An affair of 9 Months
One day, I was thrown here and there with bizarre sounds around. I heard a man say the words Punakha hospital, Ultrasound, Taxi etc…This bumpy voyage continued for over two hours. Then It was all of a sudden when I felt an object roll over above my warm and cosy home. I came to know that it was an ultrasound going on. I strained my ears to listen to the conversation between two men. ‘You have a child and it is 15 weeks old, everything is normal. Your due date is 31st October. Get some medicines and you have to open up a child card’ said one of the two men. The other man thanked the later and he told my mom the same news. It was at Punakha where I was at this time. The same bumpy flight continued and after some hours I felt familiar sounds and environment around. I was back at Samtengang.
My mom got a load of dos and don’ts from a man which I came to know as my dad. After this incident, I was carried for short walks and every now and then my dad put his heavy hands above me asking mom whether I was moving or not. I didn’t move that much for the next few weeks.
My mom and I got our monthly examination on the 4th of every month. I didn’t like it as the man who did the assessment pressed my home squeezing me inside. Sometimes It disturbed my sleep but I didn’t mind as it was for our own good.
I didn’t hear dad’s voice for weeks and months. I thought that he missed the movements made by me as I started swimming in a pool of warm fluid when he was not there at this juncture. But he certainly didn’t miss it when I started to practice football. My mom called him whenever I gave a hard front kick. I could feel dad’s hand above me for 25-30% of the days. I felt warmer when his hand was above me.
My parents started guessing my gender and there was continuous mismatch of guesses. My mom was accurate on most occasions but dad didn’t stop tagging me as a boy. He must have guessed so from the chic and interval of kicks I gave.
The trip to Punakha was nothing compared to the long and tiring journey to Paro. It lasted for almost five hours. I felt the ultrasound object for the second time which was not a new thing to me. I was normal and growing at a good speed which is obvious from the degree of care I receive from my parents. The only new thing I experienced at Paro was the movie show. I was so disturbed by the amount of noise that I even suffered a slight headache. I gave my paramount kicks to say, ‘I am frustrated and lets go away from here, mom.’ I was carried around for a week at Paro after which I experienced the voyage back which I hated like anything.
I had my dad with me from my 6th month. He was always eager to feel my freestyle movements. I got along with his loud voice after some time.
I was carried to Thimphu when I was 8 months old for the safety of mom and me. I missed dad for a month but he came when I was ready to come out. I was taken to JDWNR hospital when I didn’t come out after the due date. We were sent home and the doctor told us to come on the 6th of November.
We visited the hospital on 6th and this time we had to stay there. I was getting old to come out. It was at this time when I experienced yet another hi-tech check up. It was called CTG and it checked my heart beat. Everything was normal. We went to a room and took rest there.
On seventh we were taken into a noisy room known as labour room. I could hear screams and it was noise and noise all around. We strained ourselves there for 6 hours. I didn’t give the slightest indication of coming out which worried my parents. I had my own reason for not coming out. Firstly I was not able to engage my head through the birth passage and then I was too large to come out. I also didn’t want to come out and experience the noisy environment there. Thus, we were again in the cabin. The next morning a decision was taken by the doctor. They are going to do an emergency caesarean as It would be unsafe for mom and me if I continue to stay inside my ‘nine month cosy room.’
BIRTH
We were taken to a quiet but cold room at 1:30 pm on the 8th of November. I could hear new voices around me. After a couple of minutes I felt a cold air breathe in which made me so cold. The amount of air increased at 1:45pm and I was caught by my legs and was pulled out. The hands which held me were rock hard. I was cold to my death and I collected all the small energy I had and gave out my best cry. I was then wrapped up in a pile of clothes. I felt the clothes too coarse on my tender skin. I was taken away from my mom and was handed over to a man. I felt the voice quite familiar and yes, it was my dad.
It was so bright that I closed my eyes and opened occasionally to check out the brightness. I didn’t remain for long with dad as I was taken by another man. He carried me down and I desperately wanted to say, ‘Wai! Don’t squeeze me so hard, it hurts man’
Then I was placed on an elevated bed and it was much warmer and softer there. A lady in white dress came and pierced a sharp object into my body without any notice. After sometime I was hungry. With the help of my natural instincts, I opened my mouth and turned to the left and then to the right but in vain, no one was feeding me. The man who carried me was there and this time I noticed a woman with him. They were just staring at me doing nothing about my hunger.
I didn’t remain hungry for long as I was taken to my mom. I was fed but in vain as I didn’t collect any thing from mom. I was then given a sweet liquid. I didn’t like it but I gobbled up quite an amount as I was hungry. I was taken to mom for feeding and It was always the same. I was frustrated, so I cried. The hours that followed were very painful. I was hungry after every short while and the same fluid was given. I drank so much that I even vomited. I was feeling very cold. The light was bothering my eyes and the conversations were irritating my ears, nothing was fine. My tummy was filled, so I had to squeeze out my first stool. They enjoyed cleaning it and I gave my second after an hour.
I had a tough time to adjust my eyes with the bright world. It took me around two days to keep my eyes open in the presence of light. The next hot-line was my hair. Everybody admired my pitch black, long hair. They checked it out every now and then. I also attracted a cough and cold which blocked my nose. So I had to sleep with my mouth open to breathe.
Now Lets talk about my first bath. It was quite scary when they put me naked in the water but I felt as if I was in my old home, my womb. I felt very cold and my grandma wrapped me and put me beside a warm red light.
The days that followed had their own mixture of experiences for me. I was given my first name by grandpa as Nima Wangmo meaning Saturday child. They also made me wear shirts and gloves which were uncomfortable.
The hunt for my name continued and I was finally named by my dad. It was an assorted flavour of names, it was Tenzin Thrisel Yeatsho. Tenzin was from the name given by Gyelsae Tenzin Rabgye, Thrisel meaning coronation was selected by my eldest Akhu, Ratu. The Last name, Yeatsho came from Ani Tshedem.
I was photographed by dad and the flash was too much for my eyes. I closed my eyes at the beginning but I kept it open later as the shots were taken again if I closed my eyes. Mom enjoyed looking at my snaps even when she was 24/7 with me.
I would like to conclude my encounter into the world of love and care here. I will have lots to say in near future as I will be travelling on the wings of life from now. Let me end by giving a short account of my contemporary status.
As of now, 2nd December 2008, I am at Wachey in Wangdue Phodrang. I am about to be a month old and I feel warmer here compared to Samtengang. I have mom, Angay Nim, aunt Samten, and Uncle Karma with me. My dad is at Samtengang and I miss him. My achievements so far :
1. I can keep my eyes open when I don’t sleep, under all conditions.
2. I don’t get scared of taking bath, travelling in a car and loud music.
3. I give smiles when I’m asleep and cry when hungry and when the diapers are wet.
For mom and dad:
- I love you mom and dad for your time, love and care.
- Sorry for using your precious time.
- Feed me often since I go hungry at frequent intervals. - Keep me warm as I get cold very quickly.
- Change my diapers to keep me away from rashes.
- Take care of me as I am extremely fragile.
- May I grow up to be a person who is capable of helping all sentient beings and possess the quality of Silent Angel…Lovely Smile with United Colours Of Love.
Apart from these I have many more to say but I am pretty tired to mention all.
No comments:
Post a Comment