Chapter 4: Birth Rites

London England, O'Connell Manor

September 1, 1939

The curtains were open as light filtered gently into the warm room. The shade created was a soft pinkish orange that complimented the carpet and furnishings. On the washstand were two basins. One of steaming hot water, a cloth placed half heartedly over the edge, and the other must have been cold because no steam was visible at all. The cold water did not have a cloth in it though. Gazing around the room, one's first impression would be of a nice cool London morning, (judging by the angle of the light coming in through the window) that is until one would take notice of the sound permeating the air. Screaming, grunting, soft words of encouragement, crying, sheets being torn. The noise would be the turnoff for the entire scene.

"Ahhh!" The scream pierced the thick air. Evelyn's hair was plastered against her red face as her eyes squeezed out tears. Her husband's hand could be seen with a yellow washcloth gently dabbing at her brow. Her legs were spread apart and a sheet draped carelessly over her thighs. The midwife was standing below her staring earnestly into Evelyn's eyes.

"Come on Evie, be strong honey…" Rick took a deep breath, partially for her and partially for himself. He found childbirth extremely scary. He remembered quite vividly the day Alex had been born. He had never seen Evelyn in as much pain in their entire existence together. But all that pain he supposed, was warranted because the look of happiness that consumed her face when Alex had been placed in her outstretched arms for the first time had been enough to make the lowliest person be filled with joy.

Currently Rick had Evelyn's hand clasped tightly in his own. Her fingernails were digging into the slightly callused flesh of his palm and he was trying not to wince, but he was afraid that it wasn't working too well. Then the midwife spoke—

"Evelyn you are almost there sweetie, come on I can see the head already!"

Evie gave on last great push, which left her whole body shaking and then there was silence. Well, sort of. Her labored breathing slowed down as the midwife held up a wriggling wet baby. "It's a girl Evelyn!" Rick then stood up to do the honors of cutting the umbilical cord and afterwards took the new infant named Mahalia to the basin of warm water to clean her off.

Evie hardly had time to slow her heart down before another contraction hit her. "What the hell?" she screamed. "What's happening?" She looked around confused before her eyes locked on Rick's.

"Hey, don't look at me Evie, I know as little about this as Jonathan!" He turned towards the midwife. "Laura, I thought we were only having one baby…"

"Well apparently, Mr. O'Connell, you're having two, and your wife needs your help right now." Laura placed her hands gently on Evie's knees and repeated over and over again—"Push Evie, push!" About ten minutes later a little boy followed and the couple could finally relax.

~*~

A tiny being screams and cries,

It knows now of pain.

All is disrupted in its realm of serenity,

It knows now of what order was.

Everything is chaos, mayhem.

It knows now of evil.

A caring caress is brought on swift wings,

It knows now of love.

Whom did we create?

A being of immortality.

What will this creature do?

Change the world,

For it knows now of hate.

It no longer knows of only itself.

~*~

"I can't believe it Evie…It just doesn't make any sense at all. Two babies? It's crazy!" Rick said looking down at his twins, having repeated the same phrase several times in the last ten minutes. The feeling that he embodied filled his soul as he watched Mahalia and Hashim sleeping on their mother's chest. They were so small yet so beautiful. "Evelyn, how can I love two people so much when they are so small and I have just met them?"

Evelyn sighed a tired sigh as her hand snaked around Rick's neck bringing his mouth down to hers for a slow kiss. "Because we created them." She replied huskily. "Now, why don't you go fetch Alex and Jonathan, I am sure they are dying to see them!" She flashed him a bright smile as she closed her eyes. Her hands were protectively laid upon each baby's back.

"If I didn't know any better I would say the two of them are probably deep into a match of poker at the moment!" with that he smiled and left, closing the door gently behind him.

Knock, Knock. Came the resonant sound of flesh on Mahogany as Rick's knuckles wrapped on Alex's door.

"Come in!" came the excited reply.

"Hey buddy, hey Jonathan." Rick said as he watched them trying to hurriedly hide their deck of cards under the table. "Would you like to come see your new brother and sister, niece and nephew?" Rick watched in pleasant amusement as Jonathan's jaw dropped an inch or so.

"But, I thought there was only one!" He chimed.

"Well, consider yourself surprised!" Rick grinned.

"What? There must be some kind of mistake dad... Two?" Alex's brow wrinkled in thought. "Doesn't that hurt?"

Rick laughed as he acknowledged the obvious to his naive son. "Come on you two, don't just sit there gawking, your mother does need her rest, she's worked very hard bringing these two precious people into the world. Plus, the sooner we can get you in and out the sooner I can go to sleep as well." With nods both Jonathan and Alex followed Rick out of the room and down the hall to Rick and Evie's room where Evelyn lay, sound asleep on her bed.

Alex had never seen anything cuter in his entire life. He stood over his mother and his new twin brother and sister admiring life and everything that walked hand in hand with it. Pain, glory, joy, grief, and prosperity- all of these suddenly seemed so important. He gently reached down and stroked his little sister's head, the brown hair soft and fine against his palm. Then he kissed his mother softly on the cheek, her eyes fluttering open as he did so.

"Alex..." she spoke in a hoarse voice, "meet Mahalia and Hashim."

"Mahalia and Hashim." Alex whispered the names, rolling them around on his tongue, trying out their sounds in the air. "I like it mum!"

All eyes turned to Jonathan who was rendered speechless by the site of the two little ones nestled on Evelyn. Jonathan looked down at the bare bottoms of the babies and placed his hand on Mahalia's back, who was closest to him. "So soft." He whispered stroking it gently. Tears formed in his eyes as he gazed down upon them admirably. "You've done well old mum!" He murmured. He bent down and kissed Evie on her cheek as well..."And good luck to ya!" was his hearty reply as he began to walk quickly out of the room.

"Oh, not so fast Jonathan!" came Evie's surprisingly strong voice. Jonathan swallowed visibly as he turned around very slowly and cowered much like a dog would. "You get to be the first to put on their diapers!"

"Oh Evie, you have the biggest knack for turning any happy occasion for me into a chore!" He glared at her indignantly as she smiled sweetly back.

"Happy I am fulfilling your requirements. And for goodness sake, you are just putting them on, they haven't done anything yet!" She replied teasingly.

Jonathan walked over and gently picked up Mahalia, supporting her head. She was still asleep and her angelic little face was relaxed, her tiny red lips slightly parted. He crooned softly to her as he went about his work, lifting up her legs gently as he slid the diaper under her and then folding it up and fastening it around her tiny waist.

Meanwhile Evelyn and Rick stood watching him. "Oh Rick, I really wish Jonathan would have settled down. He's so good with children; he would have been an excellent father."

"Yes he would have." Rick agreed.

"Hey Mum." Alex knocked his mother out of her little reverie.

"Yes Alex?"

"Do you think I could put on Hashim's diaper for you?"

Evelyn nodded yes, knowing that she did not have to remind her son to be careful as she handed her newest son over to Alex.

"He will be great someday too Rick." Evelyn murmured as she snuggled into her husband who had sat down on the bed beside her.

"That's what I keep hoping."

"Oooh! You just be quiet...He will be just fine, he will be perfect!" Evelyn said as she punched his arm lightly.

Rick just snuggled in closer to her, planting a kiss on her forehead as he sighed contentedly. "Yup! We done good Evie!" He said in bad grammar.

"That's certainly true..." She took a big breath and then she was snoring lightly, her head in her husbands lap.

P.S. Chapter 5, I am sad to report will be taking longer to put up because I haven't even started it yet, but come it will, patience my good friends. Oh, thanks to all you reviewers, I am getting very encouraged! :)