Chapter 56

My large belly bumped against the side of the cliff as Tanaka struggled to maintain his unsteady grip on me. With two of his arms, he had a hold of only one of mine. With the weight of my body, he fought to simply prevent me from tumbling down the side of the mountain.

“Oh god!” Keanu’s voice penetrated from the shadows, his footsteps growing louder as he moved to help us.

I tried to remain as still as possible until he reached our location. Worry began to set in as I heard Tanaka grunt and then fumble for a better hold on me. With the warmth of the desert night and the physical struggle, his palms felt sweaty and slippery against my skin.

“Keanu! Hurry!” I screeched as Tanaka’s grasp began to loosen even more.

I just wanted this over with. The whole nightmare just kept getting worse and worse. Not that I wanted to plummet off the edge of a cliff, but I was ready to be done with this experience.

My arm was sliding further and further from Tanaka’s hands. Soon he would only have my slender wrist to cling to. If Keanu didn’t hurry, the baby and I were going to die a horrible and tragic death.

As the pain of Tanaka’s grip overwhelmed my wrist, I honestly didn’t think Keanu was going to find us in time. He hadn’t been that far ahead of us but the narrow edge of the cliff and the darkness likely slowed him down.

Tears of relief flooded my eyes as I suddenly felt another set of hands wrap around my forearm; I was shocked when I was lifted so easily up into Keanu’s arms.

“Wow! I knew you were strong,” My breath came in short spurts as I clung to him. “But that was amazing!”

Burying my face into his chest, I sobbed with relief and fatigue. My arm throbbed all the way from the shoulder to the wrist. Leading me the rest of the way to the cave, I looked back to make sure Tanaka had made it safely. Spotlights from several helicopters and the occasional bolt of lightning flashing through the night sky gave us tiny glimpses of illumination.

Everyone looked exhausted.

“Should we light a fire?” Tanaka asked, his voice weary and strained.

“No.” Keanu answered, “Too risky.”

“Wait.” Tanaka exclaimed suddenly, “The cave, it goes much deeper. Come on, back here!”

Following his voice, Keanu, grandmother and I felt our way through the shadowy abyss until we were startled by the strike of a match and Tanaka’s face suddenly lighting up as he held up the flickering flame.

My grandmother gasped loudly and she moved toward Tanaka. Leaning in close to him, inspecting him, she whispered. “Could it be?”

“Yes healer, it is me.” His expression warmed with a wide smile as he glanced around at the faces sheltered within the cave…pausing the longest at mine.

As the flame slowly flickered out, I knew instinctively who he was. Somehow I think I’d realized it the first few minutes of our meeting, but wouldn’t believe it.

My father.

No one had to tell me, I just knew. Like a memory that had burrowed deep within my soul, I just knew who he was. Feeling my way through the darkness, I found him and gave him a big hug. A sense of completion filled me as I was held in the arms I had yearned for. I didn’t care anymore that he had missed being in my life, he was here now.

Rubbing my back, Tanaka and I gently pulled away from one another. Wiping tears from my eyes, I stated. “We should start a fire.”

Keanu’s confused voice responded in the darkness. “Here?”

“Yes.” My voice was firm.

“Why?” Keanu inquired.

“Because...the baby’s coming…right now.”