Chapter 9: Carmen, Carlos, Sergio - Priya

The next morning, as a happy father, I sat on the terrace of the palazzo and pondered about life in general and mine in particular. The two weeks with Mayari were a great pleasure for me, but also brought a lot of new insights. For this, I now also needed some physical rest. The birth of Uma had dramatically shown me on which tightrope we move in life in general and here in particular. I was infinitely grateful that Luisa was increasingly regaining her strength and Uma was a perfectly healthy child, my first child, what a joy. Back then I had laughed when my sister raved about her child, today I understand her, especially since she had done the greatest thing, the exhausting birth. I would like to tell her this today and take her in my arms.

Already Priya came to me. “Before I ask you tonight if you are ready for a partnership with me, I wanted to talk to you. Esther and Lenya recommended this to me.”

“And that’s a good idea, Priya. Thanks. Please understand me. This is all going too fast for me now.” When she pouted, I took her in my arms. “Please, Priya. It doesn’t go on like this. It’s just beyond my powers, physically and mentally. I need a break; I have to take care of Luisa, Ramona, and Carmen. In addition, you probably also want me to have some time for the expectant mothers. Esther, Zarina, and Mayari should feel that I am responsible for them and their pregnancy. Do you understand that Priya?”

“Yes, of course, but Mayari isn’t pregnant yet, is she?”

“That will only become apparent after the test, it is probably done.”

“But I was so looking forward to today. I want it, very, very much.”

“That’s very nice for you, Priya. But we are people, not machines. Can I be totally honest with you, even if it might hurt?” Priya looked at me questioningly. “Everything you do, you do with pleasure and well, but it has a purpose, you do it mainly for yourself, for your reputation, for your inner well-being, for your own feeling of happiness. This helps us a lot, because you are always reliable, you bring everything to a good end. But there is a good deal of selfishness behind it. Everyone should have it, everyone needs it, but with you it dominates.”

The Vietnamese teeny looked at me sadly. “Do you really think so badly of me? I just want the best for everyone.”

“Priya, please excuse me if I hurt you. In your own way, you are a particularly valuable young woman to me. But maybe you think about my words, talk to Mrs. Liebknecht or Olivia about it. You are a very important part of us. Put your interests behind you. It’s only five days you have to wait.” Priya wanted to answer. “But...” I cut off her word. “Please think first, Priya. Check out your menstruation calendar. I’ve probably thought about it and planned it.”

Surprised, she said, “How do you know that? Yes, I had my days until yesterday, actually until today.”

“Esther enters all the withdrawals of medicine, bandage material and the like in a file. I can quickly see who needs help on a monthly basis and when, especially since we have to be economical in this area.” Priya laughed shyly, slightly embarrassed. “Interesting, you are a special man, already one to me. What you’re thinking about, not to believe.” At the end of our conversation, she received a kiss on her lips. “I’m looking forward to our time, Priya.” She took me very strong in her arms. We had come a significant step closer to each other.

I had also become aware of something else. How strange the hugs with my girls had felt recently, many had not even gone to my chest from the size. Now most of them could kiss me if they stood on their tiptoes and I leaned forward a little. I wanted to see that in black and white. Whistling before me, I went to the doctor’s room. Esther was just massaging Ramona, who was increasingly having problems with her back. Sometimes it was good that I didn’t know or notice everything but watching the two so dear to each other was a joy.

“Hello, dear ones. Esther, you’re a sweetheart, but first Ramona gets a smack.” Ramona drew me to her. “Thank you for looking after me. It’s okay, but my back goes on strike every now and then.” The kiss became more violent. “I love you, Ramona. You, you’re all so brave. Without you, I would be a minor character.” Ramona stroked my lightening hair. “And without you we would be quarrelsome women. It’s as good as it is with us.”

Then I stepped behind Esther, who continued to knead the shoulders of our pregnant doctor. “Esther, you have made me so happy. You saved my first child and Luisa. You carry a child of your own for us. You have one wish free. I planned five days off for my wives. Priya may would be a little annoyed, but the two mothers and my pregnant women deserve that I have some time for them.” I had flattered her neck with my mouth and my hands were on her body.

