The Lost Tribe: Maliha the Wanderer (Book 1)

New Life

Maliha sprinted to Nahi's side just as the woman collapsed to the floor, sweat beading along her brown skin as contraction after contraction hit.

Panic traveled through Maliha at how fast the woman was progressing already. The other labours she had witnessed had taken hours to reach this point, yet already Nahi was bearing her teeth in preparation for her second contraction in the space of a few minutes.

"Enzo," called Maliha waving the boy over, " I need you to get help, follow the drums and get help. Tell them Nahi is having her baby."

The boy looked hesitant. Reluctant to leave but when Nahi released a godwaful scream, her teeth gritting as she bared down, he jerked in horror.

"Go now," shouted Maliha waving Enzo off in the right direction before turning back to a blotchy Nahi. Tears rolled down her eyes as she panted, her thighs and skirt stained with her fluids.

"Okay Nahi, just breathe," she soothed, her face a grimace as Nahi squeezed her hands when another contraction hit.

The woman was either progressing extremely fast or had been in labour for hours and had not realised it. Her pains from the previous day suddenly making sense.

Realising that there was little time, Maliha began looking around for anything she could use because she would be doing this alone. Even if help came in the next twenty minutes, the baby would have already began to crown. Maliha knew she would be delivering this baby whether she was ready or not.

"Nahi, I need to wash my hands by the stream. I will be quick," soothed Maliha as she dislodged her hand from Nahi's tight grip.

"No," she cried gripping Maliha by her neck with a surprising force. "Don't leave," she panted, big blue eyes running like the cool river that traversed through their lands.

"Nahi, I need to clean my hands before I can help with the baby. It's the only way."

Nahi's nails dug into Maliha's neck as she rode out a large contraction, her eyes squeezing shut as she groaned horrifically.

The moment the contraction was over and Maliha's neck was released form Nahi's vice like grip, she ran to the river and began washing her hands. Ripping a piece of her thin night dress to scrub what little of the dirt she could. She really needed soap but she had none on her so instead settled for the cold water. The situation was not ideal. They had no clean rags, no hot water and no soap.

Maliha would have to try her hardest to prevent infection but in the middle of grass it was hard to prevent dirt from entering where it should not.

"Maliha," wailed Nahi, as she struggled to yank up her skirt.

Dipping a new piece of her dress into the water, Maliha ran back over and began rearranging Nahi's body. Removing the knife at the woman's hip and pulling her skirt higher until it hung around her waist.

Maliha yanked the woman's legs wider just as another contraction climbed through her. There was no time to wait for help or to think, the baby was coming and Maliha had to work fast.

The babies head was crowning, bloody hair stuck between Nahi's legs as the woman screeched her baby free. She pushed. Her chin stuck to her chest as she heaved out a godawful groan.