Chapter 1
Birth
Her eyes cracked open and the world flowed right into them, struggling to remain open, groggy from the effect of drugs. Propped up on a pillow, Amy Hiwatari tried to shake off the drowsiness. Just giving birth, she was anxious for the result (who wouldn't?)
Sleep was tempting. The thought so alluring it took every ounce of energy to keep her eyelids open. It was so irresistible. So appealing. The gates of slumber were inviting her with open arms. Slowly, her eyes closed drifting off to slumberland.
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The white dazzling light blinded her eyes but that didn't really matter. Her vision was hazy and the seductive drugs kept her head spinning. Figures clad in green gowns moved around her. Every detail around her was uncertain except for the pain rising inside her. Every push, every twinge seemed to sting. The staff was like a colony of bees assisting her in the difficult labor with hollow silence. The silence was broken as the army of nurses, physicians and the midwife erupted in cheering, which was followed by an even louder applause a few minutes later.
Amy groaned from the still sore pain with relief in the back of her mind. It was over. All of it, finally over! She could feel a bunch of hands helping her on a bed. As she was wheeled out of the room, she was sure she caught the words of the physician instructing the head nurse.
"Prepare for two cribs and get two blankets ready. We've got a pair here."
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For the second time, Amy's eyes opened again with a snap. She was wide awake now, breathing rapidly. She could feel the oxygen rushing through her lungs. No surprise. Anxiety is the norm in all first-time mothers. Adrenaline pumping inside her, she didn't even notice as the door swung open.
"Congratulations, Mrs. Hiwatari!" the shrill voice rang through her ears. Amy looked up, pushing her chocolate brown hair back and found herself face-to-face with the rather plump head nurse with the distinct springy auburn hair. She shot a smile at the ruffled Amy, "You've been asleep for a few hours m'dear." Amy was dumbfounded as she found herself with two bundles placed on her lap by the still-beaming nurse. A smile slowly formed on Amy's face at the realization of having twins. "Oh and Mr. Jake Hiwatari left a message that he had something important to look up." The nurse said importantly. Amy's face fell. What could be more important than this.
Head Nurse Matilda noticed the glum look and secretly decided to stay for awhile to lift her mood. With the smile never leaving her face she bent down close to the blue bundled blanket. "Now you be a good big brother, you little chu-chu!" she fingered the infant cuddled up inside fondly. Looking up she added with explaining eyes, "He's older by two minutes." Her attention shifted towards the newborn wrapped in (quite surprisingly) in a white blanket. Amy looked up at the nurse for the first time with questioning eyes. "White? But the baby girls in the nursery are all in pink." Believe it or not, the hospital had a policy to dress baby boys in baby blue pajamas with matching booties and nightcaps and all of them were wrapped in identical blue blankets. Baby pink was the option for newborn girls who were all clad in pink booties, clothes and snuggled in their pinky blankets. (Incredible, isn't it?)
The nurse stood erect and smiled apologetically with her explanation: "We ran out of the pink ones." Giving a one-sided smile she continued, "Luckily, we found this in our supplies and just when we finished dressing her, the pink pajamas arrived fresh from our laundry." Stopping for a breath she continued with her sincere apology for she felt she had done some horrible crime by dressing the girl in white (Well it is…it's against the hospital policy) "We did try to put on the pink one." She assured "But the baby went insane. She started screaming her head off. We thought she was hot under her pajamas so we took them off. Would you believe it? The little tot went right down quiet."
Amy looked incredulously from the twins to the nurse. "But she didn't cry in the white dress?" she asked in disbelief
"M'am the same thought hit me? So we got the white one out and put that again. By God! I'm forty and just when I think I've seen everything, a miracle happens right in front of me. The girl didn't make a sound. Not even the slightest wail."
Amy looked right down to figure in white incredulously. "Note to self: Keep all artifacts in pink six feet away from her." By the time she finished making her decision to wipe the color pink to the point of extinction, she noticed the nurse omitting cute baby sounds with the infant girl. After a couple of minutes the nurse straightened herself up and gazed at the five-hours-and-thirteen-minute old mom hugging her bundles of joy. She was looking down so expectantly at Amy that for one minute Amy thought she was doing something wrong. "What?"
The nurse cocked her head to one side, "Any names for them?" she asked with a hint of eagerness.
A grin appeared on Amy's face, "Of course!" she went on explaining, "I thought of 'Christina' for the girl's name…but…" hesitantly she looked down at the baby girl.
The nurse finished the sentence for her, "Christina isn't exactly the perfect name for the girl who screams in a pink blanket."
"I know." She mumbled. Perplexed, she held the girl face to face wondering now what to do when it peeped up an eyelid.
"Oh look!" The nurse gasped "They're starting to open up their little eyes." Saying that, she took the boy and looked at him almost expecting to see open eyes. She chuckled, "Well this one has his eyes scrunched shut, and there's even a tiny frown."
Amy chortled "Already?"
The head nurse laughed "Babies open their eyes a few hours after birth." Glancing at her watch she continued, "And right now they're 5 hours and 25 minutes old."
Slowly and steadily, the eyes cracked open catching the first glimpse of her mother. Amy felt as weightless. Gently she took her infant son and cuddled him close so that her daughter's first encounter with the world would be a picture-perfect family.
