Jose's Story
Jose stood in front of a large oil drum dropping pieces of wood onto the glowing embers and hoping his supply of wood would last the night. As the flames began to shoot up the light revealed his forehead, wrinkled with concern and his sad, tired eyes. The large, callused hands and drawn face told of years of hard labor. The ragged clothes, layered against the cold, and stubble beard betrayed his present hard times.
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Maura's Story
Eighteen year old Maura stood in the doorway, leaning against the jamb and trying to keep out of the cold wind's icy grasp. Layered as she was, in long dress, sweater, coat, and blanket with newspaper wrapped around her boots for extra warmth, one might have missed the very large bulge in her middle. Maura was, in fact, not only pregnant, but in the middle of labor. By anyone's standards Maura had not been thought of as exceptional or heroic. But even in the face of this cold winter's night and the desolation of this place, her certainty of decision did not waiver.
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The Birth
"JOSE!!" Maura's scream was filled with all the fear, pain and uncertainty of childbirth. On this clear, starlit, wind chilled night, with her water already having broken, Maura was about to give birth.
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Gabe's Visit
As they gazed at Hope, their daughter, Maura and Jose's feeling of calm and assurance was dispelled as a shadow passed over them. The unexpected shadow brought their attention back to the present. Simultaneously their faces turned and looked up. Standing in front of them, both in the light and crowned by it, was the imposing figure of a man.
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David
The hair on the back of David Eagle Wing's neck rose, causing him to pause and look around. There was something about this night that seemed different, but he couldn't say why. It wasn't the fact that he was working in Walgreens in the middle of the night. He had gotten used to living life under the glare of florescent lighting. Strange as it sounded working the night shift was not as bad as one might imagine. David had always chaffed under the watchful eye of management and there was a certain amount of independence working through the night. There was enough to do, but he could decide when to do what. Occasionally, in the middle of the night, a customer would come in needing assistance, but otherwise he could set his own pace without someone always standing over him.
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Anna
This had not been a particularly busy night at Memorial Medical Center, but it seemed as if Anna Schaeffer had been on the go all night. She had just finished mopping up a patient's blood and vomit around an emergency room bed and changed the sheets. Now Anna was hoping she could take a short break.
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The Gathering
Following the path through the forest from the Shugseb Nunnery to the center of McLeod Gunj, Ani Rinpoche hardly noticed the incline or the smell of the pines or the beautiful rhododendron. Even the view of the Dhauladhar range and the Kangra Valley below failed to catch her attention. She was in a hurry. Ever since she had gotten Isma'il's letter she knew something new and exciting was unfolding. She had read it in the stars and the alignment of the planets. Even the animal signs, numbers and spirits seemed to point to something new, but she was unable to decipher the meaning. What was certain was the great excitement and urgency intimated in Isma'il's letter.
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The Journey Begins
Suddenly Ani realized where she was. She had been in such a hurry to tell her friends of her discovery that she had forgotten herself and proper etiquette. Ani's eyes immediately fell from Isma'il and Appar's bewildered faces to staring, embarrassed, at the floor.
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Arriving
"Standing here, doing nothing will get us nowhere,” Isma'il stated determinedly. " We are close. I can feel it.” The others nodded their agreement. "In America, people usually go to a hospital for childbirth,” Ani thought out loud.
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