Chapter 2 - Aun

On both sides of the muddy road stood less than ten wooden houses, basic dwelling nailed up by the hands of the locals, effortless and noncomplex. The loud chatter coming from the houses were clearly audible, each word crisp and enunciation clear. There was Maloom complaining about the recent flood that flushed the dirty muds and rubbish into her home, Yukatas bragging about how he had bought ten feeshes for only a hundred darhia, and Poi and Joih dancing for the upcoming rain festival. A rusty sign hung high on a tree, it read “Village Pompoyaka”. 

           It has been raining continuously for three days, at times drizzling and at times accompanied with booming thunder and flashing lights. Maloom swore timidly that the rain came as a punishment from the God of Skai, she declared to the whole village that He is mad. Poi and Joih started reminding her that it’s the time of the year, in which they will celebrate the major rain festival soon. Upon hearing ‘rain festival’, Maloom waved her hands and laughed apologetically, blaming her old age for the deteriorating memory power. 

            Yukatas glared moodily into the grey skai, he murmured about something then dropped his head and entered into the kitchen, he needed to start making feeshwich for Jennevah before she wakes up. He sliced two feeshes into halves, and rinsed them under the running tap, but the water that dribbled from the tap was brownish and muddy. Yukatas cursed under his breath and blamed it on the God of Skai. He scooped a cup of clean water that he’d saved the other day and rinsed away the mud and dirt which stained the feeshes. Making sure the feeshes were clean, Yukatas then started the fire to grill the feeshes to make feeshwich, he warmed his hands and cursed the God of Skai once more. 

            ‘Yukatas, my love.’ Jennevah had woken up and started towards Yukatas, who was squatting beside the fire he’d finally managed to start. 

             Jennevah was wearing her blue stripped sleeping robe, wrapped loosely around her plump body, a bump was visible at the abdomen area where she placed her right hand naturally. Yukatas stood up and hurried to Jennevah’s side, he glanced lovingly into Jennevah’s eyes and helped her take a seat. ‘Four months into pregnancy, the baybee comes next week,’ he counted silently in his head. 

              ‘What are you making?’ Jennevah asked interestingly, she sniffed around trying to catch a hint of her breakfast.

              ‘I bought ten feeshes for only a hundred darhia! So, I’m making you feeshwich.’ Yukatas said it with pride glistering in his eyes. 

              ‘My great husband,’ Jennevah smiled, her hands brushing his cheeks, ’You have defeated all husbands in Joryitas.’ She gave him a peck on his cheeks. 

               Yukatas bent his body so that his head is parallel to Jennevah’s abdomen, set his right hand softly on Jennevah’s visible bump before placing his ears on her abdomen to listen to any signs of life within. He spoke excitedly to the unborn foetus inside of Jennevah’s body, ‘Baybee, baybee, call me daddy.’ Jennevah laughed and slapped at his arms playfully, ‘what should we name the baybee?’ 

                The question had taken Yukatas aback. He had never thought of having the honour to name his child. None of the husbands in Village Pompoyaka had ever had the opportunity to name their newborn child, it was always the mother who holds the utmost power and authority in deciding a suitable name for the child that they bore for four months. Yukatas put on his thinking cap and searched through all the possible vocabularies in his mind quickly before Jennevah changes her mind, he didn’t know this could happen, he should’ve thought of a name before. But, the fact that husbands do not earn the right to name their child had appeared to him as a waste of brain power if he really did sit down to think of a name. Now he regretted for not thinking of one. ‘Ummmm…’ Was the only thing that escaped from his mouth. 

             ‘Aun? That's such a good name!’ Jennevah heard him wrongly, and worst of all, misinterpreted his words in a wrong sort of way. 

            ‘No, Jennevah, I was thinki..’ 

            ‘Aun represents the “skai" and it also carries the meaning of “eternity”. That’s like saying our child can be the greatest of the greatest, and can never die!’ Jennevah held Yukatas with such force that Yukatas regretfully swallowed his initial suggestion of the name ‘Yurjuki’ which carries the meaning of ‘windows of opportunities’, he strongly believes that giving his child the name ‘Yurjuki’ may somehow improve the poor condition of the family. 

            ‘Yes, love. Aun is a good name.’ Yukatas forced a smile. He convinced himself that ‘Aun’ can be a good name, though seldom heard of in Joryitas. There are many Yukatas, Jennevah, Raajar, Yuna, but Aun is a name which not many are called. 

            Yukatas placed his palm on Jennevah’s baybee bump once more, smiled and said, ‘Aun, you will be a great one, notorious in Joryitas through eternity.’ 

            Aun came at midnight on the day of the rain festival, when the rain was pouring with full force. Jennevah gripped the iron bars tightly, drops of sweat trickling down her forehead, she bit her lower lip, shut her eyes tightly and prepared for the next contraction. Yukatas was busy comforting her, the heavy rain made it impossible for anyone to step in for assistance. Every drop and every thunder had wiped away Jennevah’s screams entirely, no one in Village Pompoyaka can hear her. 

            Aun was born at dawn, and the rain had just stopped. The day began with the villagers of Pompoyaka gathering their tools for work. The husbands watched on as the wives left home to work at farms and fields. When the shadows of the wives started vanishing out of sight, they left the window and entered into their domain, feeding the children, cleaning the mud off the veranda, and preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was just another long day for The Pompoyakians. 

          Yukatas sat down on the rattan chair holding Aun in his arms, the baybee cooed, then he started crying.