L'inizio di Una Vita | III.
III. A Look Back into the Past
August 1943, Korea.
“Breathe. Yoona, please just breathe.”
“I can’t-Ugh! It hurts… It hurts so much!” Yoona screamed as a sharp stab of pain forced itself into her center, tearing her insides apart. She struggled on her bed sheets, crying in torment as several people kept her stationary on the mattress - two maids holding her feet down while her husband gripped her hands on either side of her head, whispering soothing words into her ear in an attempt to calm her and failing miserably. Whatever pain men complained about in the world could not possibly match with the blazing sting she was feeling at that moment.
The day had begun with dark clouds forming in the sky in the early morning. Instead of blue, all they saw was gray and smoky clouds running past before thunder shook and the heavy rain finally poured. People in their town were afraid of the on-going war, and the weather did nothing to dissipate that anxiety any further than it had already worsened it. They were the more fortunate ones really - their town had the least Japanese military occupants and none of them were really all that bad. Except… oh the war was death itself. So many loved ones lost… countless souls gone in an instant, and for what? Greed and power? Yoona could scarcely imagine being alone in this time and thanked the heavens that her husband had not been called to duty. How would she live if he was to go and something unspeakable happened to him? What about their unborn child? What about her? She hadn’t even told him yet - she hadn’t-
The contractions started at the same time as the thought settled in and the first rumble of thunder rolled by. Then another agonizing wave came crashing over her when lightning struck the land, knocking her off of her feet and onto her knees. It had taken her by surprise - she was not due for another month when her water broke and she fainted before anyone even knew what was going on. Changmin had found her minutes later lying in the middle of their bedroom, screaming as blood started to pool from between her legs and he’d immediately called for doctor and midwife to come. Hours had already passed and still there was no adequate change to deliver the baby. Yoona feared greatly for the life stirring within her and prayed as a stream of tears rolled down her cheeks as heavy as the rain pelted on her window sill.
She screamed again, her nails biting down on Changmin’s skin so deeply that he held back a shout of pain and turned to glare at the people surrounding them in the room. All of those who saw him took a step back in alarm and the maids watching from the door hurriedly scurried out. “Just how long are you going to make my wife suffer!” He yelled at the old midwife overseeing the whole ordeal. He didn’t damn well care if he was being rude at an elder - gentlemanly manners were not of importance at the moment - not when his wife and his unborn child’s lives were at stake! “What the hell are you doing standing over there?!”
The old woman huffed in indignation and put her hands on her widened hips. “I say, young man, but that is not the proper way to consider your elders! I understand that this is a very stressful time but I would implore you to calm down and let me handle this.”
“Save your lecture for another day, madam,” he retorted, wincing at another wave of pain Yoona inflicted on his skin as she cried out. She whimpered underneath him incoherently, barely registering any of the words being spoken at her expense as he continued, “Just do your job and save my wife! I won’t have her cry herself ragged any longer than you’ve already had.”
“It won’t do any good if you yell, Mister Shim! You’re wife is in labor but she’s not fully dilated yet. I cannot simply hurry along the process of birth! Hastening things would only harm the child’s well-being!” The midwife yelled back and effectively shutting him up. Changmin glowered at her as she continued in a much calmer tone, “Perhaps it would be best if you leave the room for-”
He scoffed and tightened the hold he had over his wife’s wrists as she wrung about and cried. His tone was even, calm - deathly serious - as he spoke, “No. I’m staying right where I am.”
The old woman considered him for a moment, taking note of the possessive grip he had over his wife’s wrists and the tender kiss he’d gone and brushed on her temple as she whimpered (“Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me please.”) onto his shoulder. Oh, my.
If there was any misunderstanding she might have had between the young couple when they had scandalously gotten married months before and when rumors suddenly circulated around town… these misjudgments were no longer in her mind. How could they be true if this young man was willing to do what other men could not have done at that very moment? To readily stay through the pain and suffering his wife felt and inflicted on him, just so to witness the miracle of life? They were so young - and yet so… painfully connected to each other it almost brought tears in her olden eyes. So there are still couples like them in the world? Devoted to only one another for the rest of their lives?
