Despite all, The Great Mother dreamed of conceiving another baby; a blessing to shed light on this mournful town. The delivery day finally arrived, and the whole family could not contain their excitement.
“A baby brother!” Ania, their daughter of ten years, squealed. “A baby brother!”
“Please, Ania, pipe it down,” The Great Mother pleaded. Their daughter, Ania, was a hyperactive girl that was excited about the life-altering change. Her jet-black, straight hair would always find a way to tangle itself. High cheekbones, like her mother, would always convert into a permanent smile. She had the reassurance of her father, for his nature was nurturing and caring.
“I can not contain my excitement!” Neit’s eyes twinkled. “Another blessing we can bring to this wretched town.” The Great Mother knew how her husband felt about the town’s laws, and how she herself has sent imperfect children to the council.
“I can,” she sighed. “This is going to hurt. A lot.”
“Don’t fret, my dear one. I will be here through the whole ordeal,” Neit jested.
“So will I!” Ania exclaimed. “I can finally see where babies come from.”
The couple exchanged looks of uncertainty. “You’ll have to sit this one out, my ewe,” he told her daughter. “It’s not a pretty sight.”
“What do you mean?” Ania protested. “Childbirth is beautiful! The Great Mother! The Great Mother! So I am the Great Daughter!”
The Great Mother laughed. “Yes, Ania, childbirth is beautiful.” The whole town was awaiting the new child of The Great Mother. She requested, however, for privacy to not spark up brouhaha. After four hours, the baby was born and took its first breath. Excited, The Great Mother held her baby boy. Instant feelings of regret, dread, and confusion took over her mind, but not her heart.
“What’s wrong, Morri?” Neit asked sincerely.
“Oh, nothing!” The Great Mother smiled sadly. However, for the rest of their nights, The Great Mother would hold her boy in lonesome and whisper to herself, “My baby boy, my baby boy…” Despite the imperfections, The Great Mother did not feel ill. She did not feel panicked as she did with the other imperfect children. Instead, she felt intense sympathy accompanied by the need to protect her child against all harm. To protect her child from the town’s council, and to protect her child from herself. At this moment, The Great Mother began to loathe herself the more she held her boy.
Neit took notice of his wife slowly deteriorating, and when he confronted her, The Great Mother became hysterical. Their baby boy began to cry for the distress of his mother. She admitted to what she feared about her child. She began to profusely apologize for every child she had sent to the council. Her wails of torment pushed Neit into finally revealing what ‘correction’ of children was. He believed that revealing to his wife all the secrets would change her ways.
“Morri,” he sighed. “You need to see something.”
“I’m sorry!” she wailed. “I’m sorry!”
“Morri, please stand up!” Neit raised his voice gently. “You must see the place where they send imperfect children.”
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