Chapter 30 New Dawn

Cold air hit, waves of the river raged. The therapeutic scent of rain was in the air. Eyes opened to a blur and closed back again. A groan followed and once again, the eyes opened. This time, they clearly saw Ruth’s smile. Her eyes twinkled in happiness as the wind blew against her whitish hair. Another smile joined in and it was of Alejandro.

"Good to see that you are finally awake, amigo." he mirthfully said to Matt.

Ruth hugged him and Matt chuckled softly at her. He lifted his numb hands and wrapped them around her waist. Fernanda looked over her shoulder and smiled at the couple. She tapped on Stephanie who was busy facing forward while she drove the speed boat. She followed Fernanda's gaze and winked at Matt.

"What's going on?" Matt dryly asked and cleared his throat.

"We are getting out of this forest." Alejandro said to which Ruth kissed Matt's cheek. Alejandro raised his brow at Fernanda. "These two are so affectionate. We might have to jump out of the boat just so they get their privacy."

"Shut the fuck up, Alejandro." Matt cockily grinned.

"Just get a room." Alejandro retorted to which Ruth and Stephanie giggled at.

"Oh, we will." Matt's lips met Ruth's in a slow and passionate kiss.

Alejandro shook his head at them. He spotted someone walking alone by the river bank. "Hey, guys, look, there's someone over there."

Ruth pulled away from Matt and glanced towards where everyone was looking. She gasped and set her hand on her chest. "Muriel," she said.

"What?" Matt raised a brow to her inquisitively.

"That's Muriel, a good friend of mine. She helped me a lot while I was trapped in the mansion." Ruth blurted out happily and shifted her eyes back to Muriel.

Muriel kept her eyes down and dragged her feet on the wet ground. From afar, it appeared as though she was deep in thought as she hugged herself. Ruth couldn't stop her tears of joy. She was alive. Just like them, she survived it all.

"Why isn't she trying to get our attention? Call after her." Alejandro voiced out his thoughts to which Fernanda nodded her head in agreement.

"She is deaf." Ruth quickly explained.

"What?" Stephanie expressed her surprise. "Well, that explains everything."

"Please, we just can't leave her here." Ruth insisted in a pout.

Alejandro groaned at his sore shoulder as he reached for the gun on his hip. He pointed it forward but Ruth was in the way. Matt pulled her away and Alejandro got a clear view. Stephanie stopped the boat and everyone waited for Alejandro to pull the trigger.

Muriel kept her head down and continued taking her time down to her road to the unknown. Alejandro narrowed his eyes at her approaching a mango tree. It was at that moment when Alejandro fired his gun. A mango exploded in Muriel's face, and she fell down startled. With her hand on her beating heart, she dragged herself back in panic.

She frantically looked around only to see Ruth jumping up and down in a speed boat. Ruth shouted after Muriel whilst waving her hands around. Muriel covered her smile with both hands in surprise. She got up and ran towards the river to which Stephanie started the boat again. Muriel couldn't stop herself from laughing as she watched the boat turn to her.

As soon as she was on board, Ruth embraced her. They cried emotionally in each other's arms. Everyone watched them communicate happily in sign language. Ruth turned to Matt and motioned something to Muriel. Muriel nodded her head at Matt with a smile and motioned at him with her fingers.

"She says that she is happy to finally meet you." Ruth explained to Matt.

"Tell her the pleasure is all mine." Matt smiled at Muriel.

Muriel found a place opposite Alejandro. The group travelled across the river without any problems. The dead evil forest was alive with no dark aura around it. It was as though the curse that was upon it had been lifted now that Asmodues was gone. In few hours, the group set their eyes on Mark and Jose waving at them whilst Abigail looked on.

"Matt!" Mark happily exclaimed and grabbed Jose by the shoulders. "They made it! They fucking made it!"

"Yeah!" Jose happily shouted back. "They're back!"

9 Months Later

"Hello everyone, I'm Mary-Kate Miller, and we are back on the Jesus Lives show with Matthew and Ruth Daka." a talk show hostess smiled widely at the camera before turning her gaze back to Matt and Ruth.

She sat with her legs crossed in her tight red dress. Her honey colored hair was tied in a neat ban and dangling on her ears were crystal earrings. She held a card with the name of the TV show. Surrounding them was an attentive audience behind the cameras.

Matt and Ruth sat all smiles on the red couch opposite the presenter. Matt held Ruth's hand above her big belly bump. Twinkling in the light were their wedding bands. Ruth covered her body in a white floral dress and on her feet were wedge heels.

Her long hair was tied in a loose ponytail. She tucked a strand behind her ear with the hand that had a huge skull tattoo on it. Matt, who was dressed casually in black pants and a tight gray sweater, smiled lovingly at Ruth.