Whether the young couple knew it or not, their marriage was irrevocably more than just another betrothal between two families. The old woman saw this and understood perfectly.
Love takes time, and it had taken them as well. She knew this. Oh, she knew this.
With that insight in mind, she said nothing more to him and hurried towards the young mistress Yoona, patting her comfortingly on the knee as she cried out. She was ready - just dilated enough for her to see the head of the child she automatically knew the young couple would love more than life itself.
“Miss Yoona, when I say ‘push’ please do so. It’ll all be over in a few moments.” The midwife hushed, patting her knee still as the young mistress cried but nodded nonetheless through her tears. The woman instructed her to breathe in deeply and Yoona watched as the midwife dipped her hands in warm water and motioned for her assistants to get ready. She drew in a deep breath. “Push.”
The pain, oh God, the pain.
“You’re going to be okay…” Changmin whispered against her cheek, gripping her hand as she gritted her teeth and pushed. He winced as she cried into his ear, and gave her a kiss on her forehead before pressing his own on hers to breathe and try to calm her once again. The pushing continued with each one harder and more painful than the last.
Yoona stared up at him pleadingly, exhausted and out of breath. He brushed a hand over her cheek.
“Just breathe. I’ll be here. I won’t leave you.”
One more, just one more. Her thoughts swirled around her, mingling with his as she nodded to him and gave all of her strength into one last -
A cry. Yoona’s lips unconsciously widened into a grin as the most beautiful sound echoed through the room and her ears. Changmin suddenly cupped her cheeks in his calloused hands and pressed kisses all over her face just as the old woman stood up fully into view and announced, “It’s a girl!”
She brushed her lips onto Changmin’s for a moment, smiling still as her vision slowly darkened and her lips opened to trace words into his cheek… and then finally, she let herself go - into a dreamless but calming sleep waiting for her at the end of her strength.
“It’s a girl.” I love you.
August 1943, Korea.
“Breathe. Yoona, please just breathe.”
“I can’t-Ugh! It hurts… It hurts so much!” Yoona screamed as a sharp stab of pain forced itself into her center, tearing her insides apart. She struggled on her bed sheets, crying in torment as several people kept her stationary on the mattress - two maids holding her feet down while her husband gripped her hands on either side of her head, whispering soothing words into her ear in an attempt to calm her and failing miserably. Whatever pain men complained about in the world could not possibly match with the blazing sting she was feeling at that moment.
The day had begun with dark clouds forming in the sky in the early morning. Instead of blue, all they saw was gray and smoky clouds running past before thunder shook and the heavy rain finally poured. People in their town were afraid of the on-going war, and the weather did nothing to dissipate that anxiety any further than it had already worsened it. They were the more fortunate ones really - their town had the least Japanese military occupants and none of them were really all that bad. Except… oh the war was death itself. So many loved ones lost… countless souls gone in an instant, and for what? Greed and power? Yoona could scarcely imagine being alone in this time and thanked the heavens that her husband had not been called to duty. How would she live if he was to go and something unspeakable happened to him? What about their unborn child? What about her? She hadn’t even told him yet - she hadn’t-
The contractions started at the same time as the thought settled in and the first rumble of thunder rolled by. Then another agonizing wave came crashing over her when lightning struck the land, knocking her off of her feet and onto her knees. It had taken her by surprise - she was not due for another month when her water broke and she fainted before anyone even knew what was going on. Changmin had found her minutes later lying in the middle of their bedroom, screaming as blood started to pool from between her legs and he’d immediately called for doctor and midwife to come. Hours had already passed and still there was no adequate change to deliver the baby. Yoona feared greatly for the life stirring within her and prayed as a stream of tears rolled down her cheeks as heavy as the rain pelted on her window sill.
