ALIVE: Chapter 91 the Queen’s Birthday

Neither Joachim, nor Anna ever told their neighbors about the disgrace they endured at the temple in Jerusalem, nor of the appearance of the angel. To everyone around them it was just something of a miracle that such an old couple would bear a child.

As the weeks went by Anna’s belly swelled around her, thickening her waist. Her face changed in the manner of a woman who carries a daughter in her womb. Thus it became obvious to the ladies in the village that elderly Anna was with a girl child. And yet, the notion of Anna’s miracle child being a girl confused some of them. The concept of a miracle pregnancy producing a girl child was unlikely. Sarah’s Isaac was a boy, so too Rachel’s Joseph. When ever was a girl, rather than a male a gift from God? “Perhaps, it is a boy after all.” thought the gossiping ladies with one mind. “Or, that Joachim and Anna will have a spinster girl to tend to them in their old age, or to give them many grandchildren. If so, this gift is only for them, and not for God’s purpose, and therefore not important.” reasoned the practical ladies. 

But it wasn’t just the peasant women who were unaware of the historic proportion of what was transpiring in their mundane lives in the village of Nazareth. While men and women alike went about working to eat and eating to work, growing vegetables and fruit trees in their parched earth, and tending their flocks, weaving their cotton and wool, little did anyone know, even the elderly couple, that the growing fetus in Anna’s womb would be the most revered woman in the history of mankind. More than that, it was the primal seed of eternal life. Even the angels did not yet know the magnificence inherent in the simple unlikely pregnancy of elderly Anna.

Joachim’s forgotten shame had turned to joy. “Beloved wife, how do you feel today?”

Anna’s smile penetrated through the intense discomfort of her ever-present nausea, and now through intense exhaustion. She spit into her bucket and replied, “I am well.” 

“What can I do for you my dear?” 

“Please go to Deborah the midwife and ask her to come to me.”  

“Of course, right away. Is it your time?” 

“I don’t think so, I just want to speak with her. I am too tired to go to her. But I’m fine.” replied Anna and then spit again into the bucket. Suddenly a wave of nausea came over her. She tried hard to absorb the nausea rather than run to her vomiting hole while Joachim was present. She wanted to spare her husband the awful sound of it, and try, hard as it was, to retain an ounce of dignity. 

Joachim nodded and then stoked the fire, grabbed his coat and went to get the midwife all the while wondering how younger fathers dealt with such uncertainty. How many women had he known who died in childbirth. The fear of losing his dear Anna was more than he could bear. How much more likely that this ill elderly woman could not survive childbirth, than the women half her age, and who have left motherless infants behind. How could he cope since his mother and hers had been in the grave for many years. Who would nurse for their baby? 

Joachim was not accustomed to fretting, but this odd situation had brought with it a flood of uncharacteristic thoughts that haunted the poor old man. The illness of his wife’s pregnancy had alienated Joachim from Anna and he felt abandoned and lonely.

Deborah opened the door promptly, “Hello Joachim! Is it Anna’s time?”

Joachim replied somewhat sheepishly, “I don’t think so, she just wants you to visit her. Are you able to go to my house?”

“Let me finish a few things here; I will be over shortly.” Looking in the eyes of this forlorn old man, Deborah added, “Joachim, everything will be fine! You’ll see. You will have a little baby soon, maybe a son! Cheer up!”

Meanwhile in the skies, αngels of every rank headed down through each level of heaven to the little village of Nazareth, and into the room where the infant, the future Mother of God, was about to enter the world. To the heavenly host and to God himself, the event of this birth was as profound as the creation of Eve. God and His angels not only wanted to witness the birth, they went to create a Holy Spirit shield, a blessed buffer zone between the holy family and the diabolical spirits. 

While she was waiting for Deborah to arrive Anna started to tidy up her home. She had been preparing for the infant’s arrival for weeks. Her kind and generous neighbors had brought the rocking cradle and swaddling clothes. Just looking at the paraphernalia brought joy and thanksgiving to her heart. To keep from spitting Anna started chanting hymns in a low voice, only for the ears of the Lord. Her heart was overflowing with “a good theme” as the psalm said. Her home was quiet and cozy. Anna was content and sleepy within it. She was unaware that inside her body, so gradually that she didn’t even notice her cervix was widening in preparation for the birth. Anna’s chanting was interrupted by a rap on the door. She smiled in relief that Deborah had arrived. A sweet flowery smell as of incense wafted by her nostrils and she wondered briefly where it came from as she walked over to open the door. 

“Greetings, my dear! How do you feel?”

“I feel sleepy but wonderful,” exclaimed Anna, surprised to hear herself exclaim health and happiness. 

“What can I do for you then?” 

“I want to know what to expect.” inquired Anna who had heard the explanation many times, but wanted to hear it again and have the company of kind Deborah in whose presence she felt calm and peaceful, as if Deborah was the antidote to nausea.

“As your opening grows to let the infant out, you will feel pain, perhaps a lot of pain. Do not clench yourself as you want, but instead try to do the opposite, relax.

Your contractions will come in waves and you will be able to rest between them. When you are wide open, I will ask you to push. But not before. You will be sitting on your legs so the infant can fall out, and after it comes out, I will ask you to lay back, so I can cut the cord and pull out the afterbirth, You can do this Anna, I will be with you every step of the way. I have five children of my own and I have attended scores of births. You are in good hands.”

Anna relished Deborah’s confidence. “I wonder if this baby will be born on Rosh Hashanah, to greet the new world on New Year’s Day?” 

Deborah replied, “Anna whether or not the baby comes on Rosh Hashanah, it will be a New Year’s Day, and new life for you. I must get back to my children who surely would have destroyed the home by now.” She gave Anna a little hug and left her alone with the first of thousands of visiting angels. 

