Chereads / A Dimly Lit Green / Chapter 22 - Dark Sky

Chapter 22 - Dark Sky

A cold winter's day.

The sky is dark.

The night is silent.

A baby is born out of wedlock.

It cries but hears no sound, it calms down after long hours, the father was nowhere to be seen.

Only the mother caressed the baby's head, the baby giggled with joy at the warmth of it's mother's hands, it doesn't want to let go.

Only for a short moment did the baby hear anything, "Where could he have gone in a time like this?" The baby was shocked, it heard something but didn't know what, so it went silent.

The mother looked down at the baby and smiled as it stared at her face, "Don't worry, I'll take care of you, I promise." The words were filled with warmth, the baby giggled and the mother giggled along, "You're so cute, you'll grow up to be beautiful."

A nurse walked up to the mother, "Here is the rest of the medicine you'll need, don't forget to visit me often as well ok? I want to see her too!" The nurse looked down at the baby and smiled before she walked away, the mother was silent as she watched the nurse walk away, "That was my sister, and a dear friend of mine." She smiled.

After a day spent in the hospital, the mother finally came back to take the baby home.

The long walk back home was tedious, snow piled up to her ankles, with a baby in her arms she carefully paved a path through the snow, slowly, one step at a time they neared their destination.

After what felt like a short time to the baby, they finally arrived at their new home, it wasn't a comfortable home in the least, but a home nonetheless, an apartment room on the third floor, it had no air conditioning, but at least had a fan and a heater, the baby started sobbing upon entering the room, "There, there... I know it isn't much, but were living her now ok? both of us." The mother smiled again at the baby.

The sound of a key being twisted and turned around in a lock fascinated the baby, it started having a small interest in something, the mother carefully set up a bed she'd bought the day before, she placed the baby gently into the bed, "Looks like it fits just right... phew." The mother wiped away the sweat on her forehead and walked to the other side of the room.

She knelt down and picked up a box, taking out a stack of clothes she placed them to her side, a chime started ringing, "It's time already?" The mother slowly picks up the baby and they both leave the apartment building.

The baby looked around and saw several families all going to the same building, it started sobbing as did many other babies which made the parents panic trying to calm them down as quick as they could before something started.

A large door greeted the families at the front, it slowly opened causing a loud bump when it fully opened, all families had to close their baby's ears so they wouldn't hear it and start another fuss.

When all families entered the building, there were several lines of chairs set up in multiple lines across the main room, a podium with a was placed up at the back on the room elevated by the chancel, footsteps echoed all along the walls as a small crowd sat down one by one, they all felt a small relief after reaching a shelter from the snow.

There was silence in the building before a priest stepped up to the podium with four nuns behind him, he held a thick book in his hands, it seemed quite heavy.

The nuns formed a even line across the chancel behind the priest and put their hands up infront of them clasping them together, the priest started flipping through the book until he found the right page, all the people in the church started clasping their hands as well and closed their eyes as they looked down, the priest started speaking but all the baby could hear was silence.

After awhile the baby fell asleep in it's mother's arms, the lights in the hall had made it sleepy, until it fell asleep, the light dazzled in the baby's mind, ray's of light started appearing one after another, "This isn't so bad."

When the sermon was over, the nuns started giving out food to those who needed it, the baby was startled awake by it's mother being handed a small Tupperware filled with food, "Thank you." The mother responded to the church's kindness.

The baby started sobbing, it was the first time it saw another face so close before, the nun started patting the baby on the head in an attempt to calm it down, but to no avail, "There, there.." The mother started patting the baby on the head instead which calmed the baby down nearly instantly, "You're quite good with kids." The nun told the mother.

"I suppose I am.."

The mother waved goodbye to the nun as they left the church, the baby had fallen asleep again.

The baby woke up in the apartment, now it was in the bed it's mother had built earlier, the bed was slightly elevated which made the baby feel it was high off the ground when it looked down beside it, the sound of water dripping turned the baby's attention towards another door.

There was only the moonlight that illuminated the room, there was no light behind the door, it slowly opened, the baby felt tense and it nearly started sobbing before it's mother walked out whilst patting her hands on her legs.

The mother realised the baby had woken up and walked towards it, "Hello there." The mother knelt down beside the bed to look face to face with the baby, she started covering her face with her hands and quickly put them down, "Peek a boo!" she softly whispered, the baby started giggling and the mother smiled at the baby before going to bed.

The baby went silent as did the mother.

The baby laid on the bed, it looked up at the fan spinning, then it looked out the window above, it slowly reached out it's hand and tried to say something but couldn't get any proper words out, it wasn't even a year old yet but it still tried it's best to get something out, all that the baby could get out was a small squeak, "It's a dark night..." The baby thought of the bright lights in the hospital, "Compared to each other, this one is better." The baby smiled and fell asleep.