“Ramona, are you mad at me if I want room 13?” A shout escaped Ramona. “Stupid girl, do this. If it were still possible for me, I would have the same wish.”

“How are your complaints, your nausea, Esther? Would we rather wait another two or three days?”

“Luisa mixed a tea with Olivia’s help and cooked me one every day, which calms the stomach immensely. I’m fine again.” This time our lips met. “So that you may have some of it, too, on Monday, that is, in two days, I have half a day just for you.”

Our kiss became passionate. Nevertheless, I also remarked, “Unfortunately, I notice that three young ladies have demanded too much of me in the last six weeks. It’s bad, but I’m not twenty anymore.” The women giggled with amusement and understanding.

Now I looked at the latest size chart on the PC. Except for Daja, all the girls were taller than one meter sixty-five. But Daja also caught up. Since she deliberately drank her tea from April and chewed coca leaves twice a week, she had grown by nine centimetres. Luisa was now the smallest woman next to Daja. A guard of young Amazons surrounded me for weeks, no longer the small, sometimes awkward children of ten months ago. I had to get rid of that once tonight. Although mental maturity, which was often already adult thinking, was more important to me, the girls should know how much I was impressed by their increasing femininity, their physical development.

While Esther the doctor was now massaging around the painful coccyx, I copied thirteen photos of the girls from August last year and from June 1st from Esther’s notebook. It had really been a good idea to take a full-body and a portrait photo of each girl every month at the first measuring and weighing. I made a PowerPoint presentation on my PC. It always flipped first a photo of a child from last August on the left side, then the current photo of a young woman on the right next to it. It was already impressive for me what ten months amounted to. The faces spoke even more of maturity and character than the size. What would our young ladies say to this?

Babette and Sula approached me full of pride. “The buggies and the trailer are serviced and cleaned. Priya is now still doing the maintenance of the electrics,” it gushed out of Sula. “And the excavator is driving again. We removed a gear, turned it 180 degrees, it works.” Babette was justifiably proud.

“What have you done, disassembled and reassembled the excavator alone? You’re crazy. That’s what I wanted to do.”

“You should make children; this is also important.” We laughed like men after a dirty joke. Our embrace did not want to end. Babette’s bosom pressed against my chest. Soon she was as big as me. Once again, my thoughts about the development of the young ladies were confirmed to me, even highly erotic, because Babette recently took every opportunity to present her bosom to me.

In the afternoon I visited Carmen. She had only three weeks left. Moaning and sighing, she said, “I can’t take it any longer. It’s all getting too much for me.”

“You have been so brave so far, Carmen, you can still manage the short time. I know how strong you are.”

My right hand was on her really impressive body. I kissed her very sweetly. She smelled something awful because she couldn’t make the stairs to the shower room anymore, but I didn’t care. After the fall birth of Luisa, I was afraid of any further birth.

“Carmen, if you want it, Ramona initiates the birth. She can do that, but every day longer is good for our child.”

Now she kissed me. “I know, Michael. I’m sure I can make it another week, but it would be nice if Ramona would visit me again. How’s she doing?”

“She has severe back pain, but otherwise she is fine.” We lay down side by side on the bed. “You women make me so happy, Carmen. You can’t imagine how much I’m looking forward to our child. Is it Carlos or Carla?” I asked.

Proudly she said, “I know it from Ramona. It will be our Carlos it was clearly seen.”

We held hands. Her breathing became more and more even, and then light snores followed. Yes, she needed rest. Quietly I crept away.

Alejandra was in the basement as often, taking care of the laundry. My hug pleased her. She showed me how the girls’ things gradually wore out. The T-shirts were washed out; even the long jeans were almost at the end. Likewise, the pyjamas had to be sewn again and again, not to mention the knickers. We still had a few reserves, but that didn’t work for a long time. We had to think of something. Toilet paper, paper handkerchiefs were out, there were no spare clothes for taller ladies. We had enough children’s clothes for the nine children in the pipeline, but how often could you wear them when one child after another was born? Even the bicycles could not be repaired because there were no spare hoses or patches. We haven’t even been here for a year. Gradually, we lacked the connection to the outside world, to the shopping of the most necessary.

