The Lost Duty (Episode 1)

by Malik Ademola

Jamal retired to the balcony amid awaiting the call of his name when the food was done. It was a Sunday with a drizzling evening, with the rain having satiated the soil in the afternoon. Now the breeze had complemented the calmness of the evening and he had savoured it also. He sat on the cushion meditating, (that's if a deep thought about downturn of his life be regarded as meditation) but there was a lot to meditate about. He picked his jotter and pen and tried scribbling some words, aimed at finding solace putting pen to paper. But his mental state had gone beyond seeking solace by penning out his worries to a mere paper. Momentarily, he dropped the pen, rose up and motioned outside, taking a walk might gain him little relieve.
 
"Jamal!" his younger sister had called him, but thirty minutes later, there was no response. The family had finished taking their dinner except of course Jamal who had not returned from his walk.
 
The evening got darker and their was no sign of him, "did you send Jamal to run errands for you?" his mother had asked his father but the latter replied shaking his head affirming he had not. Subsequently, the whole family was thrown into  pandemonium, and neighbours joined in the search for him.

"Jamal" everyone had called as they searched the four walls of the estate. It was some minutes past eleven, yet none had found his whereabouts, the search squad reduced as the midnight approached, until everyone retreated to their homes leaving behind the vigilantes and his family in the search. "Tomorrow is Monday," that had been the excuse of withdrawal and exemption by everyone.
 
The headlight of the truck had coincidentally shown on his face, bringing him back from his reverie, and making him contracting his pupils simultaneously. He reached for his phone, but it wasn't in his pocket, he had left it at home. He looked back only to discover he had been miles away from home. He became worried and terrified, imagining what magnitude of unrest his absence would had caused at home.

Fortunately, a taxi rode past him and he flagged it down. "No 1, Owode estate"  he said after he hopped in. It was approximately an hour drive before he got home, her mother sat outside weeping uncontrollably and subsequently using the edge of her wrapper to wipe away her tears.

"That's him alighting from the car" Sofia shouted and every concentration directed towards Jamal. "where have you been?" his father asked authoritatively. Jamal feigned a countenance that showed confidence in his response "I had a lot of things bothering me, so I took a walk just to feel at ease." Everyone opened aghast their mouth at his response, and the surge to beat him mercilessly died down in Mr Badmus "but he is just eleven, what had bothered him so much that he couldn't tell us but rather resorted to taking a walk?" Mr Badmus wondered, and led him inside bewildered.

Watch out for the next episode.
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Originally published on www.malikademola.blogspot.com