Flash Fiction - 4

Superstition

"I think I'm going to have the baby tonight," she said as she clenched her teeth to overcome a particularly tough contraction. "The contractions are evenly spaced and getting worse. These are definitely not Braxton-Hicks."
Her mom immediately opened the cupboard, took out her worn-out astrology book and started turning the pages.
"Tonight's a new moon night," said her mom. "Its not good if a baby is born on a new moon night. He will be very aggressive when he grows up."
"Amma," she said. "You know I don't believe in those stupid things."
But her mom continued to turn the pages and peer through her glasses at the pages as she held the book at different angles.
"If he's born tomorrow, his star will be Rohini," she said with a worried look on her face. "Thats not good for his uncle."
She looked exasperated."I really don't need this now Amma!"
"Atleast if he is born tomorrow he will be born on an even-numbered day," continued her mom. "That's supposed to be good for a boy."
"Please stop it Amma," she said. "You are so old-fashioned. How can you still be so superstitious in this age of technology and science? This is exactly why India is not developing. Everybody is stuck in the past with all these silly beliefs."
Shaking her head, she went into the other room, changed her dress and got ready to go to the hospital.
"OK mom, we're gonna go to the hospital now."
"This t-shirt is so old," said her mom looking at her. "And look at all the stains on it! The one you were wearing before was actually better. Why did you have to change?"
"Oh, this is the top I wore for my last pregnancy," she said matter-of-factly. "It is my lucky dress."