finally...

sofie and i were in the dark, sitting on a little wooden bench, in town, sharing a bowl of oahze.

it was our second night enjoying this exotic food.

i never thought i would need a break from fufuo, but my excited anticipation for oahze proved me wrong.

a woman approached me with a calmly disturbed look on her face. she was doing something a lot of locals do to me. they mumble inaudible twi and attempt to talk through hand gestures.

i can speak twi, i told her.

that didn't seem to change her form of delivery. she kept patting her belly with both hands, staring at me.

then i heard it. the words i love to hear.

i wanted to make sure i wasn't dreaming so i repeated them back to her. "your daughter has gone to the clinic to deliver?"

she shook her head like we were playing charades, and i had guessed correctly. i suppose we were playing charades, and i was glad to have guessed correctly.

see ya!

i ran to the clinic, as fast as i could go, and barged into the front room. watchman had already left to call Ma and Efreeyeh, i was the first to arrive.

when Ma saw me she laughed at my eagerness. "how did you know to come?" she said. efreeyeh was suprised to see me there also.

"i'm glad the old lady told me or else i'm sure i wouldn't have heard about it. it's night, you wouldn't have come for me."

ma grunted. "but watchman came for you the other night. so you shouldn't be saying that we won't call you. by all means, we want you to be here. we are glad you are here."

the woman looked small to be delivering already, but according to her charts all was as expected. her family, all women, gathered in the front room and kept each other company. sofie noticed she was from a village we had done an outreach to. "it's far man! i tried riding my bike but i couldn't. that's how far it was."

the lady had walked the entire distance, in the dark and in flip flops, and was now 5 cm dilated.

women like this are my sheroes.

she went back to the delivery room and rested on the bed.

time moved slowly, as it always does when a woman is in labor, so Ma went to rest on the bed. i followed her into the resting room, the napping room.

"hey Ma, can i deliver the baby tonite?"

she chuckled. "as you wish" was all she said.

"so yes?" i needed to confirm.

"as for me, i would prefer for you to deliver a child in the daytime, when there is full light. but if you are able tonite, than you shall deliver the child tonite. i hope you are ready."

"i'm ready. if, it's okay with you."

i wanted to clear up any possible confusion.

"then, you shall do it."

"okay."

i ran out of the room back to the labor ward. i sat there, jittery with excitement. efreeyeh was sleeping. i woke her up. "Ma's gonna let me deliver the baby." she laughed and closed her eyes again. i ran out.

i didn't know what to do with myself, and the wind was blowing in just the right way, so i called my family. the reception was poor, but it was good to hear their voices. we talked for a short time when all of a sudden i got an incredible urge to go to the bathroom. 'i gotta go!' i said, hanging up and running back inside. i heard Ma yell "KAISY!", and i flew down the hallway into the delivery room.

"won't you put on some gloves. she will be having her child at any moment."

it had happened a lot more quickly than 2 hours.

i put on some gloves, got myself wrapped up in an apron, and got to the side of the table just in time. the baby's head was coming, and Ma was telling me to be gentle.

i was afraid my hands were being too gentle, that i wasn't helping much.

ma helped stretch the way open for the baby to come. the woman was barely making any noise. everything seemed to be going in slow silent motion, the baby traveling through her resembled a lazy boat ride on 'It's a small world'. all was well. my hands looked inexperienced, willing, brave.

sofie was somewhere in the room, observing. she hadn't seen a birth in years, she said.

when the baby came it was a joint effort, Ma and i, and it slid between her mother's legs onto the table. i stared at it.

i kind of delivered this child, i thought.

i blinked once, she blinked once, and realized, i DID deliver this child!

then i snapped back into mode, cut the cord, the placenta came right after, smoothly, safely. i washed the baby, dried and wrapped her up. she is a beautiful baby, with a big face and a calm presence.

i'm certain the mother's beautiful delivery made for it's seamless cushioned entry into the world. the baby was happy. she wasn't screaming from pain, discomfort, shock. her eyes were exploring, her head was cone shaped, and she was bundled and warm.

"give her to her mother." sofie said.

"um, i wish. we don't do that here."

"for fuck's sake, she was the one who just went through all that. she can't be with her baby."

i looked at Ma.

"by all means" Ma began "she will see her baby in the other room."

i took the baby and slinked down the hallway, in my new fashion, rushing it out to see it's relatives who were all waiting in those long still moments. Ma doesn't know i do this, because she naps after delivery. if she saw me, she'd yell at me, but the family is always thrilled. then when the mother comes back, minutes later, they're holding the baby for her, until she takes it.

it never has to sit, lonely in an empty room, waiting for who knows how long.

the sisters, mother, aunties jumped around and said "wayadee, onyame hyira wo!". which means, you have done well, God bless you.

it was a wonderful experience, empowering and challenging, with a perfect end result.

i went back to help clean up the after effects. the mop was the last thing i thought about.