I lay on my bed, facing the ceiling. People clustered around me, looking down at my face with worried expressions. I heard a beeping sound somewhere. There were always footsteps of people constantly coming and going, pacing within my room, walking past the door. I saw my daughter, my son, my grandchildren, my friends, and many strangers, some looking worried, some looking somber, some with smiles on their face. I heard people talking, their voices blurring together, incomprehensible. I lay still, not wanting to move, just wanting to rest. I wished the voices would stop so that I could sleep. They continued, filling the room with worries and woes. I stayed there for a long time – hours? Days? Weeks? I didn’t know when I’d arrived, but I knew I wanted to leave.
But then one voice stood out among the rest. It was a woman’s voice, loud and clear, and everyone fell silent when they heard it.
“I’m sorry. He won’t make it”.
Everything was quiet for a few minutes and I relaxed, beginning to fall asleep. The babble of voices started up again presently, but I didn’t notice it anymore. I was slipping away. The voices faded away, and the room grew darker and darker. Eventually things went silent, and I was engulfed in blackness. But I was moving forward, and forward, and forward. I saw a point of light that grew larger and larger. It wasn’t just light – it was an opening, and I was being thrust through it. I was being pushed towards the other end of the opening. I could hear more voices – a yelling, an urging to push harder. At last, I was on the other end of the opening. I was in someone’s arms, a stranger’s arms, within a room very similar to the one I had just left, but without the worry and tension – rather, there was a feeling of joy and life. I twisted and cried, not quite knowing why, until I was placed into another set of arms. They felt warm and comforting, just right. I heard a voice speak, a familiar voice that I’d never heard before but knew so well.
“Hello, my child. Welcome to this world”.
My new life had begun.
But then one voice stood out among the rest. It was a woman’s voice, loud and clear, and everyone fell silent when they heard it.
“I’m sorry. He won’t make it”.
Everything was quiet for a few minutes and I relaxed, beginning to fall asleep. The babble of voices started up again presently, but I didn’t notice it anymore. I was slipping away. The voices faded away, and the room grew darker and darker. Eventually things went silent, and I was engulfed in blackness. But I was moving forward, and forward, and forward. I saw a point of light that grew larger and larger. It wasn’t just light – it was an opening, and I was being thrust through it. I was being pushed towards the other end of the opening. I could hear more voices – a yelling, an urging to push harder. At last, I was on the other end of the opening. I was in someone’s arms, a stranger’s arms, within a room very similar to the one I had just left, but without the worry and tension – rather, there was a feeling of joy and life. I twisted and cried, not quite knowing why, until I was placed into another set of arms. They felt warm and comforting, just right. I heard a voice speak, a familiar voice that I’d never heard before but knew so well.
“Hello, my child. Welcome to this world”.
My new life had begun.
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