"Thank you very much." Hauwa thanked the mechanic who had brought the car to the university for her.

"No wahala madam, just call me if anything happen again, I go come sharp sharp fix am." He smiled exposing his yellow stained teeth as Hauwa gave him the money.

It was two times the actual amount of what she was supposed to pay, since the lady was rich then she could pay anything, and for that he loved working for them.

"I'll do that exactly."

"Tell the kids say I dey greet them and that small one wey dey talk like parrot."

Hauwa chuckled "no problem."

"Wetin una dey call her seff na Jara or wetin?" He looked up trying to remember.

"James you're too funny, the name is Zarah not Jara."

"Yes Zarah, bye bye madam make I dey go."

"Okay bye." She got into the car and started it, it was almost 3:00 past the kids closing time, they'd be impatiently waiting for her.

Hauwa stopped by the roadside and bought roasted corn for them, they loved it so much and she promised to get it for them in the afternoon.

She parked and got out, then proceeded inside to call them since she didn't see them outside, they'll keep playing until she comes.

The gateman saw her and waved, she waved back and continued walking, he wanted to have a word with her so ran towards her.

"Good afternoon mama Zahra" he greeted politely.

"Well done oga, how work?"

"Work dey, and we thank God."

"That's good." she started walking and he cleared his throat making her turn abruptly.

"I no see you bring the children this morning, hope say everything dey fine, and e be like say they no even come school today." Hauwa's heart skipped a beat and her stomach tightened, she felt hot all over.

"They came to school oh, my car had a problem so they came with a Keke-Napep." she stated looking around maybe she'd see even one of them and feel at ease.

"Maybe dey enter when I no dey."

"Yes." She replied walking away to look for them, she saw Zarah's lunch pack on a bench and moved there, the owner picked it before she even reached there, it was the same type.

They were not near the library, that was their usual spot under the big mango tree so she decided to check their classes. The school was deserted only for a few kids.

She started with Maryam's class before the younger ones, she met the class teacher by the door.

"Good day ma." The teacher greeted.

"How are you doing?" Hauwa peeped into the class, there was no student except for the teacher.

"I'm fine." She smiled making sure Hauwa saw her fake golden tooth, she almost made her hiss.

"I didn't see Maryam Abdulrahman and her siblings around so I decided to check her class and it's like the class is empty." She peeped inside again.

The teachers eyes flew open in surprise "Maryam didn't come to school today, that's if I'm not mistaken." She faked an accent.

"What?" Hauwa asked in shock, she looked paler in minutes and her heart kept beating.

"Yes ma."

"Ke malama, I'm not here to play or to joke so you better be serious." She was now angry, she was not their joking mate.

"I swear to my creator I'm serious but let me check the register to confirm." The teacher was already frightened.

"You better do." Hauwa was angry, the gateman said he didn't see them so why would the teacher say the same thing, today wasn't April fools Day so jokes should move aside.

They checked the register together and Maryam was absent. Hauwa was already drained and terrified, she kept saying every prayer that came to her mind.

"It's okay let me check the other classes." She went out and Mrs Sadiq stood looking at her bewildered.

She checked all the three other classes Kubra's, Ahmad's and Zahra's respectively but she heard the same story "they didn't come to school today." It kept ringing in her brain and she felt as if her brain was malfunctioning.

Tears filled her eyes as she headed out of the school, she was even confused on what to do, she felt as if all was a terrible dream she had to wake up from but it wasn't possible, she was stuck in that dreadful dream.

"Then where are the kids since they didn't come to school as they were all saying, what has happened to them?" Hauwa kept asking herself.

She cringed when she remembered the Keke-Napep man, and "what ifs" began somersaulting in her mind. She was already in the car.

She placed her head on the steering and cried out to God begging him to protect her children from any harm. At long last she decided to call Abdulrahman.

"Honey."

"Yes." Her voice sounded alarming, as if she had cried.

"What's wrong?"

"I came to the school to pick the kids and they are nowhere to be found, in fact that they didn't come to school." she sniffed.

"What?" He asked, she couldn't say another word so she ended the call and burst into tears, she couldn't just believe what just happened.

"Wayyo Allah na I'm doomed."

Abdulrahman called her but she couldn't answer as tears kept flowing heavily, he kept calling and was getting worried by each passing second.

He called for the 10th time and she picked "Jidda please where are you?" she kept crying and when she tried to talk her voice broke.

"It's okay love calm down and text me where you're."

She did that and he left what he was doing to where she was. He still couldn't comprehend what she said before she ended the call.

He saw her car and ran there after paying the Okada man. He opened the door and entered but she was still unaware of his presence, she was lost in deep thoughts.

Her head was still on the steering so he raised it up and gasped in shock, her eyes were red and swollen.

"Ya Salam Jidda what's wrong, ina yaran?" he used his thumb to wipe the new set of tears that flowed. He didn't want to believe what she said on the phone.

She shook her head "I came to pick them and......." she broke into tears again and Abdulrahman kept rubbing soothing circles up and down her back.

"Everyone said they didn't come to school today." her body was shaking terribly that Abdulrahman had to whisper prayers into her ears holding her tight.

He kept looking at her in shock, fear and absolute confusion "what are you trying to say?" He managed to ask, his heart was beating so hard it could be heard a mile away.

She didn't answer, they tears kept coming.
"Maybe it's a mistake or they are just tricking you." He smiled but it faded pronto.

"Abdul there's no mistake here and this is no trick, it's reality." He used his handkerchief to wipe away the beads of sweat on his forehead, he felt uneasy suddenly. This happening to them, their kids?

"But how is that even possible, you brought them to school right" he was trying to confirm.

"No."

"What?"

"My car broke down and we were almost late so I stopped a Keke-Napep and told him the direction of their school."

All this while, he mouth was wide agape "Hauwa you didn't do that, tell me you didn't?"

"I had to, they were almost late and going back to get another car was not easy, I called and you didn't pick, I even sent a message." her voice sounded so off and saddening.

"Check your phone." He checked and kept shaking his head.

"That's too risky Hauwa, this one that kidnapping is too rampant these days, what if the man kidnapped them?"

He placed his palm over his forehead "I just pray nothing bad has happened to them."

Hauwa looked at her husband in shock "something terrible not even bad has already happened to them, since they're not here." The way she started crying at the moment made him believe that there was really something amiss.

Thanks for reading.
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JaddahBaba
10/11/2018