Song: Come back home- Lauv
SHURA
As days go by, I watch Donald lose his mind slowly over Az's disappearance. It's been six days already and there's still no sign of her whatsoever. She hasn't checked into any hotel we've checked, she hasn't withdrawn any money from her bank account and we didn't find out anything useful from any bus station or even the airport.
He even suggested that she could be dead once and I scolded him, telling him to stop thinking so negatively... But then I too considered it for a while, I hope that isn't the case.
Kacely has been here a few times as well as Az's friend Bryana. Apparently, she's missed the mock and the GCE practicals start in a few days. It's all a hot mess and I don't even know what to do or feel.
Unlike last week, Donald can't come over with me to the hospital for my check up because he has to go to the police station, so I'll have to go with Mama. The appointment's at 8:00am, but by 07:17am, mama is already seated in the living room.
"Mama, what are you doing here so early?" I ask as I finish the milk left in my cup and get up to hug her.
"I know you na Shu-Shu, 8:00 is 10:00 for you so I came to hasten you up. Look you haven't even taken a bath yet"
"Don't exaggerate" I say with a slight smile which she mirrors before a worrisome look takes over her face.
"Why do you look so tired?" She asks as she observes my face. "Haven't you been sleeping well lately?"
"Mama, I don't even know where to start" I breathe
"What's going on?" She frowns
"Donald's granddaughter..."
"The one with the eh... eh... tattooes and ten holes on her ears?" She asks with a judgemental look on her face
"Why are you capitalising on that?"
"What about her?" She asks, ignoring my comment.
"She ran away from home."
"She ran away? Ah ah? When?"
"On Saturday" I reply
"Wonderful thing" she says and claps her hands and sits down beside me "Ran to where?"
"Do we know?" I ask and sigh
"How is your husband doing? How does he feel?"
"Devastated"
"I knew from the moment that I saw that child that she must be very stubborn and rebellious, eh..."
"You don't even know what happened mama. Yes she's a bit of a hard head, but it wasn't her fault this time. She had all reasons to run away and I can't help but take some of the blame for this."
"Ah ah what hand could you have possibly had in all this?"
"It's complicated mama" I reply as Donald walks down the stairs while on the phone. He notices mama's presence and forces a smile.
"Good morning mama" he greets and pecks her
"Is the morning really good?" Mama asks and he just exhales frustratedly.
"I have to go down to the police station. I know Azinwi ran away from home but there's still a probability that in the course of all that, she was kidnapped. After I lay the complain at the station, I'll go to as many TV or radio stations as I can, I'll talk to who I can and I'll place a ransom and see what comes out of it." He says.
"I'll meet you when I'm done at the hospital."
"No, no don't bother. I'll handle this myself"
"Alright" I reply and kiss him.
"Won't you eat something?"
"There's no appetite, maybe when I get back" he says and walks towards the door. No breakfast means he hasn't taken his meds and that's not good.
"Donald I think you should have at least a banana or something so you can take your meds."
"Later sweetheart" he says and gets into the car
"Weh, poor man"
"Donald ! Donald wait!" I yell and rush towards the door but before I get out, he's gone.
Come back home Az... Please.
KACELY
Today's the last pre-practical session before our GCE practicals start on Monday. I just finished my turn and while I head for the academic block, I hear a voice call me from the back and when I turn around, I see Bryana hastening up to catch up to me. I swallow and watch her try to smile before saying hi.
"Hey Bry"
"How were the practicals?"
"Not so great. How about yours?"
"It was alright I guess. Um... Any news about Az yet?"
"No" I exhale
"Did she run away or did she just disappear?"
"Both" I giggle and she smiles as we go up the stairs into our class.
"Cause I passed by her house the other day but literally got nothing out of anyone"
"It's a hard limit for everyone I guess"
"How are you feeling? You know, about the whole thing?"
Henry and I aren't on speaking terms and I haven't seen Tabe and Amy in a while so I practically don't have anyone to talk to and I could use a friend right now. But Bryana?
"Kace, I know you and I have had something weird happen between us in the past, but I'm... I still care about you, deeply and I want you to know you can tell me anything" she says and looks at me sincerely making me feel like I could actually open up to her.
"I'm not OK Bry" I admit and exhale before pinching the bridge of my nose. "I... I feel like her leaving was part of my fault. She already had a lot going on and I just had to go on and make it worse."
"I don't understand..."
"Well she already had a problem, something serious, something that hurt her and when she came to me about it, I wasn't of any help. I just... I pushed her further away and... I messed up Bry"
"What exactly did you do?"
"I brought up something we had walked passed already. Something that hurt her deeply"
"Which is...?" She asks further and I shake my head in refusal.
"I can't tell you, I'm sorry."
"It's alright" she smiles and her twin brother walks in and glances at both of us before grabbing his bag and leaving.
"Well, if there's anything I can do to help, let me know. She was my friend once and I care for her deeply."
"I'm so worried and I miss her so much, so so much" I say and run my fingers through my now bushy hair.
"Sorry" she says and reaches out to hug me. I wrap my arms round her and bury my face between her neck and shoulder. My phone beeps, causing me to break from our hug and ignite the screen of my phone.
