Chapter 1 Part 3

I walked up slowly to Anna and looked directly into her eyes. Perhaps it was best if she started the conversation. After a few seconds neither of us spoke, so I decided to say something in an attempt to diffuse the ice cold atmosphere between us.

'Thank you for coming.'

I wanted to say that in the Finnish language, but my concentration was poor due to fatigue, so I could only speak my American English at that moment.

She walked briskly past me. I thought that she would completely ignore me. She saw her daughter lying motionless on the bed with a tube in her arm. She burst into tears, spun around, and embraced me.

In Finnish she asked me several questions. I answered most of the questions in English. During moments when my concentration level peaked I answered a couple of questions in Finnish. I told her everything the doctors had told me. She then broke the embrace, wiped her eyes, and looked at me.

'How is the baby?' She asked in English as she continued to dry her eyes.

I smiled and looked back at her.

'Anna is just fine.'

'Anna?'

'Yes. We decided to name the baby Anna after you. Would you like to see the baby, your granddaughter?' I asked her.

She looked at me in a moment of disbelief and replied, 'A grandmother. I’m a grandmother?'

'Yes, you are. Right now little Anna needs you. Petra needs you,' I breathed a heavy sigh, 'and I need you too.'

She walked about a meter from me to gaze at Petra lying motionless in the hospital bed.