Thirsty. That is how I felt. I opened my eyes to find Shem asleep next to me his head on my chest. His hair was sprawled all over the place and a little bit was plastered to his forehead. I pushed it back and he began to stir.
"Ila?" he asked. He jolted up and kissed me.
"Oh Ila!" he buried his head in my neck.
"Sh, I'm here now. What happened?" I asked.
Before he could answer me I heard shrill cry. I looked over and saw a tiny newborn, wrapped tightly; lying in the cot Shem had built months before. Shem got up and walked over to the cot. He bent over it and gently lifted the child out and came back over to me.
"Is that the child?" I asked him, my eyes brimming with tears.
"Yes." He told me, handing me the baby, "and he is quite hungry."
"He. It's a boy." I said taking him into my arms.
I looked down at my son for the first time and saw he had a head full of dark brown hair, which was very different from his sisters' blond hair. His eyes had the blue tint mother told me all newborns had for a little while, but I could tell he had Shem's beautiful brown-green eyes. He began to fuss, so I pulled down the blanket that was covering me and put him to my right breast. He took my nipple in his mouth and began sucking hungrily.
"He's so beautiful." I whispered, stroking his tuft of hair.
"That is because he looks like his mother." Shem said, kissing me.
He bent down and grabbed a glass of water, which he handed to me. I took it from him and gulped it down.
"How are you feeling?" he asked me, feeling my forehead.
"Better." I told him, leaning into his hand, "how long was I asleep?"
"Not very long, but I was so afraid." He answered, looking me in the eyes.
"I'm fine, I'm awake now." I comforted him, "have you thought of a name yet."
We both looked down at our son. He was still eating. I detached him and switched him to my left breast.
"Yes." He told me, "Elijah."
I turned my head sharply to look at Shem, tears forming in my eyes. Elijah was my birth father's name. I had told him when we were younger, he had asked me about my real family but I did not think he remembered.
"Thank you." I whispered, leaning over to kiss him.
After a few moments of silence, the only sounds coming from Elijah, who was still eating, mother poked her head in the hut.
"Oh thank goodness you are awake now Ila! How do you feel?" she asked.
Before I could respond, the girls ran into the hut, screaming mama. Their screams startled Elijah, who instantly started to howl. Shem took him from my arms and began rocking him. The girls took this opportunity to throw themselves at me.
"Careful girls!" mother scolded them.
"It is alright mother." I told her, scooting over so they could lie next to me.
"Baby!" Adah shrieked, pointing at Elijah who had started to calm down.
"Yes this is your brother." Shem said to her, handing Elijah back to me so that the girls could see him better.
"He's small." Evi said, touching his hand.
"He will get bigger and then you can play with him." I told her.
Elijah fell asleep so Shem but him in his cot and took the girls into their room. I, with mother's help, had washed off and changed into clean clothing. I was getting comfortable in the bed, which mother had changed the cloth covering it and the blanket, when Shem came back. He took his shirt off, put on a clean pair of trousers, and climbed into bed with me.
"Did I tell you how wonderful you were today?" Shem whispered in my ear.
"I don't believe you did." I said, turning to face him.
"Well you were." He replied and then kissed me, "I love you Ila."
"And I love you Shem."