Keeping Within Family Chapter 53

Read Chapter 52 here.

“First, it was the husband, the late Honorable Omar, and next his daughter who was recently embroiled in a scandal involving the Deputy Minister of Information, Hon. Tariq. Information reaching us is that she died out an overdose from pills. This must be a very difficult time for the widow, Hon. Ida…”

“This is just terrible,” Bibi said, shaking her head as she listened to the news story.

“Where’s Ayesha?” Tariq asked as he put a pineapple cube in his mouth.

“Still cooped up in her room.”
He nodded.

“She hasn’t eaten a morsel, T. She drinks tears to sleep. She can’t keep going on like this.”
“She lost the only sister she ever had, Bibi. We should allow her to grieve.”
“Not to the detriment of her own health. Remember she has two young boys to take care of.”

“I know. I felt exactly how she is right now when Omar passed. In a span of a few months, she has lost her favorite uncle and sister. That’s a lot to take in.”
“Favorite uncle, you say? That’s an interesting name to call it, T.”
“My point is, she’s dealing with a lot right now. Let’s just give her some space. I’ll go speak to her so she eats something.”
“Okay, I’ll leave it to you then.” Her baby started crying.

“Your turn, daddy,” Bibi said, handing him to Tariq.

“Do you happen to have rice porridge?”
“Rice porridge? I’d have to check the fridge. Why?”
“From childhood, that’s the one food I can get her to eat when she’s upset.”

“I see. Let me go and check then,” Bibi said and got up.

*

Tariq entered Ayesha’s room with a tray of rice porridge. Ayesha was lying on her bed, hugging her pillow and coiled up in fetal position.

“Hi baby girl. Got you your favorite comfort food.”
“Not hungry, dad.”
“I know but you have to eat if you want energy to cry some more,” he said, putting the tray down.

He sat beside her on the bed and touched her cheek, wiping her tears away. She sniffed.

“My heart feels so heavy, dad. I feel like I can’t breathe.”
“I know the feeling, baby. And it’s going to feel same for some time. But I want you to take care of yourself. You have two growing boys to take care of, remember?”
“It’s all my fault, dad. I’m responsible for both Uncle Omar’s and Nadia’s deaths.”
“Don’t say that. Jamal is responsible for what happened to Omar and Nadia took matters into her own hands. You don’t have to carry that burden.”
“She did it because she felt betrayed. She found out that I had lied to her about having anything to do with Auntie Ida’s video leak. My actions were the last straw for her. My disloyalty caused her to do this, dad.”
“Nadia has always been a frail girl, Ayesha. She has never been as strong as you. It was only a matter of time before it got to her. You may have influenced in some ways, yes but everything she did was her decision, Ayesha.”
“I took everything away from her…first her boyfriend, then her dad and now…how I keep wishing and praying that this is all some bad dream.”

“I know; unfortunately, it’s not. It’s up to us the living to carry on with where the departed left off. So get up and eat your favorite comfort food,” Tariq said, holding her hand and pulling her up. She reluctantly sat up.

“Eat for me, okay? I understand you’re in a great deal of pain but no hunger strike allowed, okay?”

“Okay.”

Tariq placed the tray on her lap and handed her the spoon.

*

Keeping Within Family by Joseyphina

“Where are you off to?” Bibi asked Ayesha as she made her way out of the house.

“Going to see Jamal. Haven’t been there for quite a while.”
“Was thinking we could go to the park so the boys can run around as much they want to. But that’s fine. I’ll take them.”
“Thank you. If anything comes up, I’ll let you know.”
“Sure. Be safe.”

Ayesha arrived at the prison only to be told Jamal has been transferred. To which facility in particular, no one seemed to know. At that, Ayesha flipped. She demanded to see the Chief Inspector.

“I’m sorry but the only information I can give you is: a request came from above that he needed to be transferred immediately and so we transferred him as ordered.”

“What do you mean from above?”
“I have no idea; above my clearance level.”
“And how could he be transferred without his wife being informed?”
“I believe it’s a matter of national security.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“He’s being incarcerated because he killed the Hon. Omar, didn’t he?”
“No, he didn’t…” Ayesha stopped and bit her lower lip.

“So if I want to find out where my husband was taken to, who do I speak to?”
“Probably the IGP.”
“No problem.”

Ayesha called her father when she sat in her car.

“Hi dear.”
“Dad, do you know anything about Jamal’s transfer?”
“No…he’s being transferred? Who ordered it?”
“He has already been moved, dad. Under the guise of national security, I must add. If you don’t know about this, who could be behind this?”

“I wonder. When was he moved?”
“Thursday.”

“The day after Nadia passed.”
“Too close to be a coincidence, don’t you think?”

“Um…dad, your wife is calling me. Let me speak to her and call you back.”
“Alright.” He dropped off the line. Bibi’s call came through again. She answered.