"Before the break, you were narrating to us about your horrific ordeal." Mary-Kate said with a sympathetic furrow and Ruth nodded her head at her with tucked lips. "Aside from your freedom, what other thing are you happy about?"

Ruth chuckled softly to which Matt gave her hand a soft squeeze. "Well, I am happy that my mother's name has been cleared. She was an amazing woman, and she deserves to be remembered as such. She is not the monster that she was portrayed to be."

"Speaking of amazing women, do you have updates concerning," Mary-Kate glanced at her card, "Fernanda, Stephanie and of course your new friend who so happens to be your mother's namesake."

"Well, Fernanda and Stephanie returned to their modest lives of saving the tormented. As for Muriel, Matt and I," Ruth smiled at Matt. "You tell them."

Matt laughed with the audience. "Well, um, we are arranging for her to come and live with us here."

Mary-Kate and the crowd clapped happily at his words. "That's amazing you guys."

"She doesn't have any family over there in Brazil. We want her to be with us because not only was she there for me, but also because she reminds me of my mother." Ruth mirthfully added.

"Yeah, we just have to get done with all the paperwork." Matt remarked to the crowd's awe.

"What you are doing is remarkable. I wish you all the best." Mary-Kate smiled brightly at them. "Well, we have come to the end of our show." her eyes met Ruth's. "Is there anything you'd want to tell everyone?"

Ruth faced the camera. "Demons are as real as you and I. If you feel that you are being tormented by them, seek help immediately. Don't hide your pain the way I hid mine. Jesus is there for you. All you have to do is call upon him. He works best with the people around you." Ruth smiled at Matt and without taking her eyes off him, she continued. "Confide in them. You never know, you might have a warrior willing to face the devil for your sake."

'I love you.' Matt mouthed at Ruth.

'I love you more.' Ruth mouthed back.

"Well, that's all folks. Please keep a look out for Ruth's upcoming book, Demon Claim. It details this remarkable story of man vs demon. I am Mary-Kate Miller and this has been, The Jesus Lives show."

Abigail turned off the TV with a hurt look on her face. She thoughtfully hugged a pillow and glanced at her family portrait hanging on the wall. A sudden bark pulled her out of her thoughts. She looked down at a labradoodle wagging its tail at her. Abigail stared blankly at it and it tilted its head with its tongue out. Her lips twitched into a smile.

"Are you hungry, girl?" she asked it and it barked back. "Come on, let's get you something to eat."

****

The fated day arrived and it brought Matt and Ruth to a hospital room. Ruth sat on the operation table in nothing but a surgical gown that had an opening in the back. Matt stood beside her in scrubs and a surgical bonnet over his head. He constantly licked his lips nervously and rubbed on his chin.

"Why don't you sit down on the chair?" Ruth suggested to Matt but he didn't respond. He just stared into space without blinking. "Matt," Ruth lowered her chin. "Matthew!" she raised her voice.

Matt jumped backwards startled. "What- huh? Are you having cramps?" he anxiously asked her.

"No, remember I'm having an emergency C-section." Ruth shook her head with a smile.

"How can you be smiling at a time like this? I'm freaking out." Matt set his palm on his forehead. "Oh my God."

"Okay, if you keep behaving like this, I will start freaking too." Ruth crossed her arms disapprovingly.

"Okay, I'm cool. I'm cool." Matt exasperated and Ruth cupped his face.

The door opened and walking in was an old anesthesiologist. Ruth's nerves twitched and her face paled at the sight of him. She flashed a frightened look at Matt, and he swallowed hard. Matt shook his thoughts in order. He had to be strong for Ruth's sake.

"It's okay, babe. He is here to give you your spinal block. All this so that we can have the baby." Matt kissed her knuckles. Shit, shit, shit, shit. Calm down Matt.

The anesthesiologist pulled his rolling tray and Ruth swallowed at the needle and drugs on it. She closed her eyes tight and squeezed Matt's hand. Matt watched him draw out the drug and his heart fell into his stomach. He looked back at Ruth in pity and was grateful that her eyes weren't open to see his fear.

"Okay, I am going to inject you in your spine now. Please stay calm and don't move no matter what. This will be over soon." the old man's warm words didn't ease the tension.

Ruth nearly screamed at the feeling of the needle pricking into her flesh. She squeezed Matt's hands tighter as she gritted her teeth in pain. Matt listened to her whimpers in silence. He almost swore he could feel her pain. The needle was soon pulled out of Ruth's spine, and she let out a long sigh.

"You're okay, you're okay." was all Matt could say, and she nodded her head at him in relief.

