The sound of heart beats echoed throughout the four wall room strong and healthy. To the young girl, each heart beat was like the sound of a beautiful melody. The young girl tilted her head to the side and watch in awe at the screen in front of her. The ultrasound scan showed a fully developed baby sucking her thumb and moving her arms and legs every once in a while. Doctor Wong was in the room and grinned when he saw the pregnant girl’s glowing face.
The father of the baby was also in the room glancing at the girl and the ultrasound screen in front of them. He too was at a loss when he saw the baby appeared on the screen. The doctor handed the young man a tube of gel and motioned for him to apply it on the pregnant girl’s belly. The young man nervously poured the gel and waited for the doctor.
“Joe, place the transducer over the gel and move it back and forth.” Dr. Wong instructed.
Joenodded and hesitantly moved the transducer back and forth not sure what he was doing; as he circled the transducer over Ariel’s belly, a clear picture of a baby face appeared on the screen.
“Dr. Wong! Dr. Wong! Look!” Joe shouted in excitement, he grabbed the doctor and placed the doctor’s hand over the machine. The moment the doctor grabbed hold of the transducer, Joe pulled a chair next to Ariel and fixed his eyes on the screen.
“Dr. Wong, what you’re showing us is really our baby?” Joe asked his voice filled with emotion.
Dr. Wong nodded. Ariel smiled at Joe, surprise at how excited he was but also very glad that he shared her happiness. As the doctor located the baby’s hands and feet, Ariel tried to count her baby’s fingers and toes while Joe stared at her and then the ultrasound screen of their baby.
His heart was aching painfully, he placed his hand over his chest…was it possible to ache for something…to need something and you’re not even sure what it is that you want or need? He looked at Ariel wistfully and felt his heart contracted and wondered why his heart aches even more when he looks at her.
Joe opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say… he felt a lump in his throat. He cleared his voice before speaking, but his voice still cracked as he whispered,
“Are you happy Ariel?”
Ariel nodded, she was so happy she didn’t know what words to use to describe her happiness. She wanted to tell Joe the thought of being a mother no longer scares her. She wanted to tell Joe thanks to him, she now looks forward to the future with her baby. She wanted to thank Joe for Hope, for the baby inside her…for the baby that is now her strengths and dreams. She wanted to share her thoughts with him, but when she glanced at Joe and saw the forlorn expression on his face she couldn’t.
This must be really hard for you Joe…while I’m planning a future with Hope, you…you’re planning to say good bye.
Doctor Wong wiped the gel from the girl’s belly and left the room. Joe gently pulled down Ariel’s shirt to cover her pregnant stomach and helped her down from the bed.
“I’m glad you’re happy Ariel….I’m really glad.” Joe said with a forced smile on his face. Ariel heard the sadness in his voice and wondered…if Joe was becoming too attached to the baby. Will he be able to let Hope go when the time comes?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joe could hear Ariel’s frustrated groans as she tossed and turned in her bed. He glanced at his wrist watch, it was past midnight. He slide out of bed, grabbed a book and headed toward Ariel’s room.
“Ariel, can I come in?” He asked before opening the door.
“What is it?”
Ariel sighed and whined,
“Hope is acting up again! She’s kicking so much I can’t sleep! Yikes, and I have an exam tomorrow!”
Joe grinned at the Ariel’s disheveled hair and clothes.
“Our baby is acting up again?” He asked. Joe pulled the blanket and tucked it below Ariel’s chin.
“I know now Joe, how hard it must have been for my mom…she led such a hard life from the day I was born till now. I think about my mom a lot, not being able to see her…she is so afraid of my dad showing up around the house she wouldn’t even let me visit her…a parent’s sacrifice…Hope is reminding me of my mom.” Ariel pulled the blanket lower and heaved another long sigh.
“I really miss my mom.”
Joe took her hand and held it in his trying to comfort her.
“Let’s see her tomorrow. I’ll check the police station first thing in the morning. If your dad is still lock up, I’ll take you to your house but if he’s not, then I’ll bring your mom here.”
Ariel pulled her hand out of Joe’s hold and tucked it underneath the blanket.
“Thank you Joe.”
“Now…I want you to close your eyes and listen to this…baby Hope this is your dad talking to you so you better listen! I’m going to read you and mommy a story so be a good girl now and sleep.” Joe said firmly and sat down on the bed. Ariel felt her mouth curved up in a half smile at Joe’s silliness but played along with him.
“Okay papa Joe, little Hope is ready for your story.” Ariel said and closed her eyes tight. Amazingly, as Joe started reading, the baby’s frantic kicks, and constant movements lessened, it was as if the baby was listening intently to her father’s voice. His voice was so soothing that it rocked both the mother and the baby to sleep.
“At the end of the second trimesters, the baby is fully developed with its own personality that is just waiting to be cultivate…” Joe stopped reading as Ariel’s snores became louder. He grinned when he saw drools dripping from the side of Ariel’s mouth. He placed the book on the night stand, and sat back down on the bed.
Joe sat inside the room for a long time staring at the pregnant mother and her pregnant stomach. After a while of playing tug and war with his conscience, Joe finally placed his right ear on Ariel’s pregnant belly. He could hear the baby’s heart beats, and could feel the baby’s gentle movements.
“Little Hope, you be good to your mother…understand? She loves you so much…Just as your mother loves you, you must love her too. So tomorrow promise not to kick around too hard, okay? I know you like to move around a lot, so gentle kicks only. Be good for daddy.” Joe whispered and gently patted the round belly. As if answering her father, the baby kicked gently in response. Joe got up from the bed and stood there staring at Ariel for a long time. He couldn’t bring himself to walk out the room…but knew he couldn’t stay.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The drunken man grunt as he staggered down the alley. That damn woman and her whore of a daughter! Think they could fool him huh? Think he wouldn’t find out where that bitch is hiding? The man crossed the street and kicked the front door open. That damn woman was in the kitchen cleaning, always cleaning.
“Tell me where she is!” Mr. Lin screamed as he grabbed Mrs. Lin’s hair.
“Tell me where she is or I will kill you…I swear I will kill you and that no good daughter of yours!”
Mrs. Lin did not answer and she did not protect herself. Mr. Lin yanked her hair hard and sneered in satisfaction when Mrs. Lin groaned in pain.
“Where is your daughter? Where is she? Did she get rid of the bastard’s baby?”
Mrs. Lin still did not answer. Mr. Lin became even more infuriated by the silence and threw Mrs. Lin across the room. She was slammed against the wall and fell on the ground.
“Is she with them now? Where the hell is she?” Mr. Lin wrapped his hands around Mrs. Lin’s neck and started strangling her.
Mrs. Lin kept her eyes open, staring at the man she married, the man she had promised to love, to cherish till them do them part. She stared silently at him while he strangled her. She felt tears slipped down the side of her eyes but kept her eyes wide open, she wanted to remember the face of her murderer…if she was to die tonight she wanted to remember the face of her murderer.