I asked Alejandra to try it with someone from the village if she could get help for sewing. I wanted to provide a sewing machine and fabrics from the warehouse, but sewing thread was also available only to a limited extent. We may have to separate worn clothes and process them into sewing threads.

Olivia came running down the stairs. She had heard my voice. She jumped at me like a little girl, not like a young mom. She wanted to try it, to learn sewing with the machine, but she had no experience of sewing at all.

She pulled me into her room to show the progress of her Michael. He had just fallen asleep. Then her mouth hammered a staccato of kisses on my lips. “Michael, when can we finally get back? I want to go with you to room 13.” I looked her in the eyes very firmly.

“First, I have to speak to Mrs. Liebknecht. Your birth was less than two months ago. Your bad wounds haven’t healed yet.”

“Yes, they are. I’m doing great.”

“Patience, my dear, patience. You still have so much time in your life.”

“You’re right, but I’m looking forward to having a child from you, from my apunchik. That is my greatest wish.”

We held each other in our arms. “My biggest wish is that your Michael continues to thrive so well, and your body is really completely restored. You’re not ready yet, Olivia. Look at that, please.”

She nodded. “I know, dearest. This is really the most important thing. But it’s nice to dream on your chest.” Soon we were lying next to each other on the bed and caressed each other tenderly, but I did not allow touches below my belt.

Then Florence and Leonie were on my program. I pressed both of them very tightly to me and kissed them on the forehead. They were doing very well. It was with great pleasure that I saw her shining eyes when I stroked both of the women.

There was another fight in the village. It was about cleaning the saloon. Actually, it was logical that if a family with two people used the room for eating and watching TV, they should do the cleaning twice as often as the single widows. Inside I had to laugh. Indios quarrelled over regular cleaning. Wasn’t that great? In the slums in the cities, this had little meaning. There was a lot of dirt and stench.

Of course, I did not want to intervene, especially since without Carmen or Olivia, no one here understood me. But I made it clear that Nuria and Alonso, the two elders, should not be used at all. Suddenly there was peace, which Leonie took over for Nuria and Florence for Alonso an additional week of cleaning. Djamila put Nuria and Alonso on the list and enlisted the volunteers.

Florence drew Leonie and me to her cottage. She was especially happy about my visit. From her cooking place in front of the hut, she served a guinea pig, cut off a hot leg for both of us and was very happy when I praised the roast. In addition, she handed us a small punch of broad beans. She wanted to give me some salt, but I refused. The meagre supplies were barely enough for them. One thing was unbelievable for me. She was in the seventh month but moved like a sporty thirty-year-old. The Indian women were very special.

With voice radio I informed that I was invited to dinner in the village, so I would not be back for dinner. Then four girls, or rather young women, jumped around the corner with a cry to frighten us, but I had already heard their whispering. They had been busy in the village again. Everyone got her hug, but I pulled Mayari on my lap. “On Tuesday you have your test? Are you fine?”

Excited, she kissed me, as if I had not been near her for a long time. “I’m so glad to see you. I’m doing great. - I could do it again.” Her three friends laughed heartily. I whispered in Mayari’s ear that I had time for her on Tuesday afternoon.

“Really?” She almost threw me off the chair at the following stormy embrace.

Of course, the other three wanted to know what was going on. My “Our secret” was an unsatisfactory answer for them. The four ladies led me to a place in the direction of the cemetery. They had raised forty young araucarias. These were only between ten and fifteen centimetres high, but I was happy. There were already some places where trees and shrubs grew for later transplanting. Our valley should become even greener and thus more weather- and wind-protected.

Isabella and Mayari wanted to accompany me to the upper valley, where the hot fountain had unfortunately dried up. The girls quickly harvested carrots, tomatoes, and the small plantains. Let’s see if we found our monkeys again.

The two larger dried-up lakes were busy. Many animals took the opportunity to improve their salt balance. Four monkey families ate from the salty earth right next to the eruption site. The wild goats, llamas, and alpacas, on the other hand, licked the stones. Many birds also flew down again and again and hacked in the ground. Even a lot of turkeys and their hens were here, maybe just so as not to lose the protection of the alpacas.

