In the end 3 by Zara Iko

“It’s been seven days we heard from the kidnappers, fifteen days Nala was kidnapped and still yet, our girl isn’t back home. My heart is broken, shattered; if every tear I have cried  can be gathered, it could be an ocean. Poor Nathan, he has resolved to drinking to stupor and yet incapable of any restful sleep at night. We are both worn out, and candidates for the emotional junk yard” Dawana said chatting to a news reporter. She had become a frequent face on the media, mostly news channels, the case had gone global and news channels from around the world clamoured to interview the parent of the missing girl. 

Our hearts go out to the mother of missing girl- Nala, who has cried an ocean of tears since the kidnap. If you have any clues to help solve this kidnap mystery, please call the number on the screen and thanks for watching goodnight. The news caster said as he rounded up the report.

Dawana sat alongside Nathan watching the news in silence; they were hardly speaking to each other. Of recent they could not agree on anything, they argued about everything, from when to return to their lives being parents to their little son, to going back to their jobs, Nathan citing that their bosses could only have them away for so long, to whether the police should be informed about the mobile number the kidnappers had given Nathan. Nathan’s attempt to calm Dawana constantly stating that their daughter’s return alive depended on how he was able to keep that vital information secret began to tire Dawana. Her frustration grew more every day that passed without the call. Nathan himself was edgy and several times tried to call the number but found that it was out of reach. Dawana demanded for the number from Nathan, she thought him to be too slack for a matter so serious but Nathan swore to keeping the number a secret from everyone including Dawana; it was obvious what she would do if she got her hands on the number. He constantly had to muster every ounce of will power he had to maintain his patience because her bickering and lamenting drove him crazy. He had become immune to her tears and the only action he was ready to take was going to be in response to whatever the kidnappers demanded.

Nights passed with Nathan struggling to find sleep tossing on the bed from end to end. On this fateful night he left his wife sleeping peacefully on their bed-the only thing they shared together at the moment. He went out of the house and starred far into the beautiful velvet sky- counting the stars and enjoying the cool breeze of the early morning. He brought out his phone from the pocket of his pajamas- no missed calls, no messages. He was tempted to dial the number the kidnappers gave him. The number was stored in his memory and nowhere else, he didn’t want to risk someone getting the number. He pressed the first two numbers hesitantly; he paused for a while and then hit the cancel button deleting the numbers. Contemplating on whether to call the number or not he lit a cigar to calm his nerves as he paced around the back of the house. After much thought on the influence of tobacco he pressed the number on his phone and hit the call button. He put the phone on his ear and to his surprise it connected. The phone rang twice on the other end then it was answered, doubting he looked at the screen of the phone to be sure and it was reading 00:02 seconds he placed the phone back on his ear and said “hello” nervously. The person on the other end responded laughing and then said “you couldn’t wait for my call?”

“Where is Nala?” Nathan asked

“She is alright if you are willing to comply. I am sure by now the other children have told you what she has been through. It could be worse, just imagine a thousand things I could do to suck life out of your...........”

“What do you want?” Nathan asked before the man finished his sentence, he didn’t want to imagine any of that.

“As I said earlier the ball is in your court, your daughter’s life is in your hands. I won’t repeat myself so listen carefully. Get ready a hundred million, no I would prefer it in dollars three hundred thousand dollars........” 

“If you combine mine and my wife’s life savings it wouldn’t even amount to a quarter of that” Nathan said then the man on the other end started to laugh hysterically “All I can raise is twelve million naira about seventy four thousand dollars, it would take some time to sell my property and get that much money. Wouldn’t it be too suspicious- the police might find out what I am up to?

“As I said it’s entirely up to you. You might even have this call traced right now but always remember before you do anything stupid or brave as you may think her life is in your hand”

“I can do seven and a half million by tomorrow; it would attract no attention at all”

“Good i could do with that. Place the money by the side of the trash can in front of her school by nine tomorrow evening and if everything goes well you will have Naya before mid day the next day.

The line went off, Nathan looked at the time on his phone and it was 2; 36 am. They spoke for about 7 minutes. He couldn’t finish his cigar. He threw it on the floor and stepped on it hard to put out the light. He joined his wife quietly on the bed but he couldn’t be that quiet because she turned to looked at him, sniffed a little and said “ kill yourself with tobacco” then went back to sleep.

Eager for the morning he was ready to go out even before Dawana woke up, He said “good morning” to her, something they had not done for long, they usually greeted each other with funny snorts, too angry to open their mouths to speak to each other. He left the house leaving his wife perplexed at his sudden change .

Dawana didn’t have the opportunity to speak to Nathan before he left but she suspected his behaviour that morning, she wanted to know so she called him “you left the house without a word and left me wondering where in the world is my husband going to this morning?!”

“Work. I have to go will see you later” Nathan said and then cut the phone off.

The office turned out like he expected it, everyone rallying around him to extend their sympathy. Even though the whole of him oozed of irritation from all the sympathy from work colleagues they still couldn’t help but say something. He got tired and said “Can we just act like I never left and nothing happened please?!”

Just before Nala was kidnapped some money was released for him to buy a new staff bus and ever since he could not make it to work the money had been kept in the office safe as he found out. Mr Danja the accounts manager who had been in contention with him and had taken it very personal when the company CEO gave Nathan the assignment of buying the Bus surprised Nathan that in his absence from the office Mr Danja didn’t use the opportunity to move for the purchase. That was Nathan’s plan he was going to use the money and he damned the consequence- He just needed his daughter home very desperately. Everything went as planned he was the last to leave the office at 7: 45 pm and before long he was at the bureau de change and converted the money from naira to dollars amounting to forty two thousand dollars. Before nine at night he dropped the money by the Bin in front of Nala’s school. Nathan drove off and 30 minutes later passed the same route back home and the money wasn’t there.

A few minutes past seven the next morning Dawana’s phone went off and the news of Nala’s appearance was delivered to her. Nathan had been expecting since he woke up before 4am about the news of his daughters release. He wasn’t as dramatic as Dawana about the news but he was anxious to see her well-being. Arriving at the school they were led to the schools clinic “We found her tied by the waste bin just outside the school’s gate” the headmistress said as she opened the door to the dispensary. “She looks well asides the bruises from the beating she got on the first day, seems she is in shock too she hasn’t said anything since she was found”. Dawana’s knees became weak she could hold herself and almost fell but Nathan had his arms around her that stopped her from falling he whispered to her “pull yourself back together; she doesn’t need to see this”. “Sweetheart” Nathan said as he kissed Nala’s forehead he held her hands tightly. Obviously very emotional Dawana was kissing her daughter all over and crying. Nathan lifted the very feeble Nala and carried her straight to the hospital. Eventually news about Nala’s appearance filled the news scene globally, Nathan watched from the waiting room at the hospital as the news channel on broke the news. Dawana was by Nala’s side as the doctor carried a check on her. While waiting Nathan’s phone rang and the CEO of the company he worked for called, his words were brief “Your attention is need now”.