Tuesday, December 11, 2007

DATASHA ARRIVES!

Duke Jeyaraj

9:38 am. November 12, 2007. Rainbow Hospital Operation Theatre.
Dr. Pranathi Reddy and team in action. Evan's stomach sliced open. A baby surrounded by silvery slime is fished out. "Dale Nathan, your son, has a baby sister!", the doctor announces as she holds the bundle of joy planted by God in Evan's womb. I was there. In the Operation Theatre - thanks to the American-like style of functioning of this Banjara Hills hospital. It was the most unforgettable sight I had ever seen. I was numb with excitement - a proud daddy of a girl baby. I kissed my wife on the forehead, as the doctors worked away to sew up her stomach. "What have you planned to name her?" asks Dr. Pranathi. "Datasha!" I say. "Dat is the Bible Word for Royal Command!" Big dreams for our tiny baby - weighing 3.52 kg and 50 cm long at the time of birth. That's what we've got. She would carry out the Royal Command we have from Above - The Bible. She would preach the "Royal Command" to many. That's our dream. In fact, when Evan became pregnant, I wrote a poem for her. The first gynecologist we saw said that Datasha should be aborted. "She is not properly formed," she stated. As soon as we heard that, we were fighting back the tears. We were fighting on our knees - God who gave her to us, in this first place. We took another scan of Evan's womb. "The baby is alive and well!" - this scan report told us. A miracle! After that miracle, I took out my pen. Poetry flowed. May I share with you what I wrote for my wife, believing God would give us a girl baby, long before she was born?


Evan, I didn't think God would give us another one, honestly,
But when we came together this February,
God put in your womb a little one he planned for from eternity
Once that happened, I had so many a dream in a flurry
"Will she be as cute as Halle Berry?
Will she be a blessing to many and make hearts' merry?
Will she to millions God's word faithfully carry?"
Take one look at her angelic face - that's what we need to do for our problems and pains to bury
The day will come, when I will called, "Daddy" by this little fairy,
My heart will skip a beat when she would one day ask, "Dad, how do I look in this saree?"
My eyes will be moist with happiness and heartache when she does marry
Evan, the one who put her in your womb will give you the strength to deliver this baby
Forget the first scan report, our pretty little princess will soon hit home, don't worry!

Datasha hours after she was born

Duke and Evan with their new born baby Datasha

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