Hassan was a rice planter. His small hut was filled with relatives and friends. They had come to Hassans hut because his wife, Minah, was about to give birth to their first child. Someone had made a big kettle of coffee and some of the women had prepared some cakes. So, they drank coffee, ate cakes and chatted while waiting for the baby to be delivered. As was usual with kampong folk in the old days, a midwife was going to help Minah to deliver her child.