She screamed again, her nails biting down on Changmin’s skin so deeply that he held back a shout of pain and turned to glare at the people surrounding them in the room. All of those who saw him took a step back in alarm and the maids watching from the door hurriedly scurried out. “Just how long are you going to make my wife suffer!” He yelled at the old midwife overseeing the whole ordeal. He didn’t damn well care if he was being rude at an elder - gentlemanly manners were not of importance at the moment - not when his wife and his unborn child’s lives were at stake! “What the hell are you doing standing over there?!”
The old woman huffed in indignation and put her hands on her widened hips. “I say, young man, but that is not the proper way to consider your elders! I understand that this is a very stressful time but I would implore you to calm down and let me handle this.”
“Save your lecture for another day, madam,” he retorted, wincing at another wave of pain Yoona inflicted on his skin as she cried out. She whimpered underneath him incoherently, barely registering any of the words being spoken at her expense as he continued, “Just do your job and save my wife! I won’t have her cry herself ragged any longer than you’ve already had.”
“It won’t do any good if you yell, Mister Shim! You’re wife is in labor but she’s not fully dilated yet. I cannot simply hurry along the process of birth! Hastening things would only harm the child’s well-being!” The midwife yelled back and effectively shutting him up. Changmin glowered at her as she continued in a much calmer tone, “Perhaps it would be best if you leave the room for-”
He scoffed and tightened the hold he had over his wife’s wrists as she wrung about and cried. His tone was even, calm - deathly serious - as he spoke, “No. I’m staying right where I am.”
The old woman considered him for a moment, taking note of the possessive grip he had over his wife’s wrists and the tender kiss he’d gone and brushed on her temple as she whimpered (“Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me please.”) onto his shoulder. Oh, my.
If there was any misunderstanding she might have had between the young couple when they had scandalously gotten married months before and when rumors suddenly circulated around town… these misjudgments were no longer in her mind. How could they be true if this young man was willing to do what other men could not have done at that very moment? To readily stay through the pain and suffering his wife felt and inflicted on him, just so to witness the miracle of life? They were so young - and yet so… painfully connected to each other it almost brought tears in her olden eyes. So there are still couples like them in the world? Devoted to only one another for the rest of their lives?
Whether the young couple knew it or not, their marriage was irrevocably more than just another betrothal between two families. The old woman saw this and understood perfectly.
Love takes time, and it had taken them as well. She knew this. Oh, she knew this.
With that insight in mind, she said nothing more to him and hurried towards the young mistress Yoona, patting her comfortingly on the knee as she cried out. She was ready - just dilated enough for her to see the head of the child she automatically knew the young couple would love more than life itself.
“Miss Yoona, when I say ‘push’ please do so. It’ll all be over in a few moments.” The midwife hushed, patting her knee still as the young mistress cried but nodded nonetheless through her tears. The woman instructed her to breathe in deeply and Yoona watched as the midwife dipped her hands in warm water and motioned for her assistants to get ready. She drew in a deep breath. “Push.”
The pain, oh God, the pain.
“You’re going to be okay…” Changmin whispered against her cheek, gripping her hand as she gritted her teeth and pushed. He winced as she cried into his ear, and gave her a kiss on her forehead before pressing his own on hers to breathe and try to calm her once again. The pushing continued with each one harder and more painful than the last.
Yoona stared up at him pleadingly, exhausted and out of breath. He brushed a hand over her cheek.
“Just breathe. I’ll be here. I won’t leave you.”
One more, just one more. Her thoughts swirled around her, mingling with his as she nodded to him and gave all of her strength into one last -
A cry. Yoona’s lips unconsciously widened into a grin as the most beautiful sound echoed through the room and her ears. Changmin suddenly cupped her cheeks in his calloused hands and pressed kisses all over her face just as the old woman stood up fully into view and announced, “It’s a girl!”
She brushed her lips onto Changmin’s for a moment, smiling still as her vision slowly darkened and her lips opened to trace words into his cheek… and then finally, she let herself go - into a dreamless but calming sleep waiting for her at the end of her strength.
“It’s a girl.” I love you.