It was 3:00 at dawn and an astronomical event is happening. The moon has been moving into the planets' shadow while the night sky is dyed with red for 25 minutes now. The hospital is abuzz not because of this phenomenon but because a patient in labor has been admitted. The Doctor and some nurses rushed to the Labor , delivery and recovery room to attend to her.
"Push! The baby's head is out, push!" the doctor encouraged.
"It's a girl!.... wait, she's not crying. The baby's not breathing." the doctor said.
The then celebrating people stopped, their shocked expressions turning to the baby. The doctor gave her five rescue breaths and then grimacing at the realization. She removed something from her mouth and then breathed again, finally able to revive the baby.
"It's Meconium aspiration syndrome," the doctor said as the nurse proceeded to clean the newborn baby off of stool and amniotic fluid.
The father who had been watching earlier stepped forward to hear what the doctor was saying. The father's name is Terry. It can be observed from his features the tiredness and sleeplessness because of his drooping eyes, and weak movements.
The doctor continued, "it seems that your wife's pregnancy had extended from the estimated date of delivery.
"Will that be bad for the baby, doctor?" the father asked anxiously. Even the mother, Elena, began to pay attention to the conversation. Meanwhile, a nurse is cleaning her body.
The doctor assured the distressed parents by giving her signature smile and saying, "it's a miracle that the baby is still alive so it's good. All that you have to do now is to provide her with enough nutrients so that she can catch up to the weigh appropriate for her."
The doctor went to the bathroom, passing by the bathing baby. Her bath was a lukewarm water, the nurse being very careful because of the earlier shock. The doctor finally observed the baby for she had no time to care after what she looked like in times of tension.
"There, there. What a good baby!" the nurse said. The baby who, as though looking bored, wore an open-smile for the first time.
"Awe! Such a charming little thing." the nurse exclaimed.
----6 months later----
"Wheee!, wheee!" an old man with white hair and slightly wrinkled skin lifted a baby to the air. The baby on the other hand, was giggling because of it. She wore a panda costume, the name SANUS embroidered in red, capital letters on the right sleeve.
"Father, don't shake Sanus too much. She's still a baby." a younger man in his thirties entered the sala, welding goggles bound above his forehead by a stretchable garter. He wore a black jumper, a black glove and there were dusts covering his hair.
The older man huffed, "Sanus doesn't like being carried on the back. Just so you know, she bit me everytime things doesn't go her way!" The old man felt his back sting, probably from the bite mark consisting of just several baby teeth.
*sigh* Elena says Sanus will be taking a picture with her cousins. Please take her to the bedroom, father."
Terry followed the old man's figure with his silver eyes as he disappeared into a well lit room covered by pink curtains fluttering in the air. "Father has many grandchildren, and yet, he kept lingering around my daughter. Apparently, Sanus liked to cling to him as well, sleeping on the floor together during summer."
+In the room+
"No! Sanus. Don't push your cousin." Elena said in surprise.
There were three toddlers who were supposed to take a picture together. However, Sanus pushed the baby boy away from his position in the middle. Sanus is left with her cousin named Jaye who is also 6 months old, the camera clicked then a picture rolled from it.
Jaye, the granddaughter of Terry's 2nd brother had straight, 7 inches, black hair reaching her shoulders. She was in all white, no buttons with red socks. But that's not what is important for instead of the camera, the baby is rather intrigued by Sanus.
Sanus held a scarlet hippo doll on her right hand, a remote on the left, as she waved it towards the confused baby boy playing with his toes. Sanus' hair is shorter and less abundant than Jaye's and her eyes were silver, a trait she inherited from Terry.
[This is why I never leave Sanus alone with the other kids. She's too active for her own good!] Elena screamed inwardly at the behavior of her daughter.
The baby boy is the grandson of Terry's 1st brother. He had black hair, waving in abundance, a trait dominant in the Luminer clan. Although unknowingly being bullied, the baby ignored or rather, unable to receive Sanus' warning signals.
The baby boy didn't cry but crawled away after much pestering from Sanus. Sanus wore a triumphant expression on her face as she faces her mother, expecting a praise.
*click* "Bad baby!" Elena scolded her. Sanus frowned at her mother's response but she didn't mind being scolded. She only had to bring her arms up towards her grandfather, who had been waiting at the sidelines, and he will no doubt pick her up and pamper her.
"My little Sanus!" he said, patting her back and smothering her cheeks with kisses.
"Father in law, you always behave like a grandma. Mother in law on the other hand..." *sigh* Elena commented, feeling frustrated at the thought of her mother in law who looked down on her. Being a woman from the lowlands, the only thing she brought in the family is herself. It was Terry who lied to her saying, "I'll take you sightseeing to my hometown. It's a famous spot, visited by numerous tourists hoping to experience the coldness and other wonders of the highlands. I'm sure you'll love it!]
They were fifteen years apart in age but Terry was a rare man. He had no vices and he does not gamble. Add to that, he had his own house, land and most importantly, he took special care of her. That is the reason why she trusted him. What she didn't know is that when they were on the highlands, one thing led to another until they finally got married.
How could she blame her husband though, his perfect image in her eyes always reminded her of the father that she feared. He was a tall man of foreign lineage borne from a soldier of the enemy and a lady of native lineage.
He owned hectares and hectares of land, inherited from his father but he slowly lost them in gambling or that he simply sold them. He became addicted in alcohol, often beating them in a fit of anger. 5 of her siblings and Elena would often run to the farm with their mother, hiding in the hay while the drunk man went after them, a bolo on his hand.
Elena trembled, reminiscing her dark past.
"Elena, do remember to call me father. Well, Josepha is just venting because among our 6 sons and one daughter, Terry is the 2nd youngest and her favorite so don't worry. My iron-headed wife will get over it soon enough."
Elena watched her father in law as he took Sanus away for himself again, muttering something about taking the baby to travel.
Still, Elena didn't feel comfortable around her mother in law. She was the matriarchal type who works from morning till afternoon and all days with no holidays to spare. Moreover, their relationship was estranged from the beginning: not only with her but all the others who got married into the Luminer clan.