Pāhonoa te oro

She would only stare. ‎And something strange would happen in that moment. The air would feel heavy. The baby would suddenly become quiet, staring back at her. Just a few seconds. That was all she needed. The next morning the baby would not wake up. No fever. No sickness. No warning. Just dead. And at that same time, Amora would sit up from her mat. Her coughing gone. Her strength restored. Her breathing normal again, as if she had borrowed someone else’s life.