Slowly we walked in a wide arc around the big lake. We didn’t want to worry the animals. There were still some puddles of muddy water, I saw now. The monkeys tore us out first, but we garnished the ground with pieces of carrots and tomatoes. The unfortunately still immature little bananas they picked up later with the utmost caution directly from us. It was heavenly. In Africa, I had once seen, during a great drought, how crowds of animals gathered at the only watering hole. It was like this here, but without elephants, giraffes, or zebras.

Suddenly Isabella pressed herself against me. “It’s so beautiful here. We want to stay here in our valley and have many children. Will it be my turn soon? I’m so excited.” Now I pulled the little one from Nicaragua on my lap. “Yes, it’s beautiful here, Isabella, but don’t go crazy about a child. We still have so much time together. It’s fixed for me. No one comes to us anymore, at least not so fast. Doesn’t it matter how many weeks or months pass before I have time and strength for you?”

Mayari replied, because Isabella had not understood it so quickly, “Yes, we still have a lot of time. But all my friends were so curious, so I told them about my feelings. Since then, even Daja wants a child, who actually wanted to wait another year.”

“No one thinks of me poor man. I won’t be able to do that any time soon.” I pouted in fun. Then I got a consolation kiss on the left and right at the same time. We put the remaining bananas on the stones and went back. When a llama broke out in fright because of us, panic arose. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a camera with us when the masses of animals galloped away or flew away, but it was extremely impressive.

At the top pond I smoked my first cigarette for today, while the two girls tried to get some fish out of the pond. After all, Isabella was like Sula, three leeches hung on her legs at once. She screamed, but I ran to her and redeemed her by the blazing heat of my cigarette. Gratefully, she cuddled up to me again. From the cardboard of my cigarette box, I tore off three small pieces, because we did not have paper with us. The cardboard sucked up with blood, stuck on and let the bleeding dry up. Isabella gave me a kiss on the forehead when I was still crouching in front of her.

I still have to report on the special Saturday evening. We had Esther’s notebook connected to the big TV. I whispered especially mysteriously and announced a super interesting photo show. First there were pictures of the valley, of Luisa, Frau Liebknecht, and me as well as of Olivia, Carmen, and Alejandra. Then for the first time the date 03.08.2016 appeared on the left of the screen, Cara as a child and as a young woman followed on 01.06.2017. The girls laughed and roared at the first photo but became thoughtful when they alone saw the size differences. The two pictures next to each other clearly showed the womanising of a child. I still referred to the facial expression, and everyone agreed. Cara was unlikely to have matured. Now I let the pictures go through a little faster, but for each girl there was a minute to comment and cheer. Everyone was eagerly waiting to see when her photo from the third day in the valley was displayed and cheered accordingly. As the penultimate, it was Lenya’s turn. With her, it was also particularly clear how her strict face and breasts emphasized her new femininity. From a child, Madame Vernushina had become a woman, a respected teacher. Babette’s photos finally made the mood explode. The little child Babette has grown from one meter forty-nine to one meter seventy-three, that is, twenty-four centimetres in nine months, certainly not normal, but what was normal here in the valley under the dreamlike conditions?

My whistle called everyone to me. I hinted at how small and shy the girls were then, how many of them just went up to my stomach, and what they were now for young ladies in the very best sense. As on the third day together, I took each of them in my arms, hugged them and gave each a kiss on the forehead. Lenya and Zarina tuned purely out of the feeling. “We shall overcome.” Everyone sang along with emotion, certainly thinking about the singing back then, about the first dramatic days and our fear of the future.

After the song I shouted, as I did ten months ago, “We will overcome.” Everyone agreed; there was a real shouting chorus for nearly two minutes.

Ramona only found out today how this evening and our fraternization had gone. The tears were running down her face again. Luisa suddenly stood between us and cried with us. Someone clapped the rhythm and it sounded, “You raise me up” with such a lot of feeling. Again, I pointed to each one and each knew their contribution to what we had become by now, an incredibly great, tightly welded collective.

Secretly, I also wiped off a few tears, but everyone who had noticed this nodded to me fondly. They knew what our team and each one meant to me.

