The pain was unbearable. It felt as if someone was stabbing me repeatedly in the back. I cried out in agony, which woke my husband, Shem.
"Ila, what is it? What is wrong?" he asked, stroking my hair.
"My back! It hurts." I cried
"Sh, it is alright." He said soothingly, "I will rub it."
He turned me on my side and began kneading, but it wasn't helping and I continued to cry.
"Ila, I know it hurts but you need to be quiet or you will wake the girls." He told me.
"You have no idea how I feel!" I spat at him, but inside I knew he was right.
As I was beginning to calm down, I felt the familiar gush of water leak from between my legs.
"Oh no." I said dreading what would happen next, "it's time, Shem."
"I will get mother and have Japheth watch over the girls." He told me, then he kissed my forehead and left.
As soon as he left my first contraction hit and it was worse than the pain in my back. I screamed and mother rushed in and right to my side. She was followed by father who was carrying blanket and a bucket of water. He put them down and came over to my other side and grabbed my hand. He began to wipe my forehead with a wet cloth and mother went to look in-between my legs.
"How do you feel?" she asked me, cleaning off her hands.
"My back hurts." I cried in reply.
Mother reached under my dress and began to feel around. As she was doing this, Shem ran into our hut and sprinted to my unoccupied side, grasping my hand and kissing it.
"The girls?" I asked him through my tears. "Japheth has them with him in his hut."
He then turned to mother and asked, "Is it coming?"
"Yes." She replied, "I can feel the head."
Another contraction hit and I screamed, gripping both Shem's and father's hands as tightly as I could. I saw Shem wince but I did not care. It was his fault that I was in pain, he wanted another child. I wanted one as well, but I would rather blame my pain on him. Once the contraction passed, I let out a breath of relief and rested back on a pillow.
"It's over now Ila, rest a while." Shem whispered in my ear.
"The head is moving down more daughter." Mother informed me, "You will need to push soon."
At this point the pain in my back had become so blinding that I couldn't help but lean over and vomit. Once I was done being sick I began to sob.
"Ila!" Shem yelled in shock, "it's alright, you are okay."
"Noah could you clean up. Shem I need you to grab a wet cloth and keep her cool. Ila, my love, I know you are in pain, but I need you to help me undress you." Mother instructed all of us.
She came closer to me and with a little bit of my help, she pulled my dress off and covered me with a thin blanket. Shem began to wipe my face with a wet, cool piece of cloth. I began to feel less suffocated but I still did not feel right.
"Ah!" I screamed as another, more powerful contraction hit and gripped Shem's hand harder than before.
"Mama! Mama!" I heard from outside the tent.
Before I knew it I saw two manes of blond hair as my daughters rushed into the hut, towards me, crying.
"Sh, it's alright." I managed to choke out, "Mama's okay."
"Girls go back to your uncle." Shem told them while trying to comfort Adah who had clung to his leg.
"No!" Evi cried as she tried to bury herself in my chest, "Mama!"
Another contraction hit and I couldn't help but howl, reaching out for mother with my free hand. The girls, terrified, began to weep into Shem's legs.
"Ila you must breath." Mother told me soothingly, keeping her hand in my vice-like grip, "you need to stay calm."
"Girls." I whimpered, "Mama's sorry. Please go."
Father came back in and took them both out of the hut. As they were leaving, they were screaming for Shem. With the girls gone Shem put his undivided attention back on me and continued to cool me down with the wet cloth. Mother went back to her spot in-between my legs to see where the baby was.
"I don't think I will make it." I cried to Shem.
"Don't you ever say something like that!" he instructed me, "you will make it, as will our child."
Mother gave me some water and I took it greedily, but as soon as I swallowed some I vomited again.
"I need to sleep." I said to Shem, who was cleaning up my mouth, "I am tired."
"Mother what is going on?" Shem asked hysterically.
"Calm yourself son. Ila you need to stay awake, it is time for you to push." She said.
I was about to protest, but I felt the need to push. I took a deep breath and bore down as hard as I could
"Good Ila." Mother told me, "It is coming fast."
"Keep going Ila you are doing wonderful!" Shem encouraged me as he kissed my forehead.
"I can't push anymore." I cried, feeling faint.
"You must!" Mother yelled, "Only one more child.
I pushed harder than I had before and I felt my child slip out of me. Before I could see it or hear a cry, I passed out.