“Hello B, how’s it going?”
“I don’t know how to tell you this, Ayesha…”
“What’s going on?”
“Can’t find one of the twins…I fear someone has taken him.”
“Huh? Do you mean one of my boys has been kidnapped?”
“I’m sorry…was attending to baby and when I looked out for them a few minutes later, could find only one.”
“Who was taken?”
“I don’t get you.”
“Which of the twins was taken?”
“Does it matter?”
“Of course it matters. Who is with you right now?”
“Kakra.”
Ayesha heaved a sigh of relief.

“Are you at your usual place?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m on my way right now.”

Ayesha started the engine and called her father back. His number was busy. He called back when she had gotten onto the road.

“Hi dad, I assume your wife has informed you of my next nightmare.”
“Yeah, just got off the phone with her. Who could be behind this sick joke?”

“Still processing. How could someone pull such a stunt right after Nadia’s tragedy?”
“A pathetic and broken person. I can imagine how shaken Bibi must be feeling.”
“Yeah, she sounded shaken. Are you on your way to her?”

“Yeah I am. Could you please place a call to the IGP so the force can treat this as urgent?”

“Of course. Will do so right now. Let me know when you get there, yeah?”
“Yes, dad. Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. Talk to you soon, bye.” The call ended.

“This feels like hell,” Ayesha said to herself.

*

Kareem ran into his mother’s arms when he saw her. He had been crying.

“Are you okay, baby?”
“K is gone. K gone.”
“Do you remember what he was doing when you last looked at him?”
“He was playing with a ball.”
“Ball? You mean football?” He nodded.

“Do you remember who he was playing with?” Kareem shook his head.

“Did you see anyone calling him or talking to him?” He shook his head.

“Okay, we’ll find your brother soon.” Ayesha hugged him.

A police car pulled over and two officers got out of it. As they introduced themselves, Ayesha called Tariq and handed over the phone to one of the cops to speak with him. After the phone call, they asked Bibi and Ayesha some few questions. They then invited the ladies over to the station to write statements.

After everything, they drove home.

“What I keep wondering is if the kidnapper took Panyin knowing who he was or it was just a random pick?”
“My guts tell me it was a planned thing – they knew who he was. I’m just tired; the problems coming one after the other is driving me crazy. Did I tell you Jamal has been transferred to an unknown place?”

“Unknown?”
“Yeah, I mean as at now, we don’t know where he has been placed.”
“Oh, who could be playing this prank on us?”

“I don’t know but whoever he is, he is definitely having a field day.”

“Have you informed Ida?”

Ayesha froze for a second as it sunk down in her head.

“Please prove me wrong,” she muttered as she called Ida.  She didn’t answer. Ayesha sighed.

Hours late, Tariq arrived home.

“Okay, first things first. Had to make several calls before I could land this one. Someone has gone through the pains to make sure any news of Jamal is off the books.”

“So if he has been taken to some bush, shot in the head and body thrown into the sea, we wouldn’t know?”

“Looks like it. But I’ve a strong hunch that Ida could be behind this.”
“Ida? But how?” Bibi asked in shock.

Ayesha was quiet for some seconds. “Because my boy is now heir to Uncle Omar’s inheritance.”

“So she wants to raise him herself or what? I don’t get it.”
“But then, she has the wrong twin,” Ayesha said. Tariq’s eyes met hers.

“Oh, is that why you asked me which one was with you? You had the hunch?”

“Not exactly; but surprisingly, I was relieved it wasn’t Kakra taken because of how he can get sometimes. So if it is Auntie Ida, what’s our plan of action?”
“Confront her and ask her to release Panyin so we settle this quietly like a family.”
“And if she refuses?”
“We take the highway then.”

Tariq called Ida. She picked up at the third ring.

“Hi T.”
“Hi Ida. How are things going?”
“Not bad. What’s up?”
“So Ayesha went to the correctional center today to see her husband only to be told he has been transferred but no one seems to know where he is right now.”
“Okay…”

“Do you know about this, Ida?”
“That is above my clearance level, T.”
“And you won’t believe this, one of Ayesha’s boys got kidnapped today.”

“For real?”

“You won’t have anything to do with it, would you Ida?”
The call dropped. Tariq glanced at Ayesha.

“She wouldn’t hurt him, right?”
“I don’t know but I don’t recognize her anymore. I knew her to be the kind who wouldn’t hurt a fly but now, I don’t know.”
“She has lost her family; the two people she loves dearly. Now, she has nothing to lose so I’m not surprised she has become this reckless.”
“She has a budding political career to see to now. She can’t afford to mess up.”

Ayesha called Ida.

“Yeah, hello.”
“Is my boy with you?”

“Why would he be with me?”
“I know you’re hurting because of the loss of Nadia but going this route is only going to get us all in trouble.”
“Hence the saying, we live to see,” Ida said.

“What does that mean?”

The line dropped. Ayesha stared at her father.

“She won’t hurt him. She wouldn’t dare,” Tariq said.

(c) Josephine Amoako 2021

Read Chapter 54 here.

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