Chapter 21

Nearly nine months later...

Miki was as big as a barn. Her belly was so out of proportion to her body. Imagine a girl that is 4’10’ tall, slender build with a belly as big as a small pumpkin! She never walked anymore, just waddled. But, even with all the ordeals of a pregnant woman: constipation, having to pee every ten minutes, leg cramps, and back pain. She was still bubbly, happy, and very excited about her delivery date soon approaching. She was thirty-nine weeks and three days along. Her due date was four days hence and she was chomping at the bit.

Chieko was like the man who has sympathy pains and goes into labor with his wife. She was fairing worse than her little wife. Miki just chugged along, doing what she always did, except maybe a little slower. The day before her due date, she was standing on a three-step stool trying to reach up and grab a shoebox for a customer, when it happened.

The customer gasped and she said, “Oh My! I think your water just broke!”

Miki just smiled and replied, “Yup! My little girl wants to make her entrance! CHIEKO! IT’S TIME!

Being this close to delivery, they were carrying Miki’s hospital bag with them wherever they went. Chieko politely apologized to the customers in the store for having to close, but they were about to have a baby.

Chieko called the clinic and asked for the doctor, but the secretary said he was already at the hospital with another delivery, and to just go, she would call him and let him know that they were on their way. Next, she called both her mother and Miki’s mom and told them they were on the way to the hospital, they were going to be grandparents.

Miki was going to try and have a vaginal birth. She was small, but a mature fifteen-year-old girl who had almost completed puberty. The hospital thought, because of her false identification, that she was sixteen, almost seventeen.

Chieko got her registered and put into the labor room. They told Chieko that she could stay in the labor room but would have to wait in the waiting room when she went to delivery. After two hours, Miki’s cervix had dilated three centimeters: seven to go. She told Chieko confidently, “If this is all there is to having a baby, I’ve got this covered.”

Three hours later when she was at five, she was crying and moaning, “Give me something! I can’t take this any longer! Help!!!!!”

“They stuck the epidural in and gave her enough anesthesia to take the edge off. She still needed to be able to feel in order to push when the time came. She was able to rest and sleep a little, but when she had dilated to around seven, the contractions were hard enough that she couldn’t sleep. The lady in the bed next to her asked, “It’s your first, right,”

In between contractions, Miki nodded and said, “Yeah, and she’s taking her sweet old time about it. I’ve been in labor seven hours already and I’m only at seven.”

“Well, Sweetie, this is my third. The first one is the hardest and you might be in labor another five or six hours. It just depends. You know, no matter, how much support you have, a woman has to go through her childbirth alone. Only you can endure that pain of bringing your child into the world. It doesn’t matter whether it’s your first or your third, we all endure this alone. This is our duty as a mother. This pain will build the bond between you and your child to last a lifetime. Be encouraged, Sweetie, she’s trying her hardest to come out and meet you. That’s why the pain. The more she pushes to come out, the more pain you feel. Believe me, child, when she arrives and you hold her in your arms, you never remember the pain; only the joy of bringing forth life.”

“Thank you, Auntie, for the wisdom of a mother. I will carry your words with me all the days of my life. The pain doesn’t seem as bad now that I understand the cycle of life and my part in it. Now that I think about it, as a woman, I have such a wonderful ability to grow life inside me and see him or her come to life.”

Chieko had left to talk to their relatives and let them know that Miki was doing fine, although in some pain. They never let her back in the labor room, but a nurse kept her updated-on Miki’s progress. Miki was very much at peace because of that woman’s wisdom to her, and even though she was alone, this was something she cherished in her heart between her and her daughter, who was fighting to come out and greet the world.

Thirteen hours later, when the doctor stuck his hand up inside her said, “Well, Sweetie, you’re fully dilated at ten centimeters. Your baby’s head is crowning at the cervix. It’s time to take you to delivery. Are you ready to see your baby?”

“Hai!”

“Well, the hard part is still ahead. You need to push and push hard. Just don’t lose heart and be strong for your baby, alright?”

“I will try my best. I will be strong for my daughter!”

“That’s the attitude I like to see in a young mother! Let’s go have a baby, okay?”

“Hai, Sensei!”

Miki pushed for a straight hour. She was about to give up when the doctor slapped the inside of her thigh and sternly said, “Come on now, your baby’s head is almost out!”

She redoubled her efforts, gritted her teeth, and grunted as she pushed with all of her strength. She heard him say, “The head is out, Miki. On the next contraction push hard. Once the shoulders are out, she’ll slide right out.”