Sunday is quickly told. Everyone enjoyed the free hours and rested. Esther and Fahsai were playing chess again. Priya, if possible, wanted to play table tennis with every girl. In the meantime, we all had no chance against her, because she practiced obsessively in her free time.

You really felt the unrest when I walked through the gate hand in hand with Zarina. In the direction of room 13, everyone knew that immediately. Esther and Mayari later told me how they had to explain that pregnant women wanted to be caressed by their partner from time to time. Esther had said she owned my Monday, Mayari emphasized her Tuesday with me. After all, everyone agreed, if I would keep it that way with her later. Even Priya stressed that she would like to wait a few days more so that I could take care of the expectant mothers.

I was especially fond of Zarina in the special room, but her desire was cooled by the confirmed pregnancy. However, we took an hour to simply caress and feel good. Finally, we sat on the terrace of the Casa, chatted almost continuously, which was not exactly Zarina’s common way. I explained this to myself with the special honour I had given her in front of everyone. But her hands held mine very tightly. It seemed, she wanted to take roots with me; I scoffed in a loving tone. Then I got a particularly hot kiss.

A short time later we went with Olivia to Carmen. She promised me that she would use the walkie-talkie to contact Olivia or me immediately if things got going or if she couldn’t take it anymore. Nevertheless, today I decided to ask Ramona for the short-term initiation of the birth. I had to think of Mayari, who had heard two hearts in Carmen’s body. For me, twins would be the explanation for Carmen’s girth and her declining strength.

On Tuesday, right after the early breakfast, it was time. Esther had lain happily in my arms here in the house the day before and enjoyed our togetherness. Now, with all her might, she took on the great responsibility of initiating the birth under Ramona’s guidance. We might have a long night ahead of us. Everyone knew that the first birth of a woman normally lasted at least ten to twelve hours, often even longer. Esther hung Carmen on the drip and began with careful body massage. Olivia had already done the intimate hair removal and thorough cleaning. Carmen visibly relaxed. We were all much more excited, while Carmen knew she would be redeemed, so she seemed really relaxed until the contractions started.

Maybe you don’t understand me, I was the father of the child after all, but I couldn’t see a woman suffering like that. So, I went with Mayari to the container warehouse for the promised love hour. It was two very nice hours, although we were disturbed by Sula and Babette in between, when my assistants looked for tools and material for some repair, but they did not discover us in our love nest in a container.

Mayari went with me to my bathroom to take a shower. Priya saw us, laughed, and raised a thumb. Lenya and Cara called us something, but we were not yet open to others. Priya finally drove me to the Casa. For six hours Esther had been fighting for Carmen’s birth. It will take another hour or two, Ramona told me. Nervous as I was, I smoked a cigarette on the terrace of the Casa. Alejandra brought me a can of beer and a glass. Suddenly there was excitement in the house. Carefully I looked through the half-open door.

“It’s coming, it’s coming. Keep it up, Carmen, very nice. - Pressing, yes, more...” The woman who gave birth was brave and helped by example. The head was visible and ‘slip’; the birth was completed. Esther needed the light slap to make Carlos scream for air. Olivia dabbed Carmen’s face again and stroked her. After a few minutes, the little one was lying on her chest.

All of a sudden, Carmen screamed like crazy. A mighty woe had seized her, labour started again. This could not be the afterbirth. Esther put her ear to the still bulging body. “A miracle, there’s another one coming.” the Hungarian called, but it did not want to come. Carmen screamed more and more violently. The second child did not come; it was the wrong way around. Something incredible happened for me. Esther gripped Carmen’s body with relative force with her right hand and directed the baby’s head towards the birth canal. After less than two minutes, the twin child was born. Esther also took care of the child like a professional.

Carmen had nodded off to us now, but Ramona brought her back with a strong-smelling solution, a kind of Ethyl chloride. Carmen stared at her second child in disbelief. She was astonished, she couldn’t believe it. As she smiled in a strange way; I was happy, she has accepted the second boy.

Ramona pulled me out of the room. In tears, she begged my forgiveness. “I should have recognized two children. Damn, I failed.”

