Chapter II. Luh.

Three weeks later.

Kintamani, Bali, Wednesday, May 1st 2024, 3.21am.

Dewi slept well that night. The winds blew within, entering through the window that was forgotten to be closed at night, blowing its thin see-through curtain from every direction. As she slept deeper, the sound of her exhale was uniting with the quite environment. A sound of a night toad and crickets were also heard here and there as it did not bother her sleep, even a bit.

She felt the first small kick inside her belly while sleeping. A clear-rather-yellow looking odorless water suddenly emerged from the bed, dripping down to the floor while Dewi felt the second kick inside her belly that awakened her. She felt an unusual wet on her groin area as if she was urinating in her sleep. She moved her right arms trying to reach her pants, her dry palm of her hand suddenly became moist as a water drops out of her hand.

She opened her eyes slowly while gathering her consciousness trying to process the dripping water from

her hand. She picked herself up in a sitting position, she looked at the palm of her hands and peek between the view of the wide-open palm of her hands, she found her mattress was soaked in water. As she finally regained her full consciousness, she could not help to feel her groin area that was wet as if she woke up in a pool of water. Her mind kept going through, trying to figure out what was happening. She gathered her thoughts as she concluded her first statement "My water breaks… Oh no… I am about to…" without finishing her sentence and finally figured out her whole situation, Dewi collected her strength to shouted "Kris..., Katy…."

A few feet away on the front area of the house, Kate who slept next to Kris, heard a voice calling her name on her sleep. Deep in sleep, the sleeping Kate confused between dream and reality of where the sound came from.

Until the second louder voice calling her name, "Katy, help…" Shouteded Dewi awakened Kate.

She opened her eyes, and instantly came to her senses. She gathered her thoughts until she heard the third shouteding that confirmed her assumption, "Kris… My water

breaks…." Shouteded Dewi in a shaky voice.

Kate immediately sat on her bed and put her hands on Kris's side arm and shook it while calling his name "Kris, your sister…"

"Kris…" Kate shouteded to his ear.

As Kris woke up and slowly opened his eyes trying to gain consciousness, Kate got up out of the bed and ran towards the back bedroom where Dewi slept.

As Kate opened the door, she saw the wooden floor soaked in water. Dewi whose sitting while holding her belly with a terrifying look on her face looked at Kate in the eye and said "My water breaks!"

"Hang in there, I will get Kris" responded Kate.

She then shouteded "Kris!" as she approached closer to Dewi.

Kris who appeared at the door after running from his bedroom, was standing at the door rubbing his eyes and yawning were shocked at what he saw.

Kates shouteded "Get the car ready! Her water breaks." to

Kris while she helped Kate to stand on her feet.

"Come on, let's hop into the car, well go to the hospital." Informed Kate while referring to an overnight facility where the locals go to for medical purposes.

Kris ran outside, grabed the car keys, put his sandals on, and got into the car. He pushed the power button on his car and the engine started.

"Come on in!" shouteded Kris.

"Help us out, we need you" Kate's voice from inside the

house.

Kris got out of the car with the engine still going, ran to Kate and saw they both were walking slowly with water scattered along the trails of Dewi's cotton sleeping pants. Kris grabed Dewi's left hand and put them on top of his shoulder as he helped Dewi walked faster to the car.

As they reached the car, Kris opened the middle door of his SUV, "Alright now you have to slowly step on the footstep and hop in the car, I am going to help you.

Honey, can you go inside the car first and grab Dewi within. I am going to hold Dewi as she took her step." Kris ordered in a fast-paced voice.

Kate got in the car and waited with both arms opened while saying "Hike slowly and grab my hands as soon as you reach them" added Kate.

Dewi began to put her right foot on the car footstep followed by her left foot while Kris held her steady from the back keeping her from falling.

As Dewi stepped higher into the car with her right foot, Kris held her body gently while giving a push power to help Dewi got in the car. As soon as Dewi reached inside the car, she elongated her arms and reached Kate's hands. Kate grabed Dewi's hand with her right arm wraped around Dewi's torso.

Kris ran to the other side of the car, opened the door and gathered three car pillows together on the Edge of the long three-seater middle seat. Kris moved back to the other door where he held Dewi earlier while Kate helped Dewi to lay on the long middle seat.

Kris grabed Dewi's legs and put them on the seat to be in a fetal position.

Kris closed the door, got into the driver seat while Kate sat

on the car floorboard holding Dewi's hand.

Kris rushed the car while remain gentle, he got out of the gate and heading east to the nearest public health center called Puskesmas Pembantu Pinggan Village.

Kris followed its global positioning system tool on its dashboard closely as he was blinded by the dark streets with no street lights whatsoever. He relied solely on his car's lights to trail blaze the street to the destination.

After a twenty-minute ride, the car reached to the gate of a one floor house-looking building with trees surrounding it. As Kris lowered his window seat and pulled his head slightly out of the car, nothing but a loud cricket and toads voice were heard, the place was empty, no one was seen around.

"I see no one in here" said Kris.

"This place opened at 9am and closed at 3pm, I thought they might have someone live inside who knows what should we do or where should we go." Kate responded. "Let me get out of the car and get inside to see whether anyone is inside" said Kris while opening the driver seat door and landed his sandals on the soil filled with grass.