“Miki had a nurse holding each foot and pulling her legs back next to her chest. When the next contraction came, Miki gritted her teeth and screamed out “AHHHHH!” and pushed with every fiber of her being. Sweat rolling down her face, her hair matted to her forehead and the doctor lifted the baby’s head and the bottom shoulder slipped out. “One shoulder, out! Miki gasped a second breath and screamed again “GRRRRRRR!”

The doctor pulled the baby’s top shoulder down and the baby’s top shoulder cleared. He suctioned her mouth, throat, and nose and she started screaming before her hips had cleared. She squirted out into his arms. He then held her up for Mom to see.

Miki was laughing and crying all at the same time. They cut the cord and handed the baby to a nurse. She administered the Apgar test, wiped her down, and wrapped her in a blanket. She laid the baby on Miki’s chest and Miki pulled the gown down and offered her breast. The tiny girl latched on and started to suckle. Miki cried tears of joy and stroked her daughter’s matted black hair. She whispered “Airi [EYE-ree, love & affection] mommy’s here now. I love you, Sweetie. Oh my God! She has blue eyes!”

They waited a few minutes until the Airi fell asleep, and then the nurses took her to the nursery. Miki was taken to her room after the placenta was delivered and her episiotomy was sewn and given a sponge bath. It was 3:45 am, and Miki fell asleep almost immediately from exhaustion.

A few weeks after Miki delivered in Tokyo, Little One had her turn in the delivery room at Chiba University Hospital...

Since Kiki was the “boss,” she was putting together baby furniture. Cribs and diaper changing tables to be exact. Ani Yamamoto came over to help Kiki with the assembly. When they were finished, they sat down and worked out some budget figures. What Kiki and Ani did find out is that having a baby is expensive! The delivery is ¥500,000/delivery. They can get a lump sum allowance of ¥420,000/child from the government, so the two births in Kiki’s family will only cost them ¥80,000 instead of ¥1,000,000. The monthly costs are also extravagant: ¥14,000/ month for diapers for two infants, (Girls pee more than boys), ¥500 for diaper rash cream ... the national average cost of raising a newborn in Japan was ¥500,000 for the first year not including medical care.

Little One was lovingly rubbing her belly. She turned her head and said, “Pretty soon, girls, we’re gonna have a man in the house.”

Little One was thirty-seven weeks and five days and counting.

Kiki yelled out, “Looks like we’re eating ramen for ten years!”

“Don’t yell, you’ll wake the baby.”

“I see I’ll have to train him good, right from the womb.”

Changing the subject, Kiki and Ani were talking about money. They bought two strollers, two sets of furniture, two diaper bags, and baby strap-on carriers. The way this was planned, Little One was impregnated 19 days before Baby Girl. Second babies (which Sara was having) usually come a little early. But with Baby Girl, her first baby would probably be a little late. They were hoping that Baby Girl will hopefully deliver three weeks to one month after Little One does. In Japan, they keep the mother five to ten days in the hospital after a vaginal delivery. Worst case scenario, both Baby Girl and Little One would be in the hospital at the same time and then all hell would break loose when they brought both infants home at the same time.

Kiki looked at Ani and scolded, “This is all your fault!”

Doing a mocking, Egyptian head-shake Kiki quoted him saying, “Since you have that money, both of them should get pregnant. Why wait?”

Ani nodded and agreed, “Yeah, sure.”

“You, my dear Ani, will be here changing diapers and walking crying babies. If you had any milk, I’d make you breastfeed also!”

He couldn’t resist and retorted, “Well, if you’d have kept your peter in your pants, they wouldn’t be pregnant.”

The slaves looked at each other and went “Huh??”

Kiki slapped his arm and smirked “You’re a real rip tonight. Aren’t you?”

Changing gears, he quipped, “You know Kiki dear; your plastic surgery looks great. You’re so beautiful, I’d really like to take you out.”

“Wanna sing soprano?”

Looking at Baby Girl, he asked, “Is she always this bossy?”

“Yep. Always! She’s a real bonafide slave driver. You should see her on orgy night.”

“Orgy night? I’m afraid to ask...”

Kiki smirked and said, “Why, you wanna watch?”

“Why not??”

“Okay. Let’s go. Come on girls, get naked.”

Both slaves started to unbutton their shirts and Ani said “Wait! I was only joking.”

Fifteen minutes later, reaching for a glass in the cabinet, Little One felt a twinge and grabbed her stomach. Seconds later, she looked down and said, “Ut oh ... girls, I wet the floor and I didn’t pee.”

Baby Girl grabbed Little One’s hospital bag and they headed out the door...

