"I need the phone out of my house right now, young lady"
A intimidating whisper came from a man standing tall in a barely lit room.
" Dad it's a necessity now a days"
the brunette girl said with her soft blue eyes fixed on the phone.
"Not if you don't make it." The man in his late thirties said strictly.
"But dad....everyone has one and I got it as gift, for my birthday dad.." she cried.
" and you're not everyone."
The room felt silent as the words left his mouth. even the soft rustling wind from the windows was audible.
swallowing a big gulp of pain the girls eyes softend with a head down and a aggrevating pain in her chest she put the phone in the dustbin giving her dad a look of disappointment she went straight up the wooden tattered stairs.
"Stop" The man ordered.
" what is it" she answered without turning around.
"I don't let you use tech because I don't want to loose you to like your brother my dear." The man said loosening his tightly held face.
The girl looked behind but her face seemed as if she was not on the same page with what her dad said.
***
Edward was a simple tall man with a stunningly noticeable physique for a guy who sold donuts. Everyday he would reach his quite small shop at sharp six in the morning where he would perform all his routine activities in which every single day started with cleaning he would wipe all the counters as clean as they can be , wipe the floors, tidy the already tidy kitchen , then started his donut making activities first by preparing the dough , lettiing it rest followed by frying them up and finally topping and filling them up with ingredients which were a well preserved secret by his family through generations. Edwards shop sold five type of donuts through out the year which were choco volcano , coconut toasted , mint spice, good ol' maple , nutty burst which his long crowd of customers waited long to get their hands onn with one seasonal donut which required thin luck to have a sight of as they were sold as soon as they were on display. Edward would open the shop at sharp ten every day to a already long queue of people some of them even standing from from a hour or two before the shop opened. The mouth watering delicacies were usually sold within an hour and he would go back to making the evening batch of donuts after dealing with and turning down the investors who always advised him to expand his business and how machines and helpers could increase his efficiency and how they could help Edward to make his shop 'we sell donuts' go worldwide and make millions in revenue. Edward was only interested in conserving his family traditions so the investors failed to lure him. Today was one of the first and most probably the only the day when he made double the amount of his winter seasonal strawberry burst donut to celebrate him marking the completion of his three decades of living in short his 30th birthday which also turned out to be his soon to arrive baby's due date.
After the tiring day of work Edward reached his two storeyed apartment a few blocks away from we sell donuts and knocked on the wooden door. A pregnant woman wearing a blue knee length knitted midi answered the door.
" Evening wifey"
Edward greeted with a smile
"Evening hubby"
she chuckled coming in for a hug.
"Delilah, dad's home"
his wife Laura called.
A small girl around five year old came running and joined in for a group hug.
" Daddy brought your favorite strawberry donuts "
Edward teased holing up a brown paper bag of donuts in his hands well above the girls height.
Delilah jumped tirelessly to reach the bag but Edward would everytime lower it and pull. All three of them laughed their lungs out before giving Delilah her donuts.
" You go rest, I'll cook some soup and rice for us."
Edward said Laura directing her to the dining table beside the well furnished but old looking kitchen.
"so at what time tomorrow do we have to reach the hospital?"
he enquired cutting up the carrots and capsicums for the soup.
"12" Laura answered.
Edward nodded in positive.
"Did you pack everything we'd need."
"Need my help with something?" he questioned.
"no everything's done, just recheck the list for me before we leave." Laura said.
"mommy"
"mommy"
Delilah called from across the room.
"yes honey." Laura called back.
" come here I can't find my novel to read"
Laura got up and left for her daughters room.
"Aaahhhh"
a agonizing noise came from the stairs Edward recognized the voice and ran in the direction of it where he found Laura struggling from pain on the stairs.
the floor around her was wet as was her dress but she didn't have water in her hand when she went.
"my water broke." Laura was screaming in pain now.
Edward ran towards her and picked her up. Delilah came down too. They rushed out of the door not noticing he didn't close the it.
Edward with agonizing Laura on her lap and Delilah holding him tight from the backseat tried riding the bicycle but failed.
" Call for a taxi." Laura cried.
He still carrying her and his daughter holding his shirt ran to the road in the chilling winter.
But Edward didn't know how to call for a taxi as he had never once in life ridden one. He saw people do it from their phones but he did not posses one. Feeling helpless he was begging strangers for help.
"sir, can you please call for a cab it's and emergency." he said to the grey bearded man standing near the signal. The man acted as though he didn't hear anything and crossed the road.
"mam , can you please book a cab for the nearest hospital, please." he pleaded to the blue hair dyed teenager who passed by ignoring them.
Laura was having unbearable Pain now as time was passing by. A middle aged women reached near them and Said " I am a doctor , I can help , take her to your house."
They all ran towards the house Edward went up the stairs and laid Laura on bed.
"Breathe"
" push the baby."
The lady was giving all sought of instructions.
Laura was trying hard to follow them. Edward was holding her hand although she was squeezing it all the strength she had he was telling her" it will be alright "
"You can do it"
" come on , for us."
Edward was holding Laura like he as though he was holding onn to his life.
Delilah was watching them from the door too overwhelmed with everything going onn.
" The baby's head is out."
the woman drived their attention to the emerging baby as she helped the baby out.
after so many agonizing minutes the baby was finally out seeing the baby in the lady's hand everyone's attention was on the baby. No one noticied how silent the room was already with the only noise being of the baby crying. The lady cut the umbilical cord.
" it's a boy , sir." The lady declared looking at Edward.
Edward rejoiced as a tear left his eye. He left Laura's hand as it slided down easily from his and grabbed the baby with a towel.
"our baby's here Babe." Edward was smiling looking at the baby
" see." he want over to show Laura only to find out Laura's eyes were wide open but she didn't respond.
seeing laura like this a strange thought hit Edward but he shoved it off as soon as it came assuring himself it can't be like that.
" what happened doctor." his voice barely left his throat.
"let me see."
the lady placed her fingers near Laura's nose to check if she was breathing. giving a confused loom she grabbed her wrist to feel her pulse but she couldn't feel it. Laura's hand fell down as soon as the lady left her wrist.
" I'm sorry but ...."
the lady's voice trailed off.
"But what doctor?"
Edward begged.
" she's dead."
the lady pressed her lips.
" no it can't be."
" it can't be doctor ,no "
Edward was in denial.
"I'll take her to a hospital , please book a cab ."
Edward put the baby in the cradle they had bought and picked Laura's loose body up as the lady called for the cab. He sat in the cab for the first time in his life with Laura in his lap leaving the kids and the house to the lady . He rushed Laura to emergency as soon as they arrived to the hospital . Checking all the vitals the doctors declared Laura dead.
On listening this Edward legs gave up and he collapsed on the floor beside Laura's stretcher still holding her hand.
Tears started flooding his eyes as the news finally synced in him that his wife his Laura was actually no longer alive anymore.