Chapter One – The birth
He sat there. The moon shone its light on his wide eyes; frozen pupils gleaming in the distance. Not a sound, not a move, not a breath, just sat silently still. Suddenly, his eyes grew wider and he shook as he gasped in air. He sighed, stood up and stretched out his arms as an old woman with silver wisps of hair flapping in the wind approached him. "It is time," he told her, "for the birth of the walker."
A baby's cry echoed through the tall, hollow trees. The breath of new life rose to the heavens and awoke the angels. A young woman cried with happiness as her new baby girl was placed delicately into her arms. While she lovingly stared into her daughter's eyes, she thanked the Liyae for her special gift and prayed to the Gautje that her baby would be safe from harm.
"Oh Lords of the Liyae, please accept my thanks with all my heart for giving me such a wonderful baby daughter, whom I shall love tenderly and never stop loving until the end of my current life. And I pray to the Gautje that my little girl will be protected from harm and death itself, and she will have a happy long life. In the name of the Liyae, I shall call her Sohgrie!"
"Such a beautiful name Maggie, where did you get it from?" The voice came from the rocking chair sitting by the fire.
"A little angel came to visit me one night and told me to name my child 'Sohgrie', which is a name that one day, will bring her wonders and answers. Why do you ask dear mother?"
"Well my child," replied the voice, "I've never heard such a name before, so I wondered if the Lords had chosen it knowing that she will be someone special."
"She is someone special. She's my daughter and always will be and that is why she is so special. Where is Qui? I wish him to see our child!"
"Michael is outside. I shall send for him now." She turned to the nurse and said in a commanding voice "Do send young Qui Michael inside Laura, his baby awaits him."
With that the nurse made her way out the bedroom door and though the back door to find Michael. She soon returned with a young man of his mid-twenties following along behind her. He took off his hat to reveal jet black curls bordering the top of his pale face. He raised his head a little to see his newborn child with his bright blue eyes and smiled.
"Oh Kabeshi, she's gorgeous!" he cried with joy as he ran to Maggie's bedside.
"Qui she's just how we dreamed her to be. We can't let anything happen to her, she's just too precious!" Maggie passed him his daughter. Her mother suddenly stood up and asked "Why do you two call each other those names? You know it cause trouble!"
"THOSE names are OUR names, mother!" snapped Maggie "and we are not frightened about people knowing who we are."
Michael then added "What have we to fear Elsie? We were given the names for a purpose; therefore we choose to use them."
"Don't you dare talk to me like that young man. You may be my son-in-law and the father of my granddaughter, but you have no right to speak to me in such a way! You should learn….."
"MOTHER!" interrupted Maggie, "you have no right to speak to him like that! He was just answering you in a truthful way, and you throw it back in his face. I'm sorry mother but if you're going to behave like this on the birth of my daughter, then I wish you to leave."
"Now Kab…" began Michael.
"NO! Michael, I don't want her here!" Silence overtook the atmosphere, and Elsie's face fell as she picked up her things and made her way out. As soon as she left, the disturbing silence was broken by the soft gurgle of Sohgrie.
"You were a bit harsh Kabeshi!" said Michael.
"I know." She replied, "But sometimes she forgets I'm not a kid anymore." On her last word they both bowed their heads to observe the sweet little face of their baby as she slept in peace.