All For What! - Episode 2

 

After Saeed had left for work the next day, Maryam was left home alone, as usual. She was in the kitchen preparing dinner, with their house help Sa'adat, giving her a helping hand. Yes, they had a house help who does all the household chores, but the one thing she never did was cooking, because Saeed had specially told his wife to always prepare his meals. Sa'adatu was a woman in her late forties.

She was busy cooking, when she felt a sharp pain surged into her abdomen . She ignored it, thinking the baby was only kicking as usual, by with passing minutes, the pain became unbearable for her to endure and Sa'adatu noticed and came closer to her.

"Are you alright Maryam?" She asked. Sa'adatu called her by her name, because Maryam had insisted she did so, because she was old enough to be her mother and she respected her. She was hardworking and didn't give her a single reason to complain about her services.

"I'm okay Sa'adatu. Please go back to what you were doing," Maryam said and stirred the soup she was cooking. She suddenly felt wetness, as if she had urinated on herself. Her eyes widened as realization hit her, her water just broke and she was going into labor and it wasn't even her due date yet.

"Go to my room, look for my cell phone and call Saeed, tell him I'm in labor. Please be fast Sa'adatu," she managed to say, before the pain surged into her again, more painfully.

"Alright," she said and hurried upstairs to their room

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. She found Maryam's cell phone laying on the bed and took it. She dialed Saeed's number and he picked almost immediately it rang.

"SalamuAlaykum habibty---" he started, but Sa'adatu cut him off and gave him the news.

"Maryam's water just broke, she's going into labor," Sa'adatu informed.

"Subhanallah! It isn't even her due date yet. Where is she now? Give her the phone, I want to speak to her," he said, panicked. He didn't know she would go into labor, he would have stayed with her.

"She's downstairs, in the kitchen," she said.

"What are you still waiting for? Please tell the driver to take her to the specialist hospital, I will be there soon. Thanks," he said and ended the call. He took his car keys from his desk and dashed out. He was very worried about his wife and kept on praying to Allah  to make it easy for his wife.

Unfortunately for him, he met with a traffic jam on his way to the hospital. He brought out his phone and called his wife's number and Sa'adatu picked up. He could hear his wife screaming. He wanted to talk to her, but she didn't want to. He asked Sa'adatu where they were and she told him they were almost at the hospital and Saeed ended the call, he couldn't bear the sound of her screams.

When the traffic jam finally cleared and he got to the hospital, he went straight to the gynecology section and saw Sa'adatu waiting outside the labor room.

"Where is ha..Maryam?" He asked, although he knew she would be inside, he still wanted to be sure.

"She's been inside for a while now," Sa'adatu replied. Saeed placed a hand on his forehead, he was too late, he knew and regretted the fact he had not stayed home, now his wife was in there...alone. Ya Allah, please make this easy for her, he prayed.

~~~~~

The contractions were now in every thirty seconds. Maryam found it hard to take a deep breath and she panicked. Her mind went blank, she couldn't hear anything. The voices of the midwives and doctor floated in the air and dissipated. All she could do was scream in agony. The pain was becoming very unbearable and she just wanted it to stop.

"It's just some matter of minutes before your baby would be brought into this world and take his first breath, just endure the pain for some minutes," the friendly doctor said. Despite the pain she was feeling, she couldn't wait to finally be able to see her baby.

"Where is my husband? Please let him in," Maryam pleased with the doctor. She nodded and told one of the midwives to call Saeed in.

The mid wife emerged from the labor room and Saeed rushed towards her.

"How is my wife?" He asked, worried. Her screams were all he heard since he arrived, he wanted to see her so badly.

"She wants you in," the midwife said and Saeed followed her in.

The sight of his wife screaming and covered in sweats, brought inexplicable feelings to him. It pained in seeing her in pain and a tear slipped from his eyes.

Maryam managed to give a little smile through the pain and reached her hand out for him. He went closer to her and held her hand in both of his, kissing her palm, then her forehead, muttering "I'm sorry." He also didn't know why he was apologizing, but he felt the need to, perhaps for coming late.

Maryam was about to reply, when her contractions came back in full force and she cried out. Her grip on Saeed much more tighter than it was before. He also held her tight, in an attempt to lessen the pain she was feeling. He brought out his handkerchief and wiped her sweats and tears.

As the wave of pain developed her body again, she took a very deep breath and started muttering the dua when in pain, under her breath. As she tried to push the baby out, her contraction ceased and she would have to wait for another one to come.

After pushing for some time, their daughter's head could be seen. The doctor helped eased the baby out of her body. Saeed was told by the doctor to cut the umbilical cord, which he did in seconds.

The doctor gave the baby to a mid wife to clean up. Maryam and Saeed couldn't wait to hold their baby girl in her hands.

"Alhamdulilah you did it, thank you," he smiled and wiped away the tears on her cheek.

The mid wife came back with the baby and lay her upon Maryam's chest. That was the mist intense, beautiful and serene moment of her life. She felt her pain magically disappeared into thin air.

Saeed looked down at his wife and newborn baby and thanked Allah repeatedly.

After few minutes of carrying and studying every inch of her baby, Maryam handed her over to her dad. He held her carefully and said the Adhan (call to prayer) into her right ear, then the Takbeer (iqamah) into her left ear. He kissed her head, before handling her back to her mother.

"Our baby is cute ma sha Allah," Maryam looked down at her new bundle of joy. "- what name would you like to give her?" Maryam asked.

"Whatever name you choose, as long as it is good, I will accept it," Saeed said, making Maryam smile.

"Alright then. I like the name Manal," she said. She always dreamed of naming one of her daughters that in future.

Manal - Achievement and attainment.

"Then Manal it is. I love the name," Saeed declared and Maryam smiled. She felt on top of the world and Allah alone was to be praised.

"Welcome to the world, baby Manal," Maryam cooed.