Life: An Adventure of Reality

"Hey, are you going to take every drop of water? Just stop it already."

"What? I have only filled twenty-three pots. Do you even know how far is my home?"

"Hey, don't fight. If the guards hear you guys, then nobody will get water today. Just take it as much as you want."

"Yeah. It has been four years, but I have not seen those dark clouds yet. Did our district get cursed?"

"Holy mother, stop spouting nonsense. Our neighborhood villages and districts are facing the same problem."

"Amar is right. It isn't a curse. It may be the punishment for our sins from past lives."

"That's bullshit! We can't be sinners. So what if we don't believe in any gods, but we don't insult any gods too."

The discussion continued on the edge of Yelena River. They were ordinary citizens of the Farmer District who were too ordinary that they couldn't even recognize a single word of their mother language. Their way of speaking was also very low class. Maybe that's why they were considered, people of low-class families.

The Farmer District didn't have many water resources, so the Yelena River was the lifeline of its people. Although the flow of water was low, it was enough for the whole district because it was deep.

People didn't know whether it was a coincidence or not but the Yelena River seemed to divide the district between two parts, equally into two parts. Because of it, many people from the district's border had to travel a long distance, so they could have water for their families. Nonetheless, they had to come if they wanted to live.

It might not be a problem if the monsoon had been coming every year. But Farmer District and its nearby districts hadn't seen rain for four years. People had even started to buy water or exchange it for other things. If the drought continued like this, then it would not be long before chaos would swallow the southern plains.

Men were still filling the pots, very carefully with a mug that was bound with a long stick. After all, people weren't allowed to get too close to the river.

Suddenly, joyous cheering reached the ears of those ordinary men. They looked towards the children who were running alongside the river's wall. Children's eyes were fixed on something, something which was flowing with the waves of the river. It looked like a huge old leaf which was quite dirty.

Two guards were also coming toward the ordinary men. One of the guards shouted at those men, "Stop that trash, now. Don't let it dirty the river."

Hearing the order from the district guard, the ordinary men became alert like owls in the night. They extended their hands and tried to block the leaf.

Some missed, but a man with a long stick managed to push the leaf towards the right edge of the river. But something unexpected happened after that. The leaf crashed with a wave first, then... The leaf fell on the river completely and uncovered a little bowl-shaped leaf. People's jaws dropped in shock when they saw the thing in the little bowl-shaped leaf.

It was a baby with full hair on its head. It was too cute even from a far distance. Men and children could only stare at it with awe in their eyes. But when they lost the sight of baby's face, they came back to their senses again.

Whistle!

A guard shouted, "What are you doing, morons? It is a baby. Save it immediately otherwise, you all will die today." Of course, it was not the case in reality. But the guard became quite fond of the baby at first sight.

Thud! Thud!

Men started running alongside the river to save the baby. Then someone shouted, "There is a bridge. We should block it with our mugs from there." Hearing this, everyone nodded their heads. The ordinary men ran even faster than the guards with firm determination. They blocked the baby with their mugs easily because they were farmers with fine bodies. Even a single man could block the baby while holding the rod with three fingers.

"Okay. We did it."

"Now someone picks it up."

Two ordinary men immediately came forward, one holding the other one by the legs. Like this, they saved the baby from the waves of the Yelena River.

"Let me see that cutie."

"Go away, you snotty."

"Me? snotty? you have not taken bath for ages. You should go away."

"Hey, keep it down."

"Hey, you are holding the baby and yet you are shouting so loudly. You will scare it."

The dispute between the ordinary men started again. Then the guards came towards them and checked the baby. Guard Rufus said with a strange face, "He is not breathing."

A deadly silence fell on the crowd at the speed of sunlight. They were not shocked only, but also sad. They could not believe that such a cute baby died like that.

"It can't be. Please check it again."

"Yeah. You got it all wrong. The baby breathes slowly so you can't notice it properly."

"Yeah. Please check it again sir. It can not die. Yelena River has a long history because it gives birth, not death."

The ordinary men shared their thoughts, they didn't want to believe that the baby was dead. Rufus looked at his comrade for help, but even his comrade could only shake his head in despair.

Rufus was also sad. He could not believe that the baby in his arms was dead for a long time. It looked like a little angel who had descended from a place that was even beyond heaven. It had the body of a newborn but its face looked more mature than its body.

Rufus wondered in his mind, 'How can there be such heartless parents in this world? If they could not raise it, they could have given it to an orphanage. Such a shame that I wasn't able to protect it.'

Suddenly, two hands flashed before Rufus' eyes and took the baby instantly.

A woman in ordinary clothes started rubbing the back of the baby and pumping air in its mouth by using her soft pink lips.

Rufus was stunned for a moment. But he soon came to his senses and asked, "Who is this woman?"

An ordinary man came forward and explained immediately, "Sir, I am John Star and she is my wife. She has experience in babies because we have three children. She has even helped more than twenty pregnant women till now."

Rufus' comrade said seriously, "So what? The baby is dead. It isn't moving at all, it means it must have died a long time ago. What can she even do?"

John didn't say anything further. He could only lower his head with shame. He also ran with ordinary men to save the baby. He believed that since Rufus had confirmed the death of the baby, then It meant that it was dead for sure.

But John knew his wife well too. Tasha Star was sitting in the cart when John was filling the pots. She got alarmed when she heard that there was a baby in the river. That's why she came there too. She was too kind and a good mother.

Tasha ignored others and tried to pump air through the baby's mouth anxiously. She was afraid that Rufus was right about the baby.

Although the body of the baby was a little cold, the center side of its chest was a bit hot which gave a little hope to Tasha.

John begged with a sad face, "Tasha, enough. You can't do anything. Stop it already."

Tasha was breathing heavily because she ran for a long distance without any stop. But her breathing accelerated even more when she found that the chest of the baby was still hot. She was very shocked.

People could not help but ask for the reason behind her shock. But Tasha didn't tell them. She stared at the baby and caressed its face with her soft hand. She had to admit that the baby was cute. But she didn't want to admit that such a cute baby died at such young age.

Then a drop of salty water rolled out from Tasha's right eye. At the sight of her tear, the people around her also became emotional. They could not believe it, but they had to. The cutest baby they had ever seen, was dead.

Tasha's tear fell on the lips of the baby. But nobody noticed it. Rufus extended both his hands respectfully and said, "Mrs. Star, please let it handle us now. You have done your best. This world is cruel. I think it is a good thing that this baby doesn't need to struggle in this cruel anymore. He will surely be reborn in heaven and shine, even brighter than the sun."

Tasha asked, "Can I goodbye to him in my way?"

Rufus nodded his head, "If it doesn't need much time."

Tasha leaned and kissed the lips of the baby for some moments. She wished in her mind, "If I had given birth to you..." and that was the turning point of the story. At the speed of thunder, two chubby hands caught Tasha's cheeks.

Tasha opened her eyes instantly and saw a pair of beautiful eyes staring back at her. She slowly straightened her neck, staring at the beautiful eyes with utter surprise. Even the people around them were frozen. Of course, the baby came back to life. Not sure how, but it was true.

The baby was staring at Tasha with expectations and extending its hands as if it wanted to grab Tasha's face again. It even tried to move its chubby body to grab her face.