A doctor and two nurses came into the room and helped Ruth on the bed whilst Matt nervously looked on. A curtain was spread in between Ruth and her belly. The couple spent the next few hours staring at it while the doctor and nurses moved in and out of the room. Matt occasionally peeked at them preparing everything that was needed for the surgery.

"Mrs. Daka, we are about to begin. Can you tell me if you feel this?" he said and Ruth waited. "Did you feel it?"

"No, I didn't feel it." Ruth answered from behind the curtain.

"Are you sure?" Matt anxiously asked her and the doctors waited.

"Yes, I am sure." Ruth confirmed.

"What about this?" the doctor asked again and got the same answer. "And this?" the very answer was received. "All right, its time. Please stay calm and soon you will have your baby."

Ruth and Matt silently waited for the operation to be over. They never thought that the baby was going to come to them that way but when they were told that there was an infection in Ruth's placenta, they knew that this was the way to go. Matt kissed Ruth's forehead, and she smiled faintly at him.

"Matt, what if the baby isn't yours?" Ruth broke her silence.

Her question caught Matt off guard. For a moment, he just stared at her blankly, clearly surprised by her sudden question. The whole while, Ruth waited patiently for his answer. Matt blinked and looked deep into her eyes.

"It will make no difference to me. As far as I am concerned, this baby is mine. I will love him as a father should love his son. It doesn't matter whose DNA runs through his veins."

A tear slid down Ruth's cheek and Matt kissed her forehead. "You are too much Matt."

Matt parted his lips to say something but the doctor cut him off by saying, "Mr. Daka, come and see your son."

Matt and Ruth burst out laughing happily. Matt couldn't contain himself, and he went around the curtain. He gasped at the baby in surprise. The nurse suctioned the baby's mouth and nose. Its cry was finally heard and Matt's eyes moistened in happiness. Ruth couldn't stop herself from chuckling at the heavenly sound of her newborn baby.

The doctor gave Matt a pair of scissors and instructed him on were to cut the umbilical cord. Ruth smiled at the sound of Matt laughing happily and conversing cheerfully with the doctor. She saw a nurse go away with the baby and Matt following her behind. The nurse clumped the cord closed and weighed the baby.

"Your baby weighs 3.5 kg." the nurse told Matt. "It's a healthy weight." She gently handed him the baby.

Matt spoke softly to the baby and made his way back to Ruth without taking his eyes off of it. By the time he got there, her eyes were pouring. Matt lowered the baby to her, and she blinked her tears away. Ruth gasped at the caramel baby whose face was similar to the happy man holding him. She looked back at Matt with her mouth wide, and he nodded back at her with a bright smile.

"He is-" she paused. "Oh my God."

"Yes, he is ours." he happily said.

****

Ruth laid in her hospital bed with Matt sitting beside her with the baby in his arms. She was all patched up but a little sore and weak. A knock sounded on the door and Mark peeped in. He smiled at the sight of the baby in Matt's arms, and got in with a bouquet of flowers and a big sky blue teddy bear.

He put them on the table and wiped his hands on his back pockets with a wide smile. Matt handed him the baby, and he let out a laugh. Ruth watched both brothers laugh with each other and exchange pleasantries. Mark's phone buzzed in his back pocket. He carefully pulled it out with his arm still holding the baby.

Alejandro's face flashed on the screen. 'Is the baby here yet?'

"Yes he is, man. Look," Mark flashed the phone at the sleeping baby. "I'm an uncle now."

'So I'm I you son of a bitch.' Alejandro's warm laughter through the speakers sent smiles across the room.

"Mind your language around my son, idiot." Matt retorted and got the phone away from Mark.

Mark left him talking to Alejandro and went over to Ruth. "How are you doing?" he softly asked her.

"I feel sore but I'll be all right." Ruth smiled at him. "How is Chelsea?"

"She is fine. She is so excited to meet her cousin." Mark replied with a smile of his own.

Matt turned to the both of them and held the phone to them. The clear view of Alejandro and Jose waving at them was seen. "They are asking what we are going to call him." he said.

"What about naming him Matthew?" Mark suggested.

Matt looked at him slightly surprised. "Naming him after me?" he asked.

"He is your son." Mark raised his brow.

'I think that's a good idea.' Alejandro supported and Jose nodded his head in support.

"What do you think, Ruth?" Matt asked her.

"I think we have a junior in our midst." Ruth held out her hands and Mark gave her the baby. "We will call you Matthew. Just like your father, you will be a warrior at heart. You will only use your strength to defend and not to oppress. Above all, you belong to Jesus Christ. No one but him will ever claim you."

END.

Thank you for reading. With love;

- Rechiana