Celeste groggily regained consciousness, her vision still blurry, as Grandma Celia persistently splashed water on her face. Gradually, her senses returned, but a lingering dizziness made her hesitant to fully sit up. Instead, she weakly settled back onto her mat, her gaze fixated on the ceiling of her hut.
"Are you feeling better now?" Grandma Celia inquired, observing Celeste's dazed expression as she stared at the ceiling. She gently placed her hand on Celeste's head, checking her condition, and then withdrew it, repeating her question, "Celeste, can you hear me? How are you feeling at this moment?" Suddenly, Celeste looked up and locked eyes with Grandma Celia, who displayed genuine concern. Slowly, Celeste nodded and mustered the strength to sit up. With her legs crossed, she settled comfortably on her mat, her gaze sweeping across the four women seated in front of her until it settled on Grandma Celia. "I thought it was just a dream. Please tell me what you said isn't true," Celeste pleaded, massaging her head. Just yesterday, she had been daydreaming about the joy of carrying her son's child, becoming the first woman in his life to do so. And now, this news had blindsided her the very next day.
And above all else, the most difficult aspect for Celeste to accept was that the woman carrying her son's child was Grandma Celia herself—a woman who, despite her ample curves and lack of physical attractiveness compared to Celeste, had already lost her fertility. It was a bitter pill for Celeste to swallow. And though, the situation had occurred by accident and was completely unplanned, Celeste couldn't help but wonder how she would explain such a predicament to others when they inevitably questioned why her son had penetrated Grandma Celia in the first place.
And even if she were to come up with the most natural excuse, claiming it was merely a case of playful interaction, deep down, Celeste knew the truth. Her current son, Orion, was not the type of young man who discriminated against others based on their outward appearance, unlike his former self. Still, she found it difficult to accept that the first woman her son impregnated was not a young beautiful woman in his age group. But now, thanks to her son's semen, that reality seemed to be altered.
'Why am I thinking like this?' Celeste pondered internally. She realized she was being shallow in her thinking, as she would eventually be judged in a similar manner. However, if it wasn't for her son, who showed her unconditional love regardless of her appearance, she wouldn't feel this overwhelming guilt. She feared that Orion's kind and humble nature might be taken for granted or even manipulated, preventing him from finding a beautiful partner to share his life with. And now, with this sudden discovery, the situation could become even worse than she anticipated. 'But Orion is a smart young man, so I shouldn't worry about that,' Celeste reassured herself, but before she could delve deeper into her thoughts, her attention was abruptly captured by someone calling out her name.
"Celeste, can you hear me?" Grandma Celia repeated, her voice filled with concern. She continued to utter those words several times until she noticed Celeste's gaze finally locking onto her, indicating that she had snapped out of her daze. Grandma Celia realized that she might have overwhelmed Celeste with the sudden news, causing her to retreat into her thoughts, attempting to comprehend and make sense of the situation. "It seems I shouldn't have delivered the news to you so unexpectedly," Grandma Celia admitted, empathetically. "If you need more time to process everything, we can leave and give you the space you need. Take your time until you feel ready to discuss the situation with us again."
After Grandma Celia finished speaking, she patiently awaited Celeste's response. However, observing the mother of the young man who had managed to impregnate her biting her lips in total confusion, with a whirlwind of intense emotions swirling in her eyes, Grandma Celia let out a defeated sigh. She pushed herself up from her seat, resigning to the fact that Celeste needed more time. As she rose, Grandma Celia uttered, "No need for you to respond. We will come and meet you once you're ready..." But before she could finish her sentence, Celeste interjected with a loud, defeated sigh that drowned out Grandma Celia's words.
After shaking her head vigorously in an attempt to clear her mind of the overwhelming thoughts, Celeste looked up at Grandma Celia, who was already on her feet and ready to depart. Celeste cleared her throat and uttered, "Grandma Celia?".
Grandma Celia's curiosity was piqued as she heard Celeste call out her name in an unexpected manner. Perplexed but attentive, she responded with a raised eyebrow, "Yes?".
Celeste's smile brightened as she made her request, "I can't continue calling you Grandma Celia, can I? How about Celia?" As soon as she finished her sentence, a boisterous chuckle erupted beside her, drawing her attention to Grandma Derry, who was laughing wholeheartedly. Celeste turned to find Grandma Vivan and Meldra with gentle smiles, while Grandma Ingrid maintained her serious expression. Caught up in the contagious joy, Celeste couldn't help but smile back. She acknowledged her initial jealousy and anger, wishing she could be the one giving birth to her son's first child. However, she understood that what mattered most was Orion's choice to navigate the situation with his children and the woman who had unexpectedly become pregnant. None of them had bargained for this turn of events.
Also, the crux of the matter lay in the astonishing fact that her son's semen had the potential to impregnate an elder woman who had already lost her fertility. Celeste couldn't ignore the consequences if this news were to spread throughout the village. Her family, and quite possibly the entire compound, would become the subject of intense curiosity and scrutiny, particularly from the village chief and those in his inner circle. As Celeste's thoughts gradually settled, clarity dawned upon her. It was precisely at this moment that Grandma Celia bent down, pinched her nose playfully, and let out a laugh. "Silly girl," she said, resuming her seat on the ground. "But you're not entirely wrong. If my child is accepted into your family, it would be reasonable for you to call me your daughter-in-law. However, I've never experienced or been in such a situation before, so it's a bit challenging for me to...".
Celeste interrupted, raising an eyebrow and interjecting, "If?" She gazed at Grandma Celia before shaking her head in disagreement. "Celia, you don't understand. I have already accepted you into my family. The only thing left is for my son to accept the child. But considering how considerate Orion has become, I can already predict that he will willingly take care of the child, understanding that you alone can't bear such a burden at your age." As for the possibility of Orion taking Grandma Celia as a partner, it was a matter for both of them to decide. However, Celeste didn't place her entire hope on such a thought, recognizing that the significant age gap might make it unlikely or even impossible.
However, as a woman who had to sacrifice an exorbitant amount of her wealth to conceive and bear her children, Celeste understood firsthand the kind of support Grandma Celia would require in the days to come.
"Yo... You're already..." Grandma Celeste's voice quivered with a mix of surprise and overwhelming emotions. Although she knew that the village would assist her during the pregnancy and childbirth, it was a customary support provided to all women in the village to ensure a successful outcome. However, to have someone willingly offer their presence during this critical moment, especially from someone who hadn't anticipated it, was enough to bring tears streaming down her cheeks, staining her dress as they cascaded to the floor.
"It's okay," Celeste said, extending her trembling hands to wipe away her tears. "As you mentioned earlier, none of us have ever been in this situation before. So, before news of this spreads, I want you to know that I'll provide you with all the support you need. You don't have to bargain or worry about repaying me in any way, alright?" A warm smile adorned Celeste's face as she observed Grandma Celia's eyes welling up with more tears. Suddenly, she was pulled back onto the ground, enveloped in a tight embrace by Grandma Celia, who clung to her with both hands, weeping profusely into her tulga.
Witnessing the heartfelt moment between Celeste and Grandma Celia, Grandma Ingrid interjected with a firm tone, breaking the emotional atmosphere. "Well, now that everything seems to be settled," she said, her eyes glancing between Celeste and Celia, "Meldra and I have to head to the farm. But before we go, please make sure to inform Orion about this when he returns, so we can discuss how to announce such news to the village chief."