He turned his flashlight on his phone on as he moved slowly towards the building with bright lights from the car irradiating the building. He peeked through the windows and saw no one in there but chairs and tables.

Meanwhile inside the car Dewi said "I cannot hold it any longer, I think I am going to deliver here!"

"Hold it wi… We have to wait for someone to help us out who knows how to properly give birth" Kate comforted Dewi.

"Honey, is anyone in there?" Kate shouteded to Kris from within.

As Kris moved away from the building back to the car, a flashlight appeared outside of the gate. The flashlight was getting bigger and brighter followed by a sound of a two- wheel engine. Kris ran to the gate of the building, he reached the gate at the same time of an old couple of the local citizen driving a Japanese-made motorcycle approaching him.

Kris opened both of his palms as a sign to asked for help towards the motorcycle and the motorcycle pulled over to the side where Kris stood.

"Sir, I need your help" said Kris.

"What happened?" said the seemingly seventy-year-old skinny man with dark skin tone to him.

"My sister is about to give birth, but I cannot find anyone inside this building. I do not know where to go and what to do." Kris said with despair.

"This is three am in the morning, nobody works at this building." Said the old woman who sat on the motorcycle behind the old man.

"Do you know where we can bring her to give birth?"

asked Kris.

"Bidan Endah." Shouteded the old woman mentioning a well-known midwife where local couples gave birth at. "That's right." Confirmed the old man while he moved his head to the left and looked at the old woman.

"Follow us! We will take you there." Excited the old man. "Thank you, sir." Replied Kris as he ran back to the car. Kris got into the car and started the engine back on and began going backward.

"Where are we going?" asked Kate.

"I met an old couple traveling with a motorcycle on the gate who know the nearest midwife where we can bring Dewi to help her give birth. I am now following them." Said Kris while looking at the back through the rear-view mirror of the car.

The motorcycle started moving uphill followed closely by the car heading to a private midwife facility.

After a fifteen-minute ride, they arrived at a small house surrounded by big trees and rice fields.

The motorcycle stoped right in front of the house, and the old woman got off the motorcycle and walked to the door. The car pulled over to the side and Kris got out of the driver seat and opened the middle door where Kate sat.

"Ndah… Ndah… Are you in there?" The old woman politely shouteded at the door while knocking on it repeatedly.

The old man parked the motorcycle and joined the old women to knock on the door and shouteded "Endah… open the door, Ndah…"

Soon after, a four feet nine woman with headcover responded from inside the house "Who's out there?" as she opened the door.

"What happened mam?" Asked Endah, the midwife they were looking for.

"I am sorry to bother you in the early morning, there is a woman who is about to give birth, the clinic was not open, can you please help her." Said the old woman.

"Where is she?" Endah responded.

Kris and Kate managed to bring Dewi to her feet while both standing side to side to her with Dewi's arms on top of their shoulders. Walking slowly helped by Kris and Kate, Dewi swallowed her pain.

The midwife opened the door and ran to the back of the house where the examination table located.

Kris and Kate brought Dewi in and put her on the examination table.

The old woman accompanied the midwife to help her needs as she helped Dewi to give birth and so was Kate who stayed next to Dewi sitting on a plastic chair while holding her right hand tightly.

Kris and the old man stayed outside as they waited impatiently.

The midwife raised the top part of the table and put Dewi in a seating position with her legs wide open. She covered her torso and lowered her body with a blue colored sheet and put another white sheet on the table where Dewi sat to cover the upcoming fluids.

Dewi could not hold it any longer. "Oh my, I can't… I can't…" said Dewi while bearing the pain.

"Take a deep breathe mam…" Said the Midwife to Dewi. "Inhale….", "And now…. Exhale…." Continued the Midwife.

"Again…. Inhale…. And Exhale…." Repeated the Midwife.

"Oh my, I can feel her head… I can feel it!" Dewi

exclaimed.

"Now I want you to push just like when you're about to

take a dump. With a loud voice push it…" commanded the Midwife.

"Huuuuhh….." Dewi screamed.

"I can see her head" said the Midwife.

"You're doing great" added Kate to motivate Dewi.

"Now, one more time, Push…." Instructed the Midwife.

"Huuuhh…..... " Dewi screamed for the second time followed by a loud crying sounds of a baby girl emerging from between her legs and suddenly filled the room and replaced the background night noise of crickets and toads. As the baby screamed louder, Dewi laid on her back, powerless as the pain she was bearing suddenly disappeared.

Screams of happiness from outsides are heard as Kris celebrated the birth of Kiranne.

The midwife slowly grabed the head of the baby and hug her and brought her closer to Dewi's head.

"Praise the God, it's a girl. It's a healthy beautiful looking girl." cheered the midwife.

"Welcome to the world Kiranne!" greeted Kate.

As the midwife brought the crying-Kiranne closer to Dewi, Dewi kissed Kiranne's cheek and said "I love you".

Kiranne who cried loudly suddenly stoped after her

mother's kiss.

"I am tired, mam" said Dewi to the midwife as she went back to sleep.

