The Clock Is Ticking – Episode 51

Sequence 51

 

*****

 

It was almost 4 PM and Blessing had gone to pick Trinny up from school. The final bell letting the children out of school had not rung yet. She was ten minutes early and most of the parents were waiting as well. She waited by the entrance while playing a game on her phone.

 

The school bell finally rang at exactly 4 PM and the kids flooded out of their classrooms causing great uproar as they ran towards the entrance.

 

All the parents rushed towards the gate so they could collect their children. Blessing was at the back of the crowd, when everyone finally picked their children and spread out, she looked around for Trinity but could not see her anywhere.

 

She decided to walk inside and ask the teacher, perhaps Trinny was sleeping in class. When Blessing arrived at Trinny’s classroom, she found a woman who appeared to be in her mid twenties packing books in a drawer.

 

‘Hey, I am here to pick Trinity up,’ she said as her eyes scoured the classroom. ‘And you are?’ the lady asked Blessing

 

‘I am her nanny & who are you? Where is Trinity’s teacher?’

 

‘I am her new teacher actually,’ she smiled, ‘Mrs. Sampa is on maternity leave.’ ‘Okay, where is Trinny?’

 

‘Her father picked her up about thirty minutes ago,’ she responded smilingly

 

 

‘What do you mean her father picked her up? Blessing asked in an increasingly panicked voice.

 

‘He came here about thirty minutes ago and picked her up she was even sleeping at the time.’

 

Blessing shook her head, ‘Auntie Mattie has never mentioned anything about Trinny’s father,’ she said

 

The teacher shrugged, ‘Well let me finish packing my books.’

 

Blessings stepped out of the classroom then she took out her phone and dialed Mattie’s number.

 

****

 

Mattie was sitting at her desk finalizing some paper work and doing some thinking when her phone started ringing. She answered without checking who was calling. ‘Hello.’

 

‘Auntie Mattie,’ the familiar voice spoke on the other end of the line. ‘Yes Blessing,’ she sat up straighter in her chair as she responded ‘Did you send anyone to pick Trinity from school?’ she asked

 

‘I thought I asked you to pick her from school because I have a shoot at about 16:30,’said Mattie.

 

‘Well, I am at Trinny’s school and I have just been told that her father picked her up thirty minutes ago.’

 

Mattie gasped and jumped out of her seat as she shouted, ‘What the hell are you talking about?’

 

‘The new teacher just told me her father picked her up.’ ‘That’s absurd, can you please give her the phone.’ ‘Okay.’

 

Blessings walked back inside and handed the teacher the phone.

 

‘Hello where is my child?’

 

‘Her father picked her up.’

 

‘What father are you talking about? My daughter doesn’t have a father.’

 

‘You know what, don’t even bother responding, I am on my way and you better have some answers for me,’ she ended the call.

 

She anxiously grabbed her keys and handbag then she marched out of the office. ‘Are you leaving” Gracie asked

 

‘Yes, I have to leave right away, Trinny is missing.’ ‘What do you mean Trinny is missing?’

 

‘I can’t stay to talk right now, call Beth and cancel my appointment with her.’ ‘Okay.’

 

 

She quickly walked to the parking garage and once she was inside her car, she started it and drove out of the garage to the school.

 

‘Lord if anything happens to my child, I will die,’ she thought to herself as she drove at high speed.

 

When she pulled up in front of the school parking lot about forty five minutes later, she got out of her car and walked towards the entrance of the school.

 

‘Where is my daughter?’ she asked her voice rising when she got to the classroom, they were other teachers pacing back and forth.

 

‘Like I explained over the phone a man claiming to be her father picked her up.’ ‘How could you just hand over a child to a stranger, why didn’t you confirm with me?’

 

‘She is a new teacher and probably doesn’t know most of the parents,’ another teacher interrupted

 

‘That’s no excuse to hand over a child to a stranger.’

 

The Deputy head-teacher walked into the classroom too, ‘I have just called the police and they will be here shortly, we will do everything we can to find Trinity.’ Mattie now had tears running down her eyes maybe someone was playing a prank on her.

 

‘I am really sorry that this happened but….,’

 

‘Just shut up and let me think,’ Mattie interrupted her.

 

She removed her phone from her bag and dialed Vanessa’s number. ‘Van, did you by any chance send someone to pick Trinity from school?’ ‘Blessings has gone to pick her up,’ she responded

 

‘I am at the school with Blessings and they are claiming her father picked her up.’ ‘Which father? Have you called Chard?’

 

‘Why would Chard pick my child from school without informing me?’

 

‘Just call him and find out.’

 

‘Okay.’

 

*****

 

Chard’s phone rang while he was talking to his sister in his office. He looked at the caller id it was Mattie. He was surprised the two hadn’t talked since their confrontation a few weeks ago.

 

‘Whose calling?’ his sister asked

 

‘Mattie.’

 

‘Answer her.’

 

‘Hey,’ he said as he picked up the phone.

 

‘Hey, did you by any chance pick up Trinny from school?’ she asked

 

‘No.’

 

‘Oh no,’ her crying voice came through

 

‘What’s wrong?’ Chard asked, by the sound of Mattie’s voice he knew that something was seriously wrong.

 

‘My baby is missing we don’t know who picked her up from school.’ ‘What? Where are you now?’

 

‘I ….am at her school?’ Mattie answered barely managing to keep her voice under

 

control.

 

‘I will be right there,’ he said

 

‘What happened?’ Maya asked as soon as Chard ended the call.

 

‘Trinny is missing.’

 

‘How? Didn’t you hire someone to watch over them?’

 

‘I hired someone to watch over Mattie, I didn’t think anything would happen to Trinny while at school.’

 

He grabbed his car keys.

 

‘I am coming with you.’

 

****

 

Meanwhile at the school, the police had arrived and interviewed the teacher, they asked Mattie a few questions and told them to wait while they investigated. Mattie couldn’t just sit still she ran towards the street and asked people if they had seen Trinny. All the answers were no.

 

‘Auntie, you are going to be sick, let’s go back in there and wait for the police to do some investigations.’

 

Mattie laughed, ‘You seriously think the police will find my daughter? Those people are incompetent.’

 

*****

 

When Chard arrived at the school, he threw his arms around Mattie he gave her a tight hug and kissed her forehead knowing how worried she was. He would do anything to find Trinny and make sure she was safe.

 

‘What the hell is wrong with all of you?’ He asked pointing at the teachers, ‘How could you allow a stranger to pick a child from school? Why didn’t you verify with the mother? She put her trust in you to look after that child and this is what happens?’

 

‘I am sorry, that man sounded convincing, he came straight to this class and asked for Trinity Bwalya. There was no way I could have guessed he wasn’t her father.’ ‘We shall do everything possible to find her.’ ‘You had better.’

 

 

‘I am sorry Mattie,’ Maya began, ‘but it’s going to be okay, we shall find Trinny.’ ‘Thank you,’ she sniffed.

 

‘I have called everyone I know, I even called my mother in Kafue but no one seems to know where my baby is and who took her, it’s like she vanished into thin air.’

 

*****

 

TBC

 

 

 

#######

 

 

The Clock is Ticking

 

Ella