Moji points at the Cashew fruits on the Cashew tree.
The three girls move closer to the tree. One of their seniors saw them, she warned them to leave because its dangerous. There is a rumour that there are snakes around the area because of the bush that surrounds it.

But Moji who is known to be the bold one among the three ignored her and walk toward the tree. Shade even when she was afraid after listening to their seniors join Moji and since her two friends are in, Aduke join them.

They picked stones and throws it at the fruits, but as they were throwing stones suddenly, a snake fell from the tree as they were throwing stones at the Cashew fruits.
The snake fell beside Aduke...
Aduke screamed, the three girls ran away taking different directions.

Shade didn't know how she get to there neighborhood. She got home breathing heavily, shouting, "Snake oo...Maami...Snake...o."
Shade's grandmother who was peeling off the back of the melon seeds was shocked when she heard Shade shouting. She hold her and ask her were she saw the snake.

"The Cashew tree....the Cashew tree." Shade said.

"Did you...why did you go there?... You alone?" Shade's grandmother asked Shade.
"No three of us" Shade replied.

Shade's grandmother went back to her seat, she continues peeling the melon seeds.
"Next time, hmn,... you won't go there. If you want Cashew so badly, isn't a Cashew tree in the house next to us. You don't want that...." Shade's grandmother said.
She look at Shade who is rubbing her hand on her face then she asked,
"Is the snake big?"

Shade shakes her head,

"You can't talk? What does it look like?" Shade's grandmother asked again.

"I didn't see the snake, but Aduke scream and shout, all of us ran away." Shade said.
"Aduke! Omo mistress! Hope nothing happen to that child, you know she is younger than you?...you know she is precious to her parents... She is their only child...nothing must happen that child o,
You know what, your food is on the table, let me check if she is at home...Look at the time you are coming home, 2:45pm." Shade's grandmother said as she adjust her wrapper and leave her house to Abímbólá's house.

As She walk closer to Abímbólá's house she met James who is talking to Tunde His friend and neighbour.
Shade's grandmother greet the two and asked if Aduke is at home.
Tunde said he haven't seen Aduke and her friends this afternoon.
Aduke will come to Tunde's house and wait till her Father's return but sometimes her father will be at home so there is no need for her to wait for him.
But this Thursday, he hasn't seen her.

"What's the time?" James asked
"Have you seen Shade?" Tunde asked,
Shade's grandmother replied, "Shade is at home, she said they were trying to pluck the Cashew fruits from a Cashew tree along the road and then Aduke screamed that she saw a snake..."
"Snake?" James asked.

"Yes, a snake, and they ran away, I was even coming here to tell you to warn her to be more careful. But... Now you said you haven't seen her." Shade's grandmother replied.

James was standing looking worried.
"They are three, what if she is at Moji's house?" Tunde said.

"I don't know her house." James said.

"I know her house, let's go to her house." Shade's grandmother said.

The three went to Moji's house. When they got there, they saw Moji's parent. They exchange greetings and pleasantries, then James asked if Aduke is with them.

"No oo" Moji's mother replied. "Haven't you seen her?" Moji's father asked.

James looking more worried, "Yes, I haven't seen her."

Moji's mother called Moji, and she came out. Shade's grandmother asked if she had seen Aduke,
But she told her the same story. "We all ran away from the snake."

"And you didn't tell me anything?" Moji's mother said.

Tunde answered her "this is not important right now, what we should be thinking of is the missing girl."

Tunde suggests that they should go to the place where they saw the snake.

Meanwhile, when Aduke saw the snake, she ran away, and find herself standing on an Express road, she was so frighten, she was crying. When she look at her right, she saw a traveling truck.

Meanwhile, One of their neighbours is a truck driver who drives a truck that look exactly like the truck Aduke saw on the road.
An elderly woman was packing goods into this truck and Aduke quickly run and join the woman as she climb into the truck. One of the passengers helped Aduke to climb into the truck, He thought Aduke is the woman's daughter.
Aduke also think, the truck is her neighbours truck, and this will take her home instead of her walking back into the bush,
"what if a snake bites me as I walk back into this bush?" She said to herself.

The truck's driver start the engine after he was told they can leave....it's a long journey...

Abímbólá got home and was told Aduke is missing,

"What?... Missing?.. May God forbid that from happening to me" Abímbólá said.

She run to her house but couldn't find her daughter and her husband. She run back to the neighbour that told her Aduke is missing.

"Tell me, what happen to my daughter?" Abímbólá asked.
Her lively mood changed to a very bad one that day, she began to cry.

"Tell me what's going on? Don't keep quiet, talk to me." Abímbólá' said.

The neighbour told Abímbólá how Aduke and her three friends went to pluck some cashew fruits and now Aduke is missing.

"Is it the Cashew tree in the bush along the road that lead to her school?" Abímbólá asked.

"I think it's the tree...according to the description they said Moji gave. "

Abímbólá thank her and leave, she is going to the place.





To be continued


Photo credit: Nohat.cc
© Anu Ola