When she woke up Rayshél saw two baskets hanging from a beam near the fireplace, Markis was asleep next to her on a simple mat on the floor. She analysed the room she was in; she hadn't had the time or the idea to do it before. The bedding was a reasonable size, comfortable. She looked out the window, the storm had passed and now a radiant sun illuminated the earth, she could see rays of light piercing through the leaves. She sat up. She had a serious headache.

          The midwife entered. “Ah! You’re awake!” she said. Rayshél tried to get out of the bed.  “No, no, no! Stay in bed, you need to rest!” she kept approaching and sat on the bed. “You are a strong woman; you will get through this.” she added placing her hand on Rayshél’s forearm. “I was just outside checking on the damages from the storm. It is proper chaos! Strangely enough my house didn’t suffer much, praised be Shaam! I think it is best for you both to stay here for a while, my house is not big, but we will be fine, time to see what is going on.” She was talking fast with a warm and joyful voice; she didn't seem distraught at all.

          She had a brown hair, so tightly braided, she used a scarf as a headband, enhanced with a metal mesh chain from which round coin-like beads were hanging on her forehead. From what Rayshél could see, she would say this woman was in her early forties. The thin wrinkles on her brow, around her eyes and her mouth, indicated an expressive personality.

          Rayshél smiled faintly, she was feeling dizzy. “Oh! but here I’m talking and yet, I’ve not asked you how you felt. Would you like some water?” asked the woman, to which Rayshél slightly nodded. Enough though for the woman to go fetch a full glass from the pitcher that was on the table next to the window. “Here you go,” she said affectionately, handing her the cup. “My name is Kabila”, she added with a warm smile.

          Markis moved, it seemed like he was waking up slowly. Kabila stood up and went to the hearth, she grabbed a kettle from the embers. It was fuming but the water inside was not boiling. The midwife then went to one of the shelves on the walls and started picking different pots and jars from which she poured herbs and dried flowers into the canister, and she nestled it back within the hot ashes.

          Before Markis rolled over with his eyes half opened Kabila had placed a cup, full of the hot herbal infusion she had just made, in front of him on a wooden stool. The smell enveloped him, instantly giving him the strength to wake up. “Hello Markis”, she said while he sat up on his mat. “I think your wife just drifted off”. And as she turned around, she noticed Rayshél had indeed fell back to sleep. “She needs rest, you both do.” She was talking and cleaning at the same time. “As I said earlier to your wife, you can stay here as long as you need. Outside the storm has wreaked havoc, I am sure we can figure something out.”