Life Of Muta - Chapter 3

In the far south-west corner of Cellamis, inhabited by the wood logging village, Centriole, there lived a lovely couple. They reside in a peaceful and calm life, where no big responsibilities were given to them. Their days went by like grains of sands in an hourglass, limited and short. The husband had a mandatory assignment in the militia, for the Fighter Sector were lacking man power for their upcoming war with the neighboring nation, Plantis. What the husband and the wife had not known was that they were having a baby in nine months. As the man left the village with the other grownups at dawn, he waves goodbye to his loving wife and departed with a determined mentality to stay alive. “Celia! I promise to come back alive! Just wait a while!” By the time the man shouted out his words, he was already by the hillside and what Celia could hear were just an indistinct cry of words. However, she knew in the back of her mind that Gavin was telling her to look forward to his return.

Over the next few months, Celia noticed the area around her abdomen began caving out and decided to check with the physician. The physician confirmed her pregnancy with a low sigh and a

congratulations, for she knew Gavin was still at war. Celia smiled after hearing the physician’s words for she and her husband had created something of their own. She was more untroubled than downhearted. She knew Gavin wanted her to live a worry-free life, since he was fighting for her at this very moment in the east. He was fighting for her and now, their baby too.

By the eighth month, Celia started to move a lot lesser for her lower body had gotten heavy and it drained her energy quite rapidly if she were to carry on working in the forest. She started to count on her neighbors for cooking and other housework for she required ample rest, since the fetus had begun to drain bits of her Aura. Normally, pregnant women would not be as exhausted as her, however, this unborn was also slowly draining away its mother’s life-force. Weirdly enough, Celia smiled at the fact that her baby would grow to be stronger than others. She did not grumble at all and just willingly gave her remaining Aura to the baby down to the very last day of her pregnancy.

On the last night before her birth, the full moon cascaded down faint light rays onto the roof of the couple’s house. The East blew strong gusts of winds against the house. You could hear murmurs of the gales in the house, accompanied by the shouting of the pregnant wife. Celia was sitting on the bed, legs spread open and welcoming the birth of her child. “Celia I want you to breathe in and breathe out slowly.” The physician calmed her down as the woman started to go into labour. “Push Celia push!” As the loud moans of pain reverberated through the air of the couple’s house, a man came crashing into the room panting. Celia turned her heard towards the door, instinctually knowing who it was. The once youthful looking man had grown out a beard and developed bags under his eyes. His arms had bandages all over and body was heaving up and down due to his continuous running from the hill side. Gavin was back.

Gavin quickly approached his wife and clasped her hand. “Celia. Is this.. Is this our baby?” Celia nodded yes. Sweat started trickling down her forehead as the pain had started to get worse. “You can do this. I believe in you.” Celia continued to push with utmost determination, while Gavin was giving her motivational words.

After 30 grueling minutes, the birth of the baby was officially over. “It’s a boy! Congratulations Mr and Mrs Sterner!” The physician gently passed over the crying newborn to Celia. She held the baby in her arms and smiled soothingly. Celia was glad that the birth of her baby boy was finally over and she got to see both him and Gavin at long last. Gavin knelt beside his wife, staring at his newborn son. He didn’t know what to think, for he thought he was only going to come home to his beautiful wife. But now, his son was also in front of him mewling out loud. “What should we name him Celia?” The mother stared into the boy’s azure blue eyes and thought for a moment. She knew he was going to be a special kid when he grow up. She knew he was going to stand above all. She also knew that her time with him will be cut short. “Muta. I think his name should be Muta.” Gavin smiled and kissed Celia on her forehead and agreed. “Muta. Thats a nice name. Let us call him that.”

As Gavin spoke the words out to Celia, the sounds that she heard were just murmurs. She leaned back onto her pillow and continued to sweat profusely. Clasping the baby securely, she wanted to hold on to Muta for just a while more. The physician noticed the signs that Celia was showing and quickly noted out. “Celia, did you give off too much of your Aura to your baby?” The girl nodded a yes. “You do know that once you have given all your Aura off to your newborn, you will most likely die right?” She nodded a yes once again, but this time, Gavin gave her a worried look. Celia turned to Gavin and also touched his grubby unwashed face. “My dear. This boy is something special, I knew it from the start and I wanted to give him my all,” Tears started formulating on Gavin’s face as she continued to speak. “Take care of Muta for me please. Prepare him for the future.” Celia started to cry too. “I love you, Gavin, I always will no matter where I am in this world.” Having heard Celia’s last few words, Gavin reached for her hair and started stroking it. “Ok my love. I promise you I will take care of Muta down to my last breath. You can rest in peace now Celia, you have done your part well.”

The girl heard her husband loud and clear this time, except now, she was smiling. Closing her eyes, she mustered her remaining strength and devoted her last bit of Aura to Muta. What Gavin saw was a spectacle. A faint glow of his wife and the rays of the full moon that stroked through the glass window of their house’s ceiling converging onto his newborn son. My son I hope you will live a happy life in the upcoming years and remember to stay on the path of righteousness. Celia finally passed on. It was as if the hourglass of time stood still at that point in time. The widower who lost his wife, is crying by the bed, while the newborn baby who lost his mother, is crying on the lap of his origin.