She Goes with Her Father.29 And 30

Denar had news she wanted share to with Aruna.

She started, "Aruna, I wanted you to know, I believe Rampa and I are going to have a child." Aruna looked up from kneading the bread and came around the table. She hugged Denar with out reservation and told her that she thought it was wonderful. She knew her father would have no trouble providing for as many children as she and he produced.

Aruna sat Denar at the table, set a cup of tea in front of her and asked her how long she had known.

"I suspected it right after my honeymoon before we came to this home."

Aruna thought for just a second before replying, "Than you prepared my entire wedding feast with so little help, Denar you should have said something. We would have helped you more."

Denar replied, "Aruna, I have had four pregnancies and four healthy children already. I know what to expect and Rampa knew. If I needed him to, he would have asked the other women to help. I did not want to steal your wedding day from you with my announcement. It was your day."

Aruna wondered out loud, "How did you know, I mean why did you suspect?"

"I mean besides the moon time coming without your bleeding? Were there other indications?" She was genuinely interested and wanted to know. Denar began to wonder silently about her motives.

Denar explained about the changes she experienced early in pregnancy, the fullness and tenderness of her breasts, the color change in their nipples, the fullness and heaviness she felt in her lower abdomen that usually occurred when her bleeding was about to start but the feeling did not go away and the bleeding did not occur. She also mentioned that she had been running to pass her water more frequently also.

Aruna sat down abruptly. "Denar," she swallowed hard. "Denar, I may be with child too." She stated flatly. She reacted to this information with shock. She realized as it she revealed it. It both frightened her and excited her.

She thought out loud, "I should tell Ozo, he will be so happy." "He wants a big family." "I do too."

Denar cautioned, "Sometimes it is not a baby Aruna, sometimes it is a false pregnancy. Perhaps it would be prudent to wait a few more weeks before telling Ozo. Men can get so involved with the idea of a child and if it does not happen - well it is hard on them."

Aruna digested this bit of advice. After a few moments of thought she had to agree. She would not want to upset Ozo if it were not so.

Part thirty.

The next day Aruna felt she had no appetite at all at breakfast. She rose from bed feeling nauseous. As soon as Ozo had gone to the barn she ran over to Denar's kitchen area to talk. Rampa was still there and was happy to see her. He was delighted to see Aruna visiting Denar and stayed with her, he did not realize that she needed to speak with Denar alone.

Aruna was so worried that something was wrong with her; she wanted to know what the digestive problems would do to her pregnancy. If only she could ask Denar, she had so many children already and knew about these things. Rampa poured himself another cup of tea and dawdled. 'Oh,' thought Aruna, 'will he ever finish with his breakfast and leave?' Aruna waited patiently as Rampa asked her benign questions about the house, she answered them politely. She squirmed in her seat. Final Rampa drained his cup and left to ready his camels for another trading mission, stating absently that he wanted to leave with Lazeik and Ren in the next morning. With Rampa finally gone to the storage shed Denar was all hers.

Taking a deep breath, she began, "Something's wrong Denar." "I am unable to eat." Aruna stated, her tone more than her words revealing her distress.

Denar suspected she knew shat was happening, "Aruna, what do you mean you can not eat, have you emptied your stomach contents?"

"No," was Aruna's puzzled reply, "I just keep feeling pressure as thought I were going to."

"Oh, don't worry," Denar reassured her, "that is a normal part of pregnancy, it should pass in a month or three."

"Until it passes make sure you take in enough liquids so your body does not become too dry. The baby needs plenty of water You must keep your body well wet. The feeling in your stomach, the pressure should just be there first thing in the morning. It will pass as the day goes on. Take a bit of tea and a few bites of dry bread until lunch. You should be fine."

"Than there really is a baby, it is not just my body thinking there is one." This came out with a huge glowing; smile, her distress lifted immediately.

"Oh yes with this development, I would say there defiantly is a baby." "In about eight and a half moons you should meet your first child. Mine will be here only one moon before yours. They will be like twins, born at the same time".

The two stood for several moments staring off into space, each lost in their own thoughts. The silence was broken when the two youngest, Sarah and Boc came running into the kitchen to share some news. They had found a bird's nest in their play as they roamed the surrounding hills. It contained eggs, four of them!

When Aruna shared her news with Ozo he was joyous beyond words. He picked her up, swung her around and planted a huge kiss on her cheek. When he put her down his cheeks were wet with tears of joy. He was so happy and immediately started planning a cradle and another room to their home. Mind now, that another room was not necessary; they had sleeping room for four more adults as it was but he was just so excited he was not thinking practically. Rampa left on his trip, He was gone for two moons and half of the next moon this time, He wanted to finish his trading early this season to be there in case his Denar needed anything when it was her time. He would make one more, longer than usual, trip instead of three this season. He had done this before, it seemed long ago, when he was first married to Lena. He thought of her often now that Denar was with their first child. He hoped she watched from the heavens and approved of his choice of a wife to raise her children. He was certainly pleased.