Noah—”
Naameh put a finger on Ila’s lips. “Your baby is coming,” she said. “Don’t think about anything else.”
Ila winced as another strong contraction came. She closed her eyes, riding the waves of pain as they came and went.
Please let my baby be safe. Please let my baby be safe
.
Shem stood guard outside the tent holding his spear.
More contractions gripped Ila. Naameh squeezed her hand as she called out in pain.
Hours passed. When the pains came, Ila kept her eyes on Naameh’s face as Shem’s mother gently whisperedencouragingly to her. She thought of Shem and her birth parents and Ham and Japheth, all the people she loved. Even Noah. But she couldn’t let herself think about the baby right now… she was too afraid, too worried about Noah’s terrible threats, and what he would do.
From outside the tent, the women heard roars and a loud bang. Naameh shot a worried look at the tent entrance and then looked back at Ila.
“You are doing well, daughter. It won’t be long now.”
A new pain tore through Ila and she let out a moan. Another contraction came, and another.
“Now, Ila!” said Naameh suddenly. “Push!”
Ila obeyed. As the contractions came, Ila pushed again and again until…
A loud cry filled the air. At the sound, Shem rushed into the tent. He looked at his mother. She quickly wrapped the baby in a blanket and placed it in a basket on the floor.
“Boy or girl?” he demanded. “Which one?”
Ila watched Naameh’s face. She wanted to know too. Naameh didn’t answer him right away.
What’s wrong?
thought Ila.
Why isn’t she
…
?
Suddenly Ila felt more pains. “Naameh,” she began. “I…”
“What’s happening?” Shem asked in a panic. “What’s going on?”
Ila couldn’t speak.
Naameh’s face had turned white. “There’s another one coming,” she said.
“What?” said Shem. “Two babies?”
“Yes, twins!” Naameh said. “Two babies, my son! She turned back to Ila. “Push, Ila.”
Ila obeyed, pushing again. Soon another child emerged and cried its first breath.
Shem glanced at his mother who was holding the second baby. “Well…?”
Ila was holding her breath. She kept her eyes on Naameh’s face, waiting for the answer.
Naameh looked at the infants, and then Ila saw her face fall.
A scream had gathered in Ila’s throat even before Naameh spoke.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Naameh murmured. “The babies are sisters.”
“No!” Ila screamed. “No!”
Shem moved to Ila’s side and grabbed her hands. He kissed her tears and took a long, deep breath.
“Where’s Noah? Where’s Noah?” Ila demanded again and again. “Keep him away! Keep him away from our daughters!”
“He will not touch them,” Shem said fiercely. “I will make sure of that.”
A new fear gripped Ila as she saw Shem pick up his spear again. “Shem!” she cried.
But it was too late. Shem was already racing through the Ark to find his father.
* * *
Ila sobbed and the babies wailed. Somehow Naameh had managed to stay calm. “You must nurse them now,” she told Ila.
Ila nodded, and Naameh helped her to lift the babies to her breasts. Her mind was racing.
What was happening between Shem and his father? Could Noah be stopped without anyone being harmed? How could they protect their babies?
From far away she heard yells and loud bangs. She and Naameh exchanged worried looks. Japheth was with Naameh now, but neither of them had seen Ham for some time.
Suddenly, there was a loud scraping sound and the huge ark lurched violently. As the ship bounced and tilted, Ila held her daughters tightly. The sound of wood splintering filled the air.
Naameh gasped and rushed to look outside. “The Ark struck land!” she cried. She took a baby from Ila and bundled her up tightly. She did the same with the other infant. “We must find a safe spot for you now, daughter. A safe spot for all of you.”
* * *
Ila carried one baby while Naameh held the other as they
Naameh put a finger on Ila’s lips. “Your baby is coming,” she said. “Don’t think about anything else.”
Ila winced as another strong contraction came. She closed her eyes, riding the waves of pain as they came and went.
Please let my baby be safe. Please let my baby be safe
.
Shem stood guard outside the tent holding his spear.
More contractions gripped Ila. Naameh squeezed her hand as she called out in pain.
Hours passed. When the pains came, Ila kept her eyes on Naameh’s face as Shem’s mother gently whisperedencouragingly to her. She thought of Shem and her birth parents and Ham and Japheth, all the people she loved. Even Noah. But she couldn’t let herself think about the baby right now… she was too afraid, too worried about Noah’s terrible threats, and what he would do.
From outside the tent, the women heard roars and a loud bang. Naameh shot a worried look at the tent entrance and then looked back at Ila.
“You are doing well, daughter. It won’t be long now.”
A new pain tore through Ila and she let out a moan. Another contraction came, and another.
“Now, Ila!” said Naameh suddenly. “Push!”
Ila obeyed. As the contractions came, Ila pushed again and again until…
A loud cry filled the air. At the sound, Shem rushed into the tent. He looked at his mother. She quickly wrapped the baby in a blanket and placed it in a basket on the floor.
“Boy or girl?” he demanded. “Which one?”
Ila watched Naameh’s face. She wanted to know too. Naameh didn’t answer him right away.
What’s wrong?
thought Ila.
Why isn’t she
…
?
Suddenly Ila felt more pains. “Naameh,” she began. “I…”
“What’s happening?” Shem asked in a panic. “What’s going on?”
Ila couldn’t speak.
Naameh’s face had turned white. “There’s another one coming,” she said.
“What?” said Shem. “Two babies?”
“Yes, twins!” Naameh said. “Two babies, my son! She turned back to Ila. “Push, Ila.”
Ila obeyed, pushing again. Soon another child emerged and cried its first breath.
Shem glanced at his mother who was holding the second baby. “Well…?”
Ila was holding her breath. She kept her eyes on Naameh’s face, waiting for the answer.
Naameh looked at the infants, and then Ila saw her face fall.
A scream had gathered in Ila’s throat even before Naameh spoke.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Naameh murmured. “The babies are sisters.”
“No!” Ila screamed. “No!”
Shem moved to Ila’s side and grabbed her hands. He kissed her tears and took a long, deep breath.
“Where’s Noah? Where’s Noah?” Ila demanded again and again. “Keep him away! Keep him away from our daughters!”
“He will not touch them,” Shem said fiercely. “I will make sure of that.”
A new fear gripped Ila as she saw Shem pick up his spear again. “Shem!” she cried.
But it was too late. Shem was already racing through the Ark to find his father.
* * *
Ila sobbed and the babies wailed. Somehow Naameh had managed to stay calm. “You must nurse them now,” she told Ila.
Ila nodded, and Naameh helped her to lift the babies to her breasts. Her mind was racing.
What was happening between Shem and his father? Could Noah be stopped without anyone being harmed? How could they protect their babies?
From far away she heard yells and loud bangs. She and Naameh exchanged worried looks. Japheth was with Naameh now, but neither of them had seen Ham for some time.
Suddenly, there was a loud scraping sound and the huge ark lurched violently. As the ship bounced and tilted, Ila held her daughters tightly. The sound of wood splintering filled the air.
Naameh gasped and rushed to look outside. “The Ark struck land!” she cried. She took a baby from Ila and bundled her up tightly. She did the same with the other infant. “We must find a safe spot for you now, daughter. A safe spot for all of you.”
* * *
Ila carried one baby while Naameh held the other as they
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