“Calm down, Ramona, the technique is not perfect either. But what Esther did...”

Ramona fell around my neck. “Esther makes me so happy. She is a blessing.” The highly pregnant doctor now wanted to take Esther’s place and dress accordingly. She had everything with her. When I scolded her, Priya jumped in. “I saw the afterbirth and the cleaning at Luisa’s and I did it, I’ll do it now. You take care for your child in your womb, Mrs. Liebknecht. This is more important.” I gratefully brushed Priya’s hair.

Priya replaced Esther and I helped our obstetrician into the shower room. Her tension had not yet subsided, but my continuous praises finally brought a smile to her face. After all, I was sitting with her on the terrace. Alejandra gave her a snack and strong tea. Actually, I wanted to know how she had come up with the idea of turning the child in the womb, but there was time for that later. However, she told it by herself, she wanted to get rid of her own tension.

Months ago, the two women had once discussed that with multiple births such a thing could be happen and sometimes special actions were necessary. But this was before Olivia’s birth, and only theory. Even Ramona had not experienced this yet. Esther had shaped the gloved right hand accordingly and looked briefly inquiringly at Ramona. The doctor nodded to her understandingly.

After a few minutes, Esther helped her friend Priya, who, according to Ramona, had done the immediate aftercare in an exemplary way. Nevertheless, it was clear to me that I could not cope with this in the long run. My own inner tension, which often helped me with necessary quick decisions, could not last long for a birth. Fortunately, my tension was broken up with Mayari when we were together, but I couldn’t sleep with a woman every time another woman was fighting for her life and that of her child. Except Priya, no one had noticed my misstep, but how was it necessary to evaluate this morally? I didn’t know it, I was ashamed of it inwardly, but at the same time I had the feeling that it was right to protect myself with it, once again a vicious circle.

Babette and Priya helped me to get a second crib from the camp for Carmen and to prepare the second boy; Sergio called according to Carmen’s wish. It was a good sign if Carmen had thought about it in the short time. Sula was given the order to get the only heater from the main building for the birth room. It was getting colder outside every day. July was actually always the coldest month in the valley, but this June was cold also. Of course, we would all freeze in the Palazzo, but the new-borns needed warmth more than everyone else.

Carmen’s body only needed a simple fixation to care for the small tear wound. Esther did the sewing professionally under local anaesthesia. I took Ramona and Esther home just before six o’clock in the evening. Kira and Isabella had volunteered and shared the night watch with Carmen. The two of them gladly accepted my grateful glances. Priya had once again instructed her in the operation of the voice radio, but the test immediately worked flawlessly.

----

Six girls had already seen the new babies, seven rushed at us with questions and full of compassion. “It’s wonderful, we have two healthy boys. Priya will tell you everything after dinner. Do you understand that: 2850 and 2800 grams, both 48 centimetres - completely extraordinary for a twin birth.” The cheers were huge, although Cara immediately asked: “Twins, can this also happen to us?”

“Yes, it can, but at sixty to seventy births, on average, there is a multiple birth. So, the probability is low for you.”

Ramona was back in her element, wanted to keep talking. I nudged her and whispered; “Say something to Esther and Priya.” That’s when Ramona burst into tears. She was back at the exhausting birth, could only stammer: “Unfortunately could ... I wanted to ... oh, Esther, come here ... She has Carmen today ... and also the second child ... Sergio - saved his life. She is a heroine, our heroine of the day.”

Finally, Priya also got her praise for her intervention and the further care of Carmen. Nine girls hugged Esther and Priya. Babette shouted, “Esther and Priya, they are ... great - great - great.” Babette repeated her invented battle cry, it was deafening. Luisa rushed over and was happy with us.

Cara’s food had unfortunately become a bit cold, but everyone was happy to accept that. Then there was hot tea. Luisa, Esther, and Ramona lay down in bed, the other girls went with me to the cinema, warm up and celebrate something. Babette and Sula showed me two bottles of wine. “May we?” In no time, everyone had a glass in their hands, it seemed agreed, even Mayari. Zarina gave me her filled glass, she renounced because of her future child. What was left for me other than “For good!” to say?