22 Joy & Sorrow (Part 5 - Mother)

[October 1906]

Riza was admitted in the maternity ward because her water broke at around 1 AM at night. She was very fortunate that Matilda was always there to look after her. Matilda was already prepared for the baby more than Riza. She hired a horse carriage from a week for travel convenience to the hospital, she brought some necessary things for emergency and so on. So, as soon as Matilda got to know that the baby was coming, she immediately took Riza to the hospital.

Riza was admitted in a chamber that night which was the cleanest among all the chambers in that hospital, considering the hospital's poor maintenance. The chamber was on the second floor out of the three floors of the building, and there was a glass window in that room, without any curtains. There was a lady doctor, 2 nurses and Matilda in the chamber, helping Riza to deliver the baby.

It was 5:30 AM in the morning, the dim red light of the sun was slowly spreading throughout that small town's landscape. And with the rising sun, the baby came out of his mother's womb, to experience the new world. And like every human child after birth, it began crying within a few seconds. That was one cry which made Riza and Matilda very happy. There were tears of joy in both of their eyes when the doctor was taking the baby near his mother.

"Looks like your son wants to meet you very badly," She smiled while looking toward Riza.

She then put the baby gently near Riza. As soon as the baby felt his mother's warmth, he started to calm down slowly. Riza was looking at him like the most beautiful thing she ever saw in her life. Sometime later Matilda also came close to see the baby and she was instantly awed by his cuteness.

"Awwww…..what a cutie," she said. Then she looked at Riza who seemed very happy yet tired and asked, "How are you feeling, dear?"

"Little exhausted," Riza replied.

"Looks like my hard work paid off after all," Matilda smiled.

"Thank you, for everything you did for me," she looked at her son, "and for him."

Matilda was restricting herself to hold the baby, but she didn't want to miss the opportunity to soothe her old eyes from the view of a new life. She brought the single chair in that room and sat near Riza and Riza's son.

"Have you thought of a name yet?" She asked.

"Oliver," Riza replied at an instant with a smile on her face. It was as if she had already decided that name a long time ago, but she never told it to Matilda.

Matilda understood why she named her son, Oliver. She looked at Riza with a smile and said, "That's probably the most fitting name for your son."

Riza looked toward her son and said, "I am glad, you approved." And then suddenly, tears started sliding down her cheek. "He is so beautiful…the most beautiful thing I ever saw in my life," she cried.

"Why are you crying dear? Now you are a mother…how can you make him into a tough man, if you will cry like this?" Matilda persuaded.

Still, Riza couldn't stop her cry. It was without a doubt that she was overjoyed to see her baby, but at the same time, Oliver's birth brought back some broken dreams. During the initial days of her pregnancy, Riza thought of a dream where Roy would be sitting beside her and acting nervous to hold his baby for the first time, like a typical loving father. She dreamt that they would fight over the names they would give to their baby. But, all those dreams were shattered, because Roy didn't even know that he had a son.

Riza couldn't contain her emotion anymore and spoke the reason she was crying. "He reminds me of Roy," She cried.

Matilda couldn't see Riza think about her past when her future was sleeping right beside her. So, to bring a smile on her face, she joked. "Roy? Who is Roy? Never heard of that name," She paused for a moment to act as if she was thinking, and then said, "Maybe you should call your son's poop Roy. Whenever Oliver will poop, we can say, stinky Roy. Get rid of Roy. And then throw him in a dustbin."

Riza burst into laughter, and soon Matilda laughed with her. But, it lasted for a moment because Oliver started crying.

"Looks like your duty is calling," Matilda said, as both of them stopped laughing.

Riza was very happy that day. Becoming a mother was something new to her, and she was embracing the new responsibility with a smile.