Regret - Episode 9

 

"Madam, but this is the person we saw in the picture". 
"Oh my God, you guys are crazy. They may share a certain resemblance but they are not the same people at all. Don't you have eyes to see the differences?. And I was thinking this was going to work out. I thought you guys are professionals,why can't you carry out a very simple task" she said already shouting. 
"Madam please don't pour your anger on us, it's not our fault. 
Whose fault is it?, mine right?, I'm not giving you the balance, just so you know". She said becoming angry. 
"Madam, what do you mean?, it's like you don't want to leave this place alive". 
"What?, how do you expect me to pay you in full when you didn't even get the job done? . This girl is obviously useless to me. She said in anger. 
"What you're saying is not our concern, give us the balance now" one of the kidnappers said already bringing out his pistol. 
"Okay, okay, see the money here, take it" she said in surrender. 
"Now you're talking, so what do you say we do to the girl? 
"Please just take her back to the school, in short anywhere people would see her so that she can go back home. Make sure you don't get caught"

It was a bumpy ride to the police station

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/regret

. "What can we do for you, madams? " the first policeman they met asked. 
"We're here to file a report of a missing person"
Mrs Alade looked around, she had never been to a police station before. "I guess there's a first for everything " she thought to herself. Hung on the wall, were the pictures of the President, his vice, the governor of the state and the commissioner of police consecutively. There were at least four men on the counter, and one sleeping at the far end. There was the usual cliche writing on the wall, "POLICE IS YOUR FRIEND ", "they were really her friends " Mrs Alade thought in sarcasm.

 "So how old is this person?" the policeman asked writing everything down on his notebook. 
"She's just four years old" Mrs Alade answered. 
"When did she go missing"
"Today, it should be around after one this afternoon.
"What's her name?"
"Ruby Alade"
"Okay, I think that would be all for now, I'll call you back for feedback, please write down your phone number here" the policeman said as he placed a paper in front of her. 
After everything,  they left. 
"Phew, that was a hell of a day" the headmistress said as they reached outside the police station. It was already getting dark when they were through. 
"Mrs Alade, I think you need to go rest now, the police would do their best to find her, I guess you would find your daughter before the end of tomorrow ".
"I pray oo" Mrs Alade said. 
She went home, she couldn't sleep, she tossed and turned, she was in so much worry that she even worried for herself.
Meanwhile it was around 6 pm, Ruby was dropped off by the kidnappers in front of her school. She didn't know what to do, there were not many people around, even if she was to meet anyone, she didn't know who was bad and who wasn't. She was very scared, she didn't even have her mother's number off heart so she could go to the nearest phone booth and call her. Then she remembered she was with the book where her friend Sara had written her phone number. She ran to the nearest phone booth she could find. 
"Aunty please, I do not have any money but I would like to make a call" She told the young woman she met there. The woman had pity on the young child, she seemed lost.
"Are you lost? "
"No, I know this place but it's far from my house, I want to call for them to pick me up"
"Okay, where is the number you want to call, let me dial it for you"
"Thank you aunty",Ruby said happily  as she handed the phone to her. 
"Take it, it is dialling"
Rose was about to go upstairs when the land-line phone rang, she picked it up. She wondered who was calling.
"Yes, who is this?" Rose said as she picked up the phone. 
"Hello, Aunty, I'm Sara's friend, Ruby "
"Okay, should I give the phone to Sara? "
"No aunty, I need your help, I'm around the school and I want you to come and pick me, I'm alone and scared. 
Rose decided not to ask more questions, she figured she could go and pick the little girl up with her husband's car before he would come back from work. 
"Okay, I'm on my way"
"Aunty thank you"