"Bless my soul!" The nurse continued in her southern accent "The girl's got them pretty crystal blue eyes." Nurse Matilda chuckled "I wouldn't be surprised if she's popular among the lads when she grows up."
And then it hit Amy. Her green eyes shone thoughtfully indicating deep thinking. She didn't have blue eyes. And Jake had deep crimson ones (partially the reason why she fell for him). Amy made a silent note in her mind to ask Jake if any of their ancestors had perfect crystal blue eyes, when the barrage of thoughts halted. "Of course! Why didn't I think of this before?" A smile grew on her face at the success of finally finding a perfect name.
"Got a name?" Matilda asked
Barely moving her lips, she answered, "Crystal."
"Named after her eyes. Sounds perfect." Said the delighted nurse cooing softly at little Crystal
The blue spheres were just so striking that it wasn't really surprising why Amy chose the name. The name was perfect of the little girl.
Carefully picking up the little boy, Amy settled him up face to face.
"What's it gonna be for the young man?" The nurse remarked with her nose in a register recording Crystal's name for the birth records.
Amy shot her mysterious smile, "It starts with a K." she teased inviting her to guess. She laid back and looked sideways at the window, apparently staring at something "A 'C' and a 'K'." she whispered to herself. "Perfect!"
"A one which starts with K, alright." She shot out a list of names, (partially thanks to her recording of baby names): "Kevin? Kyle? Keith?
Amy smiled, "Guess again!"
"It's not any of the ones I've told you." Cried Matilda exasperatedly. She had given the most popular names and the result was nix! She flipped through the pages, lightning, scanning for the right name. Amy grinned at seeing the nurse frantically trying to guess the right name.
"Keenan?" "Kale?"
Amy shook her head with mischief in her shining eyes.
"Kato? It means a second of twin." She said eagerly before she realized. "Oh yes, he's the older twin."
"Try again."
The nurse remained silent, thinking before she hesitantly spoke, "Keegan?"
"It's more special than the blazes of fire." She said mysteriously
Matilda slammed the register shut "I give up." She sighed. "You must be thinking of a very unique name then."
"I scoured pages for this name." Amy beamed silently, cuddling her little treasure. "My little man is just too special." Picking the child she put him nose-to-nose and spoke firmly "And you're going to get a very special name." She hugged him close to her chest, "He's my little world…He's my little Kai."
"Kai." The nurse mused "Kai, very rare name, means world if I'm not wrong." The nurse suddenly gasped, "Praise the Lord, the little critter's opening his eyes too." Sure enough, little Kai was slowly opening his eyes like a bud blooming. He peeped out tiny crimson eyes. "Awwww, he's a complete carbon copy of his father." She bent down, affectionately crooning and fingering his cheek, "My my! I can bet this one will turn out to be a lady-killer" she joked with a wink.
Jake's image immediately flashed in Amy's mind, "I don't doubt it!"
"Well, ma'm I've seen a lot of parents name their children. But never…never such wonderful li'l names."
Before Amy could express her gratitude, the door cocked open and a bald head poked in. "Nurse Matilda, Dr. Roberts requests your presence in the Operation Theatre."
"Thank you, Simmons!" She said with her perfect display of courtesy and Mr. Simmons disappeared.
"Okay…I've been dilly-dallying from my duties long enough." Matilda voiced out with a hint of I've-been-annoying-you-for-too-long attitude.
Amy silently laughed but didn't bother to object as the nurse slowly creaked the door shut.
Amy's mind jumpstarted as she looked at the yawning twins, "Babies spend 23 hours sleeping and one hour crying…Welcome to motherhood!" Gently shifting them on the side of the bed, so they could snuggle in comfortably, the twins fell fast asleep right next to her. With both her hands free now, she reached for her favorite leather bad on the bedside and fished around it. It was huge with straps and black buckles (the very reason it was her favorite!), but that also meant a lot of hunting to find an item. Capturing her prey, her hand appeared with a small white card. The golden engraving on it read:
Japan Gems and Jewelry Collection
Giving another last look at the window, she stared a while at the misty white orb which had captivated her before and was the source of her sudden inspiration. The hazy half-moon shone in the darkness with its charm.
Reading the given number, she reached for the telephone and starting dialing.
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The grand library was left barren in the night of the half-moon. Not a soul was seen except for a man frantically searching like a madman (nevertheless his features were admiring). It was a wonder he could even read a word of the mountains of books on the table with his slate hair plastered on his forehead and in front of his deep crimson eyes with sweat. The library was air-conditioned but perspiration continued to pour through his glands. His lips uttered words in a frenzy, always the same: "Where is it?" "Where is it?"
Carelessly tossing books, he halted with a thick maroon leather bound book. Setting it down in a mixture of fear and anticipation, he flipped through the yellowed pages, finally stopping at rest on one. His face paled as he read along the lines in disbelief. With hell breaking loose inside him, he ripped the page off and raced out the exit into the dark night with only half the moon to guide his way.
Alright, I know. I've edited the first chapter. I was just going through it and I just realized...IDON'T LIKEIT! So, I just got my mind cracking for this one. I'm really really sorry formy faithful readers (who totally rock!) whowere expecting a new chapter, butI really made a HUGE effort for this editted chapter...so hope you guys like it!As for the new readers: I'm not stopping you from reading onwards!
Oh yes! One little favour from my old readers, please R&R (that goes for new readers as well!) and tell me if it's any better than the old one. Thanks a million!
Nimz