The midwife brought Kiranne to the cleaning area right next to the labor room to clean Kiranne. Kate followed the midwife to see Kiranne.

Kris came inside and met Kiranne for the first time who was sleeping on Kate's arm.

"Hey Kiranne, this is your uncle. Nice to meet you" said Kris.

"Look at you, your small lips, pointy nose, and tiny arms."

Added Kate.

As the midwife continued cleaning the labor area while Dewi slept. She tried to awaken Dewi after thirty-minute sleep from the time Kiranne were born. "Mam…. Wake up…" with a low voice.

"Mam… Kiranne wants to see you…. Are you there?" continued the midwife with a slight concern on her mind wondering why it took so long for Dewi to wake up.

"Mam…." Repeated the midwife.

"Mam…." As she grabed dewi's right arm to check her pulse. She could not believe what was about to happen. She did not find any beat on her pulse. Her eyes were wide open, blood was rushing to to her head as she pulled her head closer to Dewi's nose to hear Dewi's breathe. But she could not hear anything. Not a single breathe was taken.

Not a single breathing sound was heard.

She immediately grabed her stethoscope that was hanging on her neck. She put the top part on her ear and the bottom part on Dewi's chest to listen to her heart beat.

Again, not a single beat was heard. She became panicked. She called Dewi's family.

"Mam…. Sir…. Come here please!" shouteded the midwife.

Kris and Kate walked to the labor room with Kiranne on Kate's arm, completed with bright smiles on both of their faces enjoying Kiranne's company.

As soon as they reached the room with Dewi who did not show any movement on the examination table, the midwife who held Dewi's arm and standing next to her stared at both Kris and Kate and said "She's not breathing..."

The cherry red check and ear-to-ear smile turned into a

frowning forehead of worry "What?" said Kris.

"She is not breathing, I have checked her pulse and her heart beat as well, I could not find any beat." stated the midwife.

Kris ran closer to Dewi and ordered Kate "Bring Kiranne

out of this room!"

Kris grabed Dewi's arm and found no heartbeat. He put his head on Dewi's chest and he could not find the beat either.

"Wi…. Wi….." as Kris shoke her gently with both hands. "Wi… wake up wi! Kiranne is looking for you!" Kris continued with a shaky voice sounding fear, desperation and sadness.

"Wi… wake up wi! Don't do this to us" acknowledging Dewi's condition.

"Wi…" a shaky voice turned into a cry.

The midwife proceeded to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation where she put both of her palms on top of each other right on top of Dewi's chest.

She pushed her chest twice and put air into Dewi's mouth

through her cold lips.

She repeated the same exercise as Kris kept calling Dewi's

name.

No replied was heard.

Not a single heartbeat was heard.

The room instantly filled with sorrow as the morning approaching.

It was five in the morning, when the midwife stoped her CPR and pronounced Dewi's death.

Loud cries heard from within the house. Kris and Kate were crying out loud.

It was a sad morning for the village. The ambulance from the hospital arrived and pick up Dewi's stiff and cold body to the mourning house.

Dewi was buried in the graveyard near the camping area where she used to live with Kris and Kate.

Since that day, Kiranne lived and grew up with Kris and Kate in Kintamani, Bali.

Day by day her long-luscious rather-light brown hair kept growing from her head to her back. Her eyes changed its color from black to beautiful light brown hazel when she turned nine months old. As she took her first step and learned to walk, Kris was thrilled when she was able to say "Da Da" first on her fourteenth month. She grew as a happy baby, the kind that smiled when people greeted her and ran fast whenever she was brought to an open field.

She prefered banana instead of cookies, berries instead of candies, purple sweet potatoes instead of rice and do not even try to stop her frequent trip to the kitchen where she grabed a spoonful of butter that she ate barely right from the box. Kate knew exactly how to reward her on every important occasion with parmesan cheese.

Her favorite things to do revolve around animals. Feeding the fishes on the pond that Azka built for her, seeing monkeys every other month in Ubud, chasing the ducks not far from where they live during sunsets, until Azka and

Kate realized how much love she has for the animals when they decided to adopt a Kintamani dog for her when she turned three years old.

As the time went by, Kiranne kept growing and growing to a beautiful seven-year-old little girl with straight long light brown hair that became shinny and shimmery when the sun hit her hair. Her well-tanned honey skin color, pointy nose, rosy high cheek bones, dimples on both side and a warm welcoming smile balanced her calm caring demeanor.

Even though she sparked a happy persona but she was rather quiet, she had several panic and anxiety attacks throughout the year, which was a common trait for children who were born during the pandemic since the year twenty twenty. She held back, she kept her card close to her chest, she prefered to keep her questions and thoughts to herself and found answers from the information around her rather than asking it directly to the people.

She found comfort in being with herself and her dog far away from the crowd. She enjoyed spending time in the backyard where she learnt to plant vegetables and fruits on

her own from manuals she found on the internet. Her favor towards whole foods deepened as she learned daily the benefit of the ingredients and what they did to human bodies. She grew up dreaming to be a farmer, built her own farms and selling its produces to the neighbors. A simple life she always lived and a simple life she always wanted.