Eleven

My father was born enshrouded in a silvery, glistening caul.  The old women in our town knew that he would be able to talk out fire or stop bleeding by praying over it.  He also used root medicine and put a poultice of herbs on a child’s chest to bring up the sickness or gave her a tea to cure the fever.  He ground up animal bones to make a medicine used to treat ailments like lameness or blindness.  He would be called to visit and pray with the family whenever a child fell ill with a fever or cough.  My father always rose with the sun to hunt for roots and plants near our house and across the countryside, and sometimes he would let me go with him.    

One morning early, a knock came on the door while we were all still in bed.  I followed him outside and saw him disappear over the goat hill with a young girl from our school.  They went inside her house.  The door stayed open, and I saw her mother unclothed and lying on the bed, her broad, round belly quivering.  She screamed, throwing her head back.  I saw the fear in her eyes and couldn’t imagine seeing my own mother this way.  My friend wrinkled her nose and came back outside.  I crept inside the house where I saw a fire with a large, steaming pot of water.  The bedclothes were disheveled and soiled.  The woman thrashed about throwing the covers away.  My father laid his hands on her belly, and the mother relaxed.  Most of the time, women had their mother or sisters or aunties who helped to deliver a baby.  It was unusual for a family to call on my father to help.  Now he said nothing but moved her legs apart to feel inside her womb.  He wiped his hands on his trousers and opened his medicine bag.  I hadn’t even seen him carry the bag from the house, but I moved close enough to look inside to see the mortar and pestle he used to grind up herbs.  He took a green leafy herb and ground it up.  He turned around and saw me just then, and motioned for me to get a cup of water from the fire.  He stirred the ground herbs in the water and put it to the woman’s lips.

“What is it?” I said, breaking the silence in the room.

 “Just something to calm her so she can rest.”  My father looked up and smiled at me.

She sipped again and laid her head back to sleep. 

“Little one, now run along to school or you will be late.”  My father looked outside to see the sun.  “She will be fine.”

Outside the house, I blinked in the bright sunlight.  I saw Akin kicking a ball and ran to catch up with him.