It's a message from Shura and she just sent a poster of Az. She's been declared missing and an amount of fifteen million CFAF has been promised to anyone who finds her.
A video immediately pops in and when I press play, it's Mr. Ntonifor on national TV.
"Good day everyone. I'm Donald Ntonifor, former colonel of the Cameroonian army and I'm here to officially announced the disappearance of my granddaughter Azinwi Ntonifor. She's been missing for six days now and has had no contact whatsoever with us. I don't have much to say except that she is the dearest person in this world to me and that whoever brings her home to me will be rewarded handsomely with a sum of fifteen million francs cash. I am a man of my word and will ensure it happens as I've said. Baby, if you're watching this, please come back home
I turn to look at Bryana who was watching the video with me and she suggests I forward it to the class group chat.
"I'm not in the group."
"I'm an admin, let me add you to it. We have to spread this as quickly as possible" she says and adds me. I forward it and the last round of students walk in from the lab as I head home for the day after bidding Bryana goodbye.
A mad rush has been declared and now the whole country will be out looking for Az.
I look down at my phone and messages start coming into the group chat
Bryana : guys pls share🙏🏾😭
Fusi: I hope sey di 15m no be audio money oh. Bc I want go organise search party now so.
Rykiel : Fusi stop joking 🙄
Fusi: Who says I'm joking?🙄 U know how I broke? G no di fes show. I go juh dropout.
Prince: Na ya life dt 😂
Unknown: I really hope they find her soon😥
Prince: Seriously tho
Bryana : just fwd to ur contacts guys.
Fusi: 15m? if na me ma old man go say make I juh work bambe suteh the kidnapper their money flop😂(bambe-slavery)
Prince: gettout wai 😂😂💔
Unknown: They've kidnapped her?
Bryana : Noooo! Fusi stop it. We don't know that.
Unknown: Fusi just go offline 🌚
Bryan: After she treated everyone poorly now we're supposed to help find her?
Rykiel : you're not serious 🚶🏽♀
Bryan: I am
Rykiel : I don't like her either but we should help find her.
Bryana : I really wonder when you'll grow😑
Fusi: typing...
I put off my data and get into a cab to take me home. Bryan getting on my nerves is the last thing I need right now.
"Come back home babe, please" I whisper to myself and bury my face in my palms.
AZ
The Ekwang at this motel sucks!
After not eating anything for two days, I at least deserve a decent meal. But no... The universe won't even let me have that. I head to the bathroom and brush my teeth, emphasizing on my tongue so I can get rid of the itchy sensation.
Today marks a week since I ran away from home. That Saturday night through to Sunday afternoon, while I was alone in the safehouse, I had the chance to map out my plan. I had no phone, no money, no bank card, no nothing. I knew that if I stayed in the safehouse, they would find me or at least Kacely would come over again.
So, that Sunday afternoon when I left the safehouse, I had just 400FCFA with me and banks were closed. That money took me to town and I walked around till I found a jewelry trader. After negotiating for a while I gave him my gold thumb ring and in return, he gave me 20,000FCFA. My ring was worth so much more than that, but I needed the money and I bet he saw how desperate I was. I needed to get out of town.
By 6pm, I was at a bus station and I paid a ticket to Buea. While waiting in the bus, three different pastors came in and preached and all sent caps around to collect money. It's like we were to pay for the prayers, but I didn't care though. I didn't want the prayers anyways, I didn't need them.
I sat next to a guy whose head kept falling on my shoulder while he slept and I didn't hesitate to push it the other way each time. The last thing I needed was saliva on my hoodie. I didn't even get any sleep that night, I just starred out the window, watching the trees we were bypassing and I read my mom's suicide note so many times that when we were arriving, I had already mastered every single word inscribed on it.
I took that time to imagine how it would feel to not exist anymore. How mom felt when she died. How she got pushed to the edge. At that point, I began to understand her, to feel closer to her.
Maybe if I died and went over to where she was, we would finally be together. I could finally be happy with my mom, the person who loves me most. The person who was betrayed and forced to take her own life by the people closest to her, just like me.
But no... My life may suck and I may now hate everyone I loved a week ago, but I'm not going to kill myself. I'm depressed and angry and sad but I'm not suicidal.
I watched as the sun came up and shone on the window of the bus. A new day is supposed to bring hope, but I still felt like shit. Immediately we arrived the bus station, I headed to the credit union and withdrew all the money from the backup account I had created a few months ago and got myself an analogue cellphone along with a bottle of whiskey. I wish I saved more money than this, I don't know how long I can last with just a hundred thousand frs.
After buying a change of clothes and some toiletries, I booked a room in a tattered secluded motel not too far from the Buea mountain, in an attempt to cut cost as much as I could and I plan on being here for a few days or weeks, I didn't know.
The motel is way worse than where Kacely and I stayed at Foumban, but what did I expect? It's 3500frs a day, I don't have the privilege of luxury right now. I just need to be alone.
Nonetheless, if I stay here too long, I might run out of cash, but I don't care. Soon enough, I'll come up with a plan and maybe I'll leave this country all together.
They be out there looking for her while she be in motels eating ekwang😂😂
Happy Sunday guys, I hope the chapter was a good one. Don't forget to vote, share, comment and follow 🤗