Indeed Deborah’s visit gave Anna a feeling of peace and joy. So much that she laid down for a moment and fell into a deep sleep. Anna dreamt of angels singing and she was so very happy. And then she looked up and saw bars as in a jail. Behind the bars were wild animals growling and howling to get out, but they couldn’t. She looked at them fiercely fighting with each other for their anger against the bars of their confinement. Anna was not threatened at all. She glared at them in confusion and pity. She was secure and she knew it. Suddenly she was lifted out of that scene and carried into the luminous sky. The air was fresh and smelled of flowers. Her mother appeared and began to speak to her. Anna was so happy to see her mother when suddenly the sunbeam hit Anna’s sleeping eyes and woke her up. She lay there for several minutes trying to return to her dream, to her mother, but finally gave up and got up. It was time to cook Joachim’s supper.

When she stood up water trickled down her legs. Was it urine? No, she couldn’t stop it! Anna made her way to the door and opened it and shouted to the blurry passers by, “Quick, get Joachim and Deborah, my baby is coming!” She noticed that she had been heard and the blurry people scurried out in different directions.

Anna shut the door and rushed over to her bed. Oh! The pain! It was at first dull but strong. She forgot to relax but clenched her whole body. She breathed long strong breaths of air. She was doing everything wrong when Deborah and her daughter came rushing in. 

“Thank God you are here. My baby is coming!” 

“Okay, my dear try to relax. You will need your strength.” 

As Anna and the midwife were preparing for the birth, three ladies entered and began to chant to relax the old woman. Their presence was a welcome surprise for Anna and Deborah. 

Joachim rushed in. Deborah said, “Joachim, do you want to be in here or do you want to wait outside?” 

Joachim was confused by the question and didn’t know how to reply since both choices were so foreign to him. He thought for a while, and listened for the answer from his heart. As his guardian angel concentrated hard to transmit to Joachim, that he should stay and wipe her brow, or let her clench his hand. He could be useful, and give the couple a shared memory of this special birth.

“I will stay Deborah. What can I do to help? Oh, my dear Anna.” Joachim was not ready for this phase. He had only in the last month with compassion for his wife become accustomed to the spitting and vomiting. He often wondered how he would have gone through the intense physical transformation that she had to accept these last months. 

Joachim was jarred out of his thoughts with a loud scream, followed by a train of screams that were as frightening as thunder and as long.

Both guardian angels shot a frightened look at Gabriel and then at God as if to say “What do we do?”

God replied calmly, “She is human, this is the curse of Eve, she will survive. In fact, when the child is in her arms she will forget all about the pain.”

The angels nodded, Joachim shut his eyes and winced in sympathy. Piercing scream followed piercing scream separated by the lulls when there was quiet breathing. Anna was drenched in sweat. Her long gray hair flowed down beside her face and down her back like rivulets from a mountain stream. “Help me. Help me Lord!” cried Anna when she could speak. 

Deborah’s daughter handed Joachim a wet cloth. He accepted it gratefully and wiped his brow. “No, wipe HER brow!” said the girl and took back the cloth to refresh the water. Joachim apologized and took Anna’s hand between his two hands and gave her a perfect expression of the helplessness he felt. When the rag was returned, he gladly received it and wiped the sweat and tears from his wife’s red swollen face. In her pain and suffering Joachim noticed that she hadn’t looked so young in years. 

After several hours of screams and quiet rest, Deborah said, “Fetch all the pillows you can find, I want to look.” Her daughter gathered the pillows from around the home and skillfully placed them behind Anna’s crouching body. She then gently guided the woman to sit and then lay back. Anna was glad to do that as her legs had grown stiff and sore in that position for so long. So used to pain, she barely noticed the seething tremble of her legs as they straighten out. She lay down and closed her eyes to rest. Her body was completely still. Her unnumbing legs were all the pain she felt. The baby was still. 

Deborah gave Anna the time to rest knowing how short it would be as she gently spread Anna’s legs and peered between them. A ray of light that streamed into the home from the sunrise was a welcome help. “Yes, I see the crown!” exclaimed Deborah, just as the next scream ejaculated from Anna’s mouth. 

“Get back up and push with all your might!” ordered Deborah without an ounce of compassion. 

Joachim and the daughter lifted Anna by the armpits back up onto her crouching position. The sleepy choir began chanting again. 

Anna obediently pushed as hard as she could. The infant tore through her mother’s cervix and slid into the waiting arms of the midwife. 

All the angels cheered their silent cheer. God smiled the smile of the Father. Joachim glared in shock; tears streaming down his eyes as he beheld the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. 

The cry of the infant was melodious and sweet, almost rhythmical.

Deborah announced immediately, “It’s a girl!” And then busily got to work, to cut the cord. After she severed the child from her exhausted mother. She handed the baby to her daughter to clean and swaddle. “Stay there, you still must deliver the placenta. Push once more Anna.” 

Soon, Joachim helped Anna lay down on the waiting pillows. Deborah busily cleaned the mess. Joachim helped the daughter replace the sheets with which he covered his beautiful wife, the mother of his child. 

The baby girl continued to sing her whimpering cries until the daughter handed the swaddled baby to her smiling mother. Joachim’s muscular arms enveloped his family and his head leaned against his wife and tilted to soak in the sight of his infant daughter.

Archangel Michael ordered the angels to disperse and return to their posts. God cast a little uncreated light, the light He called forth before the sun was made, to delicately illuminate the room as a gift to His mother at her birth. One of the choir women thought she saw a halo around the Anna’s head and around the child’s. 

The Lord was the last to leave the room full of joy and peace. Anna had  never been so happy as when she was cuddling with her very own infant daughter.