Konrad and Alexandra (PDF) - Rolf Gross

to continue lying on her side until it ebbed away.She relaxed again. The warmth of the sun and the soil under the olive trees, where she had conceived this child, invadedher. She saw Konrad above her, his loving eyes. Effortless the image changed into her sitting under the Gauguin and vanGogh paintings at Becky’s house, and back to the reflections in Venice. Her Giorgione appeared, the clouds drifting overthe castle. It was she who now sat naked in the sunspot waiting to present her child to her knight.The next contraction hit a few minutes later. She became fully awake. This child is in a hurry, she thought.This time the pain was sharp. As it flooded her body from her center down to between her legs, a bright red lightappeared in her vision. It started as a small, highly concentrated source far away that raced towards her, growing as thepain increased, until it arrived at a spot just below her navel. Concentrating all her senses on this vision, she put her handon her belly where she seemed to see it. The light exploded enveloping her in a rain of brilliant red stars just as thespasm reached its peak. She felt the child move downwards with a determined push, then the pain let up.Still lying on her side, she tried to pull one leg up to make more room for the child, but that position did not feel right anylonger. She turned on her back. Very gingerly she let her hand wander to where the child would appear between her legsand found herself wide open.It was time to wake Konrad.Konrad jumped up with a start. "How often have you had contractions?""They seem to come much faster than I had expected. Get me the rubber sheet and some towels to soak up my water,when it breaks and then go and get Deda and Sophia. Brimus cannot wait any longer."Before he could get these things her water broke."Never mind, get me the towels. I will go to the bathroom to clean myself."Konrad helped her up and brought her a bathrobe. While he prepared the bed for her, she went to the bathroom. Sophiahad impressed on her that cleanliness was of greatest importance in preventing infections of the womb and the child. Onher way she met Sophia who took her arm and led her back to bed."Lie down, dear child, I will get some warm water and wash you, this is no time to stand around in the bathroom."Sophia got a basin with warm water and carefully washed her. "You are wide open, it will not be long."A few minutes later another severe contraction arrived. The pain was excruciating, but at the height of the contractionshe saw the bright light again, only this time it was yellow. Alexandra concentrated all her energies on it and guided itdown to where Brimus was demanding his release. She held it there in its full intensity. It enveloped her belly like apowerful aura and only faded when the contraction ceased. Quiet reigned for a few minutes. She could breathe again."Did you see the light that was around me?"Sophia shook her head."Whenever I have a really painful contraction, I see brightly colored lights. They are very helpful, all I have to do is focuson them, and the pain lets up. This time the light was yellow and seemed to envelop my whole body like an aura."Another, milder contraction overtook her.Deda and Sophia made Alexandra warm and comfortable. Konrad had been sent to the kitchen to heat a large pot ofwater. They would need it to wash the child.An hour passed before the child’s head appeared. Alexandra experienced a series of smaller and larger contractions.The largest ones were again accompanied by bright lights, first a green then a blue one.The blue light invaded her entire body. The pain of the contraction seemed unbearable, but the light persisted. When shegave herself up to the vision all pain receded miraculously, she only felt the fierce powers gripping her body. At the heightof the contraction her body released her. Flooded by an indescribable pleasure she floated weightless in blue space.Suddenly the blue turned a blinding white which filled the room. She saw her body lying on the bed below her. The child’shead had appeared.Brimus emerged between her legs. She smiled at him. She felt one last, huge contraction shake her body, and there hewas.She watched Sophia cut and knot the umbilical cord, pick him up, turn him upside down, and slap him on his bottom. Helet out a loud cry. Alexandra laughed, and with that laugh the white light abruptly collapsed, and she found herself back inher tired body, full of exhausted bliss.Sophia carefully washed the blood-smeared child and placed him into Alexandra’s arms. "I have never heard a womanlaugh during delivery." Sophia said shaking her head and gave her the baby. "Of course, it is a boy!"Konrad kissed his wife, and she handed the child to him. "Let us call him Otho in Georgian and Otto in German. I like thatname."62