1936
“Congratulations, Danilo! It’s a bouncing baby boy!”
Danilo turns up his head, then almost jumps up from the bench where he is seated. He is outside of the delivery room in a hospital.
“Thank you, doctor! My God, finally! After hours of waiting!” Danilo gleefully hugs the doctor. “How’s my wife? Is she Ok, doing fine?” He takes out a handkerchief, then wipes the film of sweat off his face.
“She’s just fallen sleep. Pretty tough labor she had there. But she’s fine, just some rest. Tomorrow, she’ll be ready to go home.” The doctor’s mopping his hands with a white cloth. He covers his mouth, to stifle a cough. From his pocket, he takes out a stick of cigarette.
“Can I see them? How the baby looks like?”
“Yeah, sure, sure, Danilo. Just go right in there.” The doctor points toward the double-doors of the delivery room, then starts to leave...
[Note: Read the complete story in the book "You Filibini?" Stories and Other Writings by Amador F. Brioso, Jr., published May 2010]
