Mum". It felt so strange and weird to Lexine to see that look on the face of her newborn.
Her eyes began to blur with tears as she kissed her baby's forehead. She placed the baby back on the bed and lay back beside her. Soon after, Tara fell asleep, and Lexine succumbed to sleep as well after her.
It was a quiet and peaceful night. Deep within Lexine's subconsciousness, she wished every night was this serene and peaceful. She could really get used to this.
Morning came and the sun was up and rising. Lexine woke up with a stretch and realized immediately that baby Tara was already up. This child never ceased to amaze her. She didn't scream or cause a ruckus. She was the actual definition of peace and quiet or so she thought.
Lexine decided to get out of bed to start her morning routine. As if triggered, Tara screamed. Lexine almost jumped from the floor. She was bewildered. All her senses were on high alert. She looked in Tara's direction trying to figure out the reason for the scream. "He he he ehe...".
Lexine opened her eyes wide in shock. Tara was laughing. She was really laughing. It seems the way she jumped after Tara's scream was funny to her. "You can't be laughing, are you?" For a second there Lexine was scared to get closer to the baby. She squinted her eyes to really take a look at the baby. She was afraid, the baby was possessed. They did believe in spirits after all.
Still in shock, she took her phone and called Dr. Malwin. He picked up on the second ring. "Dr. Malwin, the.....the Baby. The baby Dr. Malwin, I don't know what is wrong with her". Lexine was stuttering. "What happened my dear? Is she feeling sick? Did something happen?" Dr. Malwin immediately thought the worst. "No, it's just..... she is laughing Dr. Malwin, the baby was laughing as if making fun of me. Not only that. Before we went to bed last night, she was behaving weirdly."
Lexine then narrated everything to him. From how the baby stared at her, how she touched her cheek to her laughter this morning. She left nothing unsaid. "Is this normal? Am I being paranoid?"
Dr. Malwin was quiet. "Hello... Dr. Malwin. Dr. Malwin, are you there?" "I'm coming over." he said without waiting for any response and cut the call.
Lexine stared blankly at her phone and then at Tara who was giggling now and swinging both hands and legs in the air. "What's going on?" She asked no one in particular.