Little One’s labor was only five hours after which she was holding her son at her breast suckling him. He must have been a natural titman because when she put his face near her breast, little Yuichi [you-EE-chee; brave first son] started moving his head searching for the nipple, when he sensed it, he hungrily latched on and sucked hard. Little One was startled by his eagerness and she said, ‘Woah son, mama’s not going anywhere.”

Kiki cried like a baby when she saw her son through the nursery viewing window. She hugged Baby Girl and Ani and kissed Baby on the cheek saying, “You’re next, Baby Girl, give us a blue-eyed little princess.”

“I’ll try, Mama, I’ll try my best.”

The stork god was with the Kobayoshi’s and spaced Little One’s and Baby Girl’s births perfectly. Little One had come home and the girls each took turns playing with little Yuichi. He was the perfect baby. He cried very little, slept right on schedule, and was always smiling and gurgling when he was awake.

Baby Girl was forty weeks plus two days: she was late. The doctor was going to let her go another two days, and then put her in the hospital and induce labor if she hadn’t started by then. Yuichi was 37 days old.

Baby Girl was playing with the baby, lifting him, and spinning him around and it happened. She didn’t feel her water break, but the front of her lounging pajamas suddenly got wet, and she felt like she peed herself and it was running down her legs. It just so happened that today was also Baby Girl’s seventeenth birthday. Kimiko Kobayashi and her daughter, whom they named Mika [MEE-kah; beautiful fragrance] would share the same birthday.

Kiki called the doctor, then Ani Yamamoto and grabbed Baby Girl’s hospital bag while Little One grabbed Yuichi’s diaper bag and were all ready when Ani arrived.

Kiki got her registered and was allowed to go to the labor room with her as her breathing coach. Like Miki, Baby’s Girl’s delivery was a long one. Nine hours and she was dilated to 8½ centimeters. Baby Girl was a little bigger than Miki at 4’ 10½”. She was also older and her body more mature.

The nurse came in on her normal rounds and looked at the fetal heart monitor. She looked intently at it for a moment, ran a short strip, and left quietly without saying a word. The doctor returned with her a minute later and told Kiki she had to leave. She examined her and with her hand inside Baby Girl, started to do something. She was wiggling her fingers and it started to hurt, and Baby Girl asked, “What are you doing?”

Not wanting to frighten her, the doctor replied, “Shush, try to relax. I need you to stay calm and relaxed.”

At 8½ centimeters, Baby Girl’s cervix was open 4 inches. The doctor stuck her hand in, pushed the baby’s head back and hooked her finger around the umbilical cord, and pulled it over her head. The reduced heart rate noticed by the nurse flagged danger and she alerted the doctor.

When the doctor pulled her hand out of Baby Girl, she said as she pulled off her glove, “Everything is okay now. The cord was wrapped around her neck, but she’s fine now.” Baby Girl finally delivered her little Mika at 11:57 pm. Both mother and child had the same birthday. When they laid her on Baby Girl’s chest, she pulled her gown down and offered Mika her breast. Mika latched on and looked up at Mommy with bright azure blue eyes. Baby Girl looked up as if dreaming smiled and whispered in the air, “Mama, I did it!

The day Baby Girl and Mika were to go home, Kiki, Little One, and Yuichi were in the hospital lobby waiting for Ani to arrive and Baby Girl spotted him. She yelled to a doctor walking through the lobby “Sensei! ‘Sensei!”

He turned around and pointed to himself and Baby Girl nodded. He walked over and asked in Japanese, “May I help you?”

Baby Girl said, “Sensei, my sister and I chose your donation. Please look at the children you have given us.”

He was a little shocked at first, then smiled and looked at Mika and then Yuichi. He beamed a smile and kissed both babies on the forehead and then kissed their mothers on the cheek. He said, “Domo Arigato for giving me the honor of fathering your babies. Please raise them and love them for me.” With that, he waved goodbye and walked away.

Kiki, Little One, Baby Girl, and Ani looked at each other and found it hard to believe the providence of the moment.

The next month worked itself out and the girls worked out a system and got both children on the same schedule. Both Baby Girl and Little One believed in mothering both children as their own, they switched off breastfeeding each other’s child, and the children bonded with both women equally. Kiki held and cuddled each other as much as she could to bond with her son and daughter. As a perk, she had her fill of breast milk also.

Because of the deed Hitoshi required of Ayako to prove her love and loyalty backfired on him, it created a schism between the two. She felt terribly wounded that he questioned her love. She also felt betrayed that he could even think to ask her to fuck another man simply to commit murder.