“You have got to be kidding me, again….” My mother said stressed out by all the infliction from the nine month old babies more than ready to come out. My family had not stop talking about their arrival seeing as my parents had not tried to have another child since me. We had finally made room in the rusty basement for a bedroom where I would take my bed and some of my belongings. My old room would be turned into the nursery where the two babies would sleep, play and grow up just like any other kids. They would be coming any day now it was just the matter of waiting.


“Let’s get mom thinking about something else so she does not focus on the pain.” my dad said, always trying to be a good guy.” If there is someone down change the subject before they put you down to.” he would always repeat silently so the person who was upset didn’t hear. As we all sat at the dark polished wooden table we looked at the menu to see what we would order for lunch.


“What would you like to start off with today?” The polite waiter asked my family. He was a different waiter, he actually seemed like he enjoyed his job and that we were making his day by stopping in the restaurant. My father had told him we would need a couple more minutes since mom was still deciding. When people joke about how pregnant women really get picky there not playing around; they are very demanding when it comes to needs. A few minutes had passed and the waiter came back. The incident that happened after the waiter asked a simple question of “Are we ready to order now?” changed my family forever.


It was all such a blur. Waiter came and my mom started screaming. People from all over the streets were running in to the building from all the commotion she was making. Her water had broke, the gushy wet substance rushed from her body onto the floor. It was time for the babies to be born.




“Just calm down! It’s going to be ok! I promise!” my dad preached to my mom, “Someone call the ambulance NOW!” I ran to find a phone somewhere in the restaurant, but there was none in sight. As the room got hotter I could tell by all the pasty faces that this moment that we all had been waiting for was finally here and it was not at all how we imagined it. I looked to my left and a large woman had already found a phone and was explaining how to get to our location.

“They’re on their way right now!” The lady had to scream to get over all the commotion. In no time the ambulance had gotten to the restaurant and placed my mom in the back resting area of the vehicle. My dad sat next to her holding her hand and wiping the sweat that was dripping from her head. I sat to the side just thinking of the new babies and what they were going to look like. We were on our way to the hospital which was in the heart of the city, which meant we would have to go through the Iraq army security guards at the point check station. Since this was a case of an emergency and my mom was so close to giving birth in the vehicle I thought they would just let us go but it was not so simple.


As the ambulance explained the situation to the guards my mom’s screams became more horrifying. The emergency crew members in the back realized my mom was already fully dilated and it was time for the twins to be delivered. The government in Iraq had lowered the health care this year so ambulances were not required to have the necessary tools for delivering the birth of a child they just had to get to the hospital in time. We as citizens, had loss so many rights that now it would endanger a person or in this case my new sibling’s life.


“Here one commmmmmmmmmessssss!” My mother screamed at the top of her lungs. We were still stuck at the check in station and my mother was giving birth to one of the twins. The crew was starting to panic, people were yelling to get towels and water. As I sat by and watched the beautiful creature come out of my mother I was stunned to see my mom smile. This baby had been trapped in my mother’s stomach and now is stretching out for its first true breath in the world. The baby was soon handed to my father and we were just leaving the check up point with still a good ten minute drive.

My mothers bleeding would not stop it became so uncontrolling that they were scared of my mom loosing her energy and possibly fainting which would result in the death of the unborn twin. As my dad was trying to still care for my mom and hold the new child he started to notice something wrong with the baby. The cord had not been cut correctly and it was getting sick from the old rusted fumes coming in from the outside. The baby was dying right in my fathers arms.


“No not my baby!” my mom yelled. As tears started to run down my face I realized that this day that we had been so excited for had turned into a nightmare. The Iraqi government had just killed my new born brothers in result of checking for weapons. We have all been citizens and there was nothing special except a woman giving birth to two babies. What had the Iraq world today come to?

We had finally reached the hospital and the only twin to make it there was still in my bleeding mother. The workers there rushed into the van and pulled my mother out and insisted that we waited for the doctor. An hour had passed since we last said our goodbye to mom. Many thoughts had entered in my head about the death of the first baby, the baby still in the womb, and my poor mom. We saw the stereotypical doctor walking toward us in that long swayed white jacket as he reached to shake my father’s hand.


“We did all we could to save the baby but it was just too late.” The doctor broke the news to us in the nicest way.

“What about my wife please tell me she made it out, she is fine right?” My dad asked the doctor to give us the right answers. “Your wife is fine and is in recovery as we speak she needs her family more than ever.” The doctor said putting a smile on my dads face. We found out the room number and ran down the hospital halls. As we opened the doors my dad rushed to my mother who was still in tears and whispered in her ears “I’m not going to change the subject now we can let it all out.” My dad whispered.