“Nurse.”
Shauna looked up from the science journal she was reading, recognising the small, scared voice of the young patient in the maternity ward.
“What does she want now?” the nurse sitting next to Shauna grumbled sleepily, “She’s not in labour yet.”
“She probably scared,” Shauna said, “She’s very young.”
“Not too young though to—”

“Don’t say it,” Shauna interrupted her in a mild tone, though not pleased with what she was going to say. She went over to the girl’s bed.
“What is it, Sabrina?” she asked with a patient smile.
“I don’t know, nurse,” the girl said, fear flickering in her eyes, “ I’m feeling restless.”
“Don’t worry,” Shauna said comfortingly, “Those things happen in pregnancy, you’ll be fine.”

She checked her pressure and made sure she was comfortable, wrapping her long hair that had fallen loose into a bun on her head.
She was only fifteen, an Indigenous girl, having run away from an abused life at home at the hands of her step-father. She had moved from one family to the next, seeking little domestic jobs here and there, until she met a young miner and became close friends with him.
“Andre hasn’t come to see me yet,” she said with tears in her eyes, “Why isn’t he visiting me? He wanted me to have the baby.”
“He will,” Shauna assured her, “Maybe he’s as scared as you are.”

She didn’t want her to know Andre has been detained by the police because she was below the age of consent.
“You have to stop worrying and think of your baby, how sweet she’ll be.”
Sabrina smiled and relaxed a little, “You’re so patient and nice to me. Will you be with me when it’s time?”
“Once I’m on that shift, I will be. Now try to relax and go to sleep.”
Shauna stayed by Sabrina’s bedside for a little while longer, sorry for her being at that stage in her young life. The bad situations that intrude in some children’s lives do interrupt their childhood, denying them a good and rewarding life. As a caregiver, Shauna knew patience and kind words were great comforts for expectant mothers and Sabrina especially needed that comfort.

That night at home as she kissed her sleeping sons and said a prayer for them, she also said a prayer for Sabrina, a child bearing a child.
She closed her eyes but not drifting off to sleep though tired from a full day’s work of being a nurse and a single mother. The burden of her broken marriage and the betrayal of the one she had given her heart to were still deep in her mind, like pebbles in a stream. There were at times, quiet moments when she felt deeply the loneliness and the heartache. He had walked away not long after their twin babies were born.L Life was not too kind to her as the babies grew because of the struggles and stress of being a single parent.

But she knew she had to stay strong for her sons, the only beautiful thing in her life. And after four years she managed to create a comfortable life for them though she still had a long way to go.
The next night at the hospital, twenty minutes away from the end of Shauna’s shift, Sabrina went into labour and she held unto Shauna’s hand crying, “Please don’t leave, stay with me please.”
The two other nurses attending to her could not get her to calm down, so to avoid her pressure rising Shauna stayed with her.

She talked with her gently, guiding her through the spasms of pain until an hour later a baby girl was born. The young mother, tired and tearful, smiled upon hearing the baby’s cries.
“Thank you, nurse,” she said a little breathless.
On the way home Shauna smiled to herself, happy for the young mother who now had to take life one step at a time with the promised help from two charities and a few private citizens.
She closed her eyes and relaxed a little in her seat, a cool wind blowing in from the bus’s open window.

A little while later she opened her eyes with a start as a passenger exclaimed loudly,
“Oh lord, look at that!”
The bus had slowed down in traffic by an exclusive housing area with its impressive landscape and splendid houses. A new structure, a stunning piece of architecture, was what caught the passengers’ attention.

“Now that’s money! The rich live like kings,” were the sentiments expressed in the bus as it drove on.
Shauna smiled wryly, never fascinated with big houses nor luxuries of the wealthy.
“I like the cozy comfort of a small house,” she said to herself, “Warm and relaxing with a touch of intimacy.”

She hoped that one day once her application for a house lot and loan from the bank were approved, she would own her dream house.
She had planned a good future or her sons and she had lived and worked each day to reach that goal, sacrificing a lot of things in life she wanted.
Her social life had literally come to a halt but two months later, another birthday came around. It was her good friend Rachel’s birthday and she invited her to a ladies night out to celebrate with her. Shauna felt she shouldn’t say no again so she asked her mother to babysit the boys. Two other friends were invited and Rachel decided that club hopping would be fun and exciting.

So it was five beautiful ladies and a birthnight to remember from the Pegasus poolside, Bistro, Kosmos Grill and The Strip at Giftland Mall.
By that time, two ladies had gone home, leaving Rachel, Shauna and Nandani. The Strip was crowded but they managed to find a good table and the birth night celebrations continued. A while later as they were having a last drink, a smooth voice with a foreign accent greeted them, “Hello ladies.”

The three of them turned toward the voice and Rachel almost choked on her drink. They were speechless for a moment, stunned by his incredible good look and sculpted body.
“Can I buy you ladies a drink?”
To be continued…