Prologue
A family in a small, not quite third world country, awaits the arrival of their first born. They have tried for years to expand their family to no avail. They could not afford any of the fancy western therapies, so out of desperation, they risked dealings with the local underworld. It was hard to imagine the amount of time that had passed since the day they made that dreadful journey. A journey that took them down dark allies and into the hidden reaches of the city. They had never been to the city before and it was much more daunting than they had thought it would be.
They had met 'Him' in a dirty out of the way Hostel in the valley. He told them that he could make their dreams come true for just a little bit of money. It would mean selling all they had, but this was the one thing that they truly dreamed would make their family complete. They scrounged together what little they could by taking whatever work they could find, no matter how demeaning. In the end, He said it was enough and he would help them fulfill their dream. As they arrived at the predetermined meeting point, they both wondered what they had gotten themselves into. This was their dream that they had waited so long for and they would let nothing stand in their way, not even fear.
He led them down a long dark corridor at the end of what seemed no more than a sewer pipe. There were others here seeking their own dreams and they didn't seem to be so bad off. The couple settled in to the room which they had been told would be home for their time here. It was lit with a bed and a few furnishings. No, this wasn't so bad at all. They had always lived on the outskirts of the city. Most of the folks out there had little or no income and got by on day to day pickings that they could gather. Yes, this actually was nice. They settled in. In the closet were clean clothes and shoes, the quality of which neither of them had seen before. "How would their small amount of money pay for all of this?", they asked the man as he turned to walk out the door. His replied stunned them, "Here money isn't the answer. Life is the answer." With that, he walked out, leaving them to ponder when he might return and what they had gotten into.
In the following days after they arrived, the couple was split up, sometimes for hours, once for two days. Medical tests were done. They had expected that. Was this how it was done in the west? They could only hope the result would be worth all the pain and embarrassment. The last day that they were separated, neither of them could remember how they got back in the room or how long they had been gone. Where was the man they had met at the beginning of this? He could surely tell them what was going on.
They never saw the man again. After being confined to this place for what seemed like a year, they suddenly woke up one morning, home. They didn't know how they got there or even when. It wasn't until a few days later that she began feeling sick. A visit to the local clinic proves what she could have only hoped for so many months ago. She is pregnant. She races home as fast as her bare feet will carry her to tell her husband the good news. Their celebration continues long after the light coming through the cracks of their little tin shack has faded. It has all been worth everything they've gone through.
They had met 'Him' in a dirty out of the way Hostel in the valley. He told them that he could make their dreams come true for just a little bit of money. It would mean selling all they had, but this was the one thing that they truly dreamed would make their family complete. They scrounged together what little they could by taking whatever work they could find, no matter how demeaning. In the end, He said it was enough and he would help them fulfill their dream. As they arrived at the predetermined meeting point, they both wondered what they had gotten themselves into. This was their dream that they had waited so long for and they would let nothing stand in their way, not even fear.
He led them down a long dark corridor at the end of what seemed no more than a sewer pipe. There were others here seeking their own dreams and they didn't seem to be so bad off. The couple settled in to the room which they had been told would be home for their time here. It was lit with a bed and a few furnishings. No, this wasn't so bad at all. They had always lived on the outskirts of the city. Most of the folks out there had little or no income and got by on day to day pickings that they could gather. Yes, this actually was nice. They settled in. In the closet were clean clothes and shoes, the quality of which neither of them had seen before. "How would their small amount of money pay for all of this?", they asked the man as he turned to walk out the door. His replied stunned them, "Here money isn't the answer. Life is the answer." With that, he walked out, leaving them to ponder when he might return and what they had gotten into.
In the following days after they arrived, the couple was split up, sometimes for hours, once for two days. Medical tests were done. They had expected that. Was this how it was done in the west? They could only hope the result would be worth all the pain and embarrassment. The last day that they were separated, neither of them could remember how they got back in the room or how long they had been gone. Where was the man they had met at the beginning of this? He could surely tell them what was going on.
They never saw the man again. After being confined to this place for what seemed like a year, they suddenly woke up one morning, home. They didn't know how they got there or even when. It wasn't until a few days later that she began feeling sick. A visit to the local clinic proves what she could have only hoped for so many months ago. She is pregnant. She races home as fast as her bare feet will carry her to tell her husband the good news. Their celebration continues long after the light coming through the cracks of their little tin shack has faded. It has all been worth everything they've gone through.
posted by captcurt31 at 8:26 PM
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