The first 3 lives of Bambam’s 9 would get used up in one year when she was very young. Starting at not quite two years old yet.
The summer before Bambam would be two, she would go on a camping trip with her great grandmother (nana), grandmother and great aunts. All capable humans as Bella had Bambam quite youn, all these women, excluding nana were still considered young.
Althogether they would simulataneously away and Bambam would fall into the campfire. She would get third degree burns on her hands, left hip and right ankle. Almost in need of a skin graph, doctors would say luckily thr elasticity of her baby skin should heal without them. Bella would not hear about until after and only nana would show remorse and sadness apologizing profusely to Bella when they finally spoke.
By the time Bambam saw her mother she would be happy and fine seemingly unbothered by her near miss.
The next time Bambam would have a close call would be that very winter. Mere months after the fire and only a few short weeks after the burns would be healed. Her grandmother would take toddling Bambam on a work trip to a village and in her laziness to bring Bambam snacks and cheapness to buy Bambam something to drink, she would ultimately give her contaminated water and Bambam would get a parasite.
Now it must be known that Bambam was already a very little thing. Small in stature in every way. Her mother would refer to her as her little tinkerbell with her big steel blue eyes and fiery red pixie curls. So small that she could still be carried in a chest carrier when her mother needed her hands free.
Unremarkably and predictable when Bambam got sick, her grandmother would wait for it to become detrimental to little Bambam and also would not bother to tell her mother until she was hospitalized due to losing so much of her mass that all that was left was muscle.
She would wait even though Bambam was calling for her mother over and over. No one able to sooth this little one who was fueled by her need for the one person she knew would make everything better. unbeknownst to her grandmother, Bella could hear her daughter calling and in turn called the house and talked to her father who filled her in surprised that she didn’t already know, but also not shocked his daughter could tell one of her children were in peril.
When he would tell his wife, Bambam would over here and get excited, Her grandmother would forewarn
“I don’ think she is going to be here baby”
Bambam would look her in the eye and say “My mommy is coming to me.” With knowing confidence.
Sure as shit only hours later having left work and travelled 400 kms Bella would walk into that hospital straight to her baby who would cry out
“mama!” while giving her grandmother a satisfied, triumphant look before ignoring her completely.
Bella would stay with Bambam and sleep beside her and take her baby home until she was well before returning to work. She would warn her parents to be more careful with her baby. Once she this shift away was done, she was coming for Bambam and Beau because this was two too many incidents.
Before her mother could save her Bambam would have one more close call and catch pnuemmonia. And that was it for Bella. She quit her job and came home, found work close by and took baby Bambam to keep her close always.
So she could, at least for now, safely continie the journey that is the Tale of Bambam the Brave