Aduke was sitting beside the Woman who just entered the truck. She quietly sits and she was looking at the strange faces of the people in the truck.
The Passengers were having their discussion in the truck, but the Woman whom Aduke followed didn't say a word.

One of the passengers observe this and told the Woman,
"Your daughter is just like you.... Very quiet..."
The Woman smiled and look at Aduke who was staring at her.
The Passenger face Aduke and continue "read your book ooo... Study hard...hmn...face your study, and may God bless you.... I like children who don't disturb their parents."

Some passengers join her conversation but the Woman didn't say a word.

Aduke is hungry.
She was wondering why it take so long for Daddy Ope to drive home, unknown to her it wasn't Daddy Ope, their neighbour, it is a stranger, but how could she have known when the truck look so similar and this isn't the first time she will see Daddy Ope bringing people home with his truck.

She began to wonder what is going on.

Abímbólá arrive at the place, she saw numbers of people including James, Tunde, Shade's grandmother, Moji's parent and Moji.
She was confused, She move closer to them.

"Is it true?" Abímbólá asked James.
"We are still looking for her and by God's grace we will find her." Tunde replied.

"Mama Aduke,... You have to be calm... Some boys have been looking around the area and I believe they will find her." Shade's grandmother said to Abímbólá who was deeply disturbed.

Abímbólá keep looking around the area hoping to see her daughter, James also join another group of men who are searching for Aduke.

Abímbólá began to cry.
Moji's mother slapped Moji, she said " I know you are the one who will lead them...right?... I will beat you today and you will never...ever forget today...just be praying... Pray ooo, if we do not find her....hmn...hhummn"

Moji was wiping her tears away, rubbing her palms against each other.

It was a very bad day for James and Abímbólá.
Everyone look around for Aduke but couldn't find her.
Abímbólá threw herself on the ground as she was crying.

"Where will I start from?... Ehn? What will happen to me now?..." She said.

James help her to her feet, "We will find her, you have to be calm." James said, assuring Abímbólá.

The truck carrying Aduke didn't stop, Aduke is hungry, she began to cry, she realise something is wrong.
One of the passengers said to the woman,
"Look your daughter is crying."

But this woman didn't say a word nor show any reaction.
People in the truck think she was her daughter so they ignored the two of them.

At about some minutes past 7'o clock in the evening, they arrive in a city, lots of business activities are going on but since it's late in the evening, everyone are going back home.

The Woman who join the truck, whom Aduke followed into the truck stopped the truck driver. She had reached her place, she came down from the truck with her goods and other things she bought.
"Follow your mother! Haha! What's wrong with this child?"
The passengers said to Aduke as they force her to come down from the truck.

No one knows what this woman is thinking of, but she was just quiet, very cold and didn't say a word to them or pay any attention to Aduke.

The truck leaves.

The woman find a bus that carried her to her destination while Aduke was left alone watching and crying.


Abímbólá is now at home, She was surrounded by sympathizers,
"We will find her by God's grace." One of them said.
"You have to be strong, be brave , we will find her." Another woman said.

Mama Agba rushed in,
" Baba Aduke... Baba Aduke..." She called her son.

James and some men were at the balcony, Mama Agba was directed to the balcony.

"You are here?" She said as she rushed towards her son.
James greeted his mother. "Look...Listen to me... I am coming from Fáyẹmí's place and He told me she is alive, and we will find her."

James was surprised and dissatisfied with this, "Maami? Why... This is so fast, you should have wait for ...."

Mama Agba stopped James, " shut up, just keep quiet...so you can complain ehn...did you have another child?... Isn't this what I'm saying? Have you seen it? And you are complaining? Don't you ever.. ever complain about my decisions again."

Mama Agba greet the other men, and thank them for their support.

Aduke didn't know what to do, she walked around and find a locked shop. She sit in front of the shop.



The next morning, she was still sitting in front of the shop after she woke up. She was veerryyy hungry.
The owner of the shop was surprised to see a little girl sitting in front of her shop.

"Who are you? And where is your mother?" The shop owner asked her.

Aduke can't hold back her tears, she told her she entered her neighbour's truck thinking he will drive her home but she doesn't know where she is at the moment and she has been here since yesterday.

The shop owner couldn't believe her story, she called on other shop owners who are opening their shops.

"This is what I saw this morning." She said.
" Where are your parent?" One of them asked.
"At home." Aduke replied sobbing.

"Stop crying." One of them said to her, "wait have you eaten any food since yesterday?" She asked Aduke.

Aduke told them she haven't eaten any food. One of them have her money to buy food from the restaurant at a nearby restaurant.

Aduke thank her as she was lead to Iya Kaduna restaurant.

Abímbólá woke up, she look around her but couldn't find her daughter. Tears began to run down her eyes. She wailed.
She screamed " God why, I've never been wicked to other people's children.... Why is this happening to me?"
She stand and look out through the window, she saw children going to School, she turned her back and burst into tears. James had left home very early that day to continue searching for Aduke .

Abímbólá couldn't go to school that day, and the school authority understand her.


After Aduke had finished eating, she came back to the woman that bought the food for her and thank her.

"Where did you come from?" The woman asked Aduke.
"I came from Ayedun." Aduke replied.
"Which Ayedun? Because I know five town that is named Ayedun. Which one did you come from?" She replied.

Aduke couldn't explain this, the woman told her to sit with her until she knows what to do about her.

The woman make a very big sale that morning, She looked at Aduke In the Afternoon and said,
"You must be hungry?" She asked her.
Aduke said yes, she gave Aduke a sisi (5 kobo), Aduke left and buy rice and beans at Iya Kaduna restaurant.

One of this Woman's children return from school, Wùnmí.
She greets her mother,
" You make a big sale today mum". She said to her mother.
Wùnmí's mother smiled,

"It's God ooo, my daughter... It's God." She replied.
Mama Wùnmí gave Wùnmí sisi (5 kobo) to buy her food.

Mama Wùnmí began to think about Aduke.




To be continued...

Photo credit: Adobe stock

© Anu Ola