Chapter 1 GISELLA ( THE BIRTH OF A NEW LIFE)

THE ANTONIO'S MANSION

It was a lovely Friday morning. The sun gave its light gracefully and the wind exhibits its talent, filling the air with the aura of the lilies, roses and sun flower on the compound making the house dazzel with beauty.

Lizzy, Gina and Agnes , the house maids were busily doing their house chores. Moving restlessly like ants.

" Hurry, go finish with the meal, Mrs. Fiona will soon come down for her breakfast...." Gina exclaimed, turning to what she was doing at the hall.

Agnes looked grumpily at her and left to the kitchen.

" Good morning ladies", Mr. Antonio called descending down the stairs. "How was your night?" he queried on with a smile.

" Good morning sir", they cheerfully chorused. Lizzy took his bag and trolled out to the car.

" Your breakfast is served sir ", Agnes uttered from the dinning table. Mr Antonio just giggled as he trod to the door.

" Never mind, dear. I ought to rush off to the office now. I'll have my breakfast at work. But make sure Fiona lacks nothing and call me if anything pops up, OK".

He expressed exiting the house in a hurry.

" okay, sir", Gina replied.

On the other side of the house, Mrs. Fiona lay lazily on the bed with her baby bump, fast asleep.

FEW HOURS TIME

"Aaaah- aahhh " a loud scream eluded, Fiona's room which sent, Gina and the others wondering with panic.

"what is that?–why is Mrs. Fiona screaming?" Agnes ,the silly one among them queried which sent Gina and Lizzy's deadly gazes on her.

" Dump head–she might be in labor! ", Gina swiftly exclaimed, rushing off to the room.

" Oh, no, what do we do now ?", Lizzy and Agnes chorused as they followed suit.

They opened the door and saw Fiona lying in a pool of blood on the floor, screaming.

"Madam ? –Madam " They shouted as they sped to her side.

"Ah– the baby–is–coming" Fiona stammered, faintly in pain as she hitt Gina in the process.

" Go– go, get a cab, hurry!", Gina shouted at Lizzy which made her flinch.

" OK, OK, am going ", She cried, dashing out of the room.

" Agnes, call Mr Antonio –now ", She roared at Agnes too. The atmosphere was a bit tensed as they tried to safe Fiona and her baby.

" okay , i'm going– I'm going." Said Lizzy while she rushed out. She picked the phone and started calling

" He' s not answering ", she shouted, nervously.

" Keep calling !" Gina called, her eyes still fixed on Fiona while she kept cleaning her up with cold water.

Agnes suddenly entered, panting heavily.

" Let's go– the cab is here." She swiftly eluded

They quickly carried her out to the entrance where the cab was and placed her gently on the back seat.

" Agnes, please stay back and take care of the house as you continue calling master. Lizzy and I will go with her, we are taking her to Family Health Hospital. Inform Mr. Antonio when you get through his line." Gina ordered and Agnes nodded.

" Sure , I will".

Gina instinctively turned to the driver. " Please let's go now" she eluded and with no time, the cab dashed off with the speed of lightening.

OFFICE

Antonio was busily having a meeting with his board of directors at the conference hall deliberating on issues of the company while his phone kept ringing without his notice. After hours of discussion, the meeting finally came to an end.

" we have come to the end of this meeting and everything is decided . We can return to our various duties now"

He announced as he dispersed the meeting. After everyone left, he faint into his chair and exhaled.

" Now back to business "

He picked a huge file from his table and started working on it. Just then, he heard his phone ringing. He gazed at the phone, wondering.

" Who could it be?" he low whispered as her reached out for the phone. He checked and it was from home.

" Lizzy?– hope all is okay", he uttered worriedly to himself as he answered.

" Hello , Lizzy , what is it? " he queried.

"Boss, is not Lizzy, is me, Agnes " a voice came through.

" okay– okay, Agnes ,what is it? Is everything alright? " he asked.

" Its–madam " She answered with shaky voice.

" What's wrong with her? –Talk !! ". Antonio cried nervously.

" She's in labor – Gina and Lizzy" She went on but Antonio's voice swiftly interrupted, frustrated.

" Where are they?, where did they take her? – which hospital? "

" Family Health Hospital ",she cried and the line went dead.

He hanged up without any other word, picked his car keys and dashed out of the office. " Take care of everything, am not sure I will be returning today." He said to his assistant as he trod off.

"Okay– Is everything alright, sir?" He asked. "You look distressed ".

" Yeah, all is well–Just take charge for me. I' ll be off now." He assured his assistant and left in a rush.

HOSPITAL

" Be strong dear– push!" a midwife exclaimed.

"aaaaahhh–aaaaah !!! ". Fiona screamed ,panting heavily with pain as she pushed all she could. Her face was pale and sweaty. She felt all weak since she had already run out of strength.

"oh, God, I can't do this anymore– I'm too tired.", she cried in agony.

" Don't say that ,try a little harder", a nurse encouraged her.

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OUTSIDE THE LABOR WARD

Its almost 4 hours now but there was no sign of any of the nurses coming out. Gina and Lizzy were growing more and more impatient as time passed.

" Are they coming ? – Is everything alright in there?" Lizzy asked Gina who was looking through the door.

" I don't know dear–I can't actually see anything." Gina replied nervously.

" Gina!! , Lizzy, !!– where is Fiona, is she okay?" A voice shouted from behind They swiftly turned towards the direction of the voice.

" Boss, you're here" They exclaimed.

" She's still in there", Gina replied depressed.

They suddenly heard a loud scream followed by the cry of a baby from the ward .

Antonio, Lizzy and Gina immediately rushed to the door with beaming smiles.

" Congratulations, you now a dad, "Gina and Lizzy chorused happily.

" Thank you ", he uttered cheerfully.

The door suddenly slummed open, a nurse came out with a tensed look.

" congratulations, is a baby girl sir– but sorry we lost her." She announced, gloomy.

"What!?", they all exclaimed, shocked.

" She lost a lot of blood in the process", the nurse explained." I'm really sorry for your lost." She added. " Stay strong "

She mumbled.

Antonio fainted into a chair beside him, shocked ,speechless and lost. He felt his whole world collapse under his eyes. Gina and Lizzy sat beside him, consoling.

"So, where is the baby.?",Gina asked.

" At the children's ward" She replied.

" Okay, thank you. Can we see her now" Lizzy asked.

"Yes, follow me". She said. Gina and Lizzy followed her to the ward.

Antonio stood in front of the labour ward as he watch the nurses push out the body of his wife from the ward to the morgue. He held her hand helplessly as he wept.

" Fiona, please wake up, I'm here – waiting for you. " He moaned.

"Please wake up, who will take care of Gisella. –How can you leave without letting her know her mother and the love she has for her?"

Tears slowly rolled down his eyes as he mumbled on. His heart completely rocked apart.

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The nurse pursed at the entrance and spoke up, pointing to a cot in front of them.

" Come, here she is"

She showed her to them.

Gina and Lizzy was stunned for a moment after seeing the baby. She was quite different from all the other babies they've ever seen in their life.

" Wow, this baby looks so strange." ,Lizzy expressed.

" Very, very,strange – do you think she is cursed". Gina wondered.

Lizzy nodded her head indifferently.

Gisella lay quietly in her cot as she stare at them with her long brown/black hair. With a blue and green coloured eyes. She has a mark like the sun on her forehead.