ETERNITY

All Mixed Up

By: Asia Lunsford Payne

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Book three finds Cheng, Tamara, Eternity, and Kaanin friendship hangs in the balance. Cheng has returned home but new secrets, lies, and deceptions rise to the surface. Causing unimaginable turmoil as someone's life hangs perilously in the balance.

“One push…two push…three push…" Tamara groaned and moaned, breathing in and out like she learned in Lamaze training with Kaanin. "Come on Baby you can do it!” Cheng coached Tamara, excited to hold his new baby boy.

“Push Tamara.” the nurse encouraged her. “ Here he comes… We see his beautiful black curly hair.” The nurse said, smiling.

Cheng stood at the side of the bed beaming with pride, holding Tam’s hand.

“Dad cut the cord. Congratulations!” The doctor said, patting Cheng on the shoulder.

“Here’s your baby.” The nurse said, placing him on Tamara’s chest. “OH!...Tam started screaming. I feel something that hurts…"

The nurses in the room ran over to the bed to grab the baby off her chest.

“You have another baby. Here it comes!” The doctor and nurse were overjoyed.

Both Cheng and Tamara eyes widened and said in unison. “What!”

An uncomfortable expression took over both the doctor and the nurses as they were pulling the next baby out. “You have a ginger girl! The nurse said. “Look at all the pretty orange hair!” She shouted.

“Fraternal twins. You have another cord to cut Dad.” the doctor added

“One has beautiful black hair and one has gorgeous orange hair, with the same exact face, you can’t tell them apart like identical twins.” The nurse stated.

Cheng and Tamara were trying to process the initial shock of two babies, and tried not to convey the intense surprise in front of everyone about their baby girl having orange hair, but they were overwhelmed. Cheng and Tamara’s hair was black and so were the other children. They held on to the confusion they felt, demonstrating a blank stare on both their faces, trying to mask their emotions. Silence took over the delivery room.

The nurse brought both babies out wrapped in blankets. Handed the baby boy to his father and their girl to Tamara.

“What are their names?” The nurse asked.

Cheng stumbled upon his words. “We haven’t decided yet, we weren’t expecting two babies. I guess someone made a mistake.” Tam expressed, a bit agitated looking at her daughter.

Having two babies with this pregnancy instead of one was life changing news. And it left Cheng and Tamara speechless. They were waiting for the perfect opportunity when everyone left the room to address what they both were thinking.

Cheng asked Tamara if she and Kaanin had been intimate. “Baby no! How could you ask me something like that?” Tam asked, crying. Cheng had a look of immense relief as he wiped the tears from her face and hugged her.

Across town, in the same hour Eternity’s strength was being tested also. “ Push girl. This baby is not going to wait all day for you to push him out of there. Push… I said!” A little old white lady screamed with a raspy voice that had the texture of rusted steel wool. Like the old witch from the wizard of oz. Her hair was wild and wiry, the color of a carrot.