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Katrina:

The meaning is as lovely as its pronunciation, "pure," and implies a gentle yet assertive demeanour that can not be intimidated.

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[1854, Bulgaria.]

The frost of early winter had arrived, the trees rustling as the gusts of wind were strong, and the sounds of painful screams filled the Pandev household.

A young woman - who was clenching her hands in pain as she laid her back flat and her legs wide when terrifying yells exit from her tongue.

Her father was waiting, impatiently eager for this process to end. "хайде де! (Come on!)" Slavko Pandev encouraged his daughter, Katrina - who was crying from the loathsome agony she was in.

In 1854, there was no such thing as a 'good birth' especially for a woman out of wedlock.

"Катрина, нямаме много време! (Katrina, we don't have much time)-" Her father yelled at her, stopping suddenly when her saw the head of the baby crowing. "Ето я главата! Продължавай да буташ! (There's the head! Keep pushing!)"

Katrina had sweat pouring down her face. With no real help from her father, she was beginning to see no hope for her baby and herself.

Just then, her mother had busted into the room, "мамо! помощ! Болка, болката превзема тялото ми." (Mama! Help! Pain, the pain is taking over my body!"). The woman in labour was too knowing of her future after the birth of this child catching a glance of her mothers baleful face.

Her mother, Nataliya, was - in addition - aware of the future of her daughter and grandchild. They would be separated, the baby being giving away, or brought to its death and her daughter was to be banished from Bulgaria.

Katrina's screams seemed to be never-ending. The blood-curdling screams that filled the barn, alerted another Pandev, in the regular home. And the non-stop yelling was driving the man of the house crazy.

"Жено, вземи дрехите! (Woman, get the cloths!" Slavko demanded his wife. "Дъще, спри тази лудост! Ти принуди ръката ми (Daughter, stop this madness. You have forced my hand)"

The man had obviously no experience from a woman's side of birth. He may have 'helped' their mother give birth to Katrina and her three sisters, but he still was very unfamiliar with a woman's perspective of labour. 'Why would he be? The men get whatever they want.' Katrina thought as she continued to scream as her baby was finally born.

She wasn't sure if it was tears or sweat that filled Katrina eyes, but as soon as she caught hold of her new-borns' bright blue eyes, she knew now that they were, certainly, tears. Her heart melted as she reached out to grab her child from the arms of the woman she used to call her mother.