Kora

I tried.
It was so hard but I always tried to keep my chin up and a bright smile on my face when I was with him. It had been three days since my encounter with Jer's father, and up until that moment, Jeremiah didn't know a thing about what happened.

Lunch was good, your Dad was amazing

I didn't know why I had to lie or cover up for Benjamin but a part of me did it not to protect his father, but to protect him, Jeremiah.

A lot had happened since the shooting. To Jeremiah, he was starting to really live again. The shooting had opened a chapter of a new life for him, a better life. He got his mother back and inside the mansion where he got to be with her everyday, he got his family back and his father promised to try to be better. They went out on dates more often too, let's just say Benjamin was trying to make up for all the days they had lost and it made Jeremiah so happy just talking about it. If I told him his father had tried to threaten my safety if I didn't leave him, God knows how hurt Jerry was going to be. I was doing it for him.

I felt his hand squeeze mine, totally bringing me back to consciousness. I was doing it again, losing myself in my thoughts. I turned to the huge screen in front of us, I couldn't believe I had missed twenty minutes worth of screen time and I had missed the part of the movie that had really mattered, the part that we had been waiting for. It was hard to concentrate, I was getting worse at it everyday and I didn't want Jeremiah to get a hang of it. I adjusted in my seat and tried to focus on the movie when I heard a few laughs from around me, everyone seemed to find the scene that was playing funny except me, even Jeremiah was laughing. This was supposed to be our movie day, it was all we ever talked about all week and even got early tickets to see it and now, I was ruining it. I rolled my eyes when I heard my phone start to ring and it was making a whole lot of noise. I had to reach for it before I made a lot of people upset for causing so much distractions.

I stared at my Mum's name and picture on my screen, wondering  why she was suddenly calling me when she knew I was at the cinema and it wasn't cool to take calls in the cinema hall while the tapes were rolling, she of all people knew that. I couldn't shake off the feeling that there might have been something wrong. Mum and I were still trying to settle in our new house ever since we left the Olori's mansion. It wasn't as big as the other houses we were used to but it was perfect for three people. Besides, it was what my mum could afford until she sorted out things with the houses my Dad left in her name. Maybe she needed something or maybe something happened?

"Mum." I whispered, turning to my side and placing a hand beside my mouth. "Mum, I can't talk now, I'm at the—" I frowned when I heard the tone of my mum's voice. It looked like something was bothering her. Like she was at the verge of crying. Like she was scared of something. "Mum, of course not. I've been out with Jer all day remember? I thought you agreed you were going to leave Micheal at the day care since you had stuff to attend to?... W-wait, slow down." I wanted to hear her but it was hard to hear her with the way her voice was breaking. "What do you mean you left him there and he's not there anymore? What do you mean he's missing?"

My head was spinning. I couldn't bring myself to understand my mother's words right until I slowly pulled my phone from my face

"Everything okay?" Jeremiah must have heard my conversation with my mum since he was sitting right beside me, plus my horrific mood wasn't exactly invincible.

I opened my mouth to speak but I just didn't have words.

"I-I think I have to go home now." I grabbed my bag slowly.

"Wait why? The movie only just started."
I turned to him quickly. This was a really important situation that I couldn't delay any longer.

"I'm really sorry, my mum needs me."

I watched Jerry's smile curve down slowly.

"What happened? Did something happen at home?"

I wanted to explain to him. I really did but I didn't even know where to start, I didn't want to waste any more time or make him worry so much and besides, we were getting to bother a lot of people with our voices.

"Okay fine, I'll take you home."

"No, you don't have to." I tried to convince him. "Just-" I shut my eyes and then took a deep breath. I didn't think I wanted to bother him anymore with any of my problems. "It's not a big deal, I can handle it. It's kind of a family emergency."

He narrowed his gaze at me.

"Why don't you just finish the movie first and you could tell me what happened later on when I call you."

"But-"

"I'll call you." I gave him a kiss on the cheek and got to up leave immediately. I walked out of the room without giving as much as a nod.

I was in a hurry, I had to hurry.

*************************************************

"Mum what happened?"
Those were the first words I asked my mum the moment I stepped foot in Micheal's daycare, fixing my gaze on my mother who had her eyes swollen from crying nonstop for over an hour and then at the lady in a black skirt suit who looked like she was scared to her bones, Michael's day care teacher. The one that let all of this happen.

"Mum," I circled around my mother until I was standing in front of her, squatting so I could maintain a head level with her. She had her hand supporting her head on the table and then she gave me a weak look. Now I was super scared. I looked around the empty daycare. Micheal wasn't there. He wasn't anywhere near there. "Mum, talk to me please." I tried to look back at her.

"I don't know what happened." The woman beside us started, her voice breaking at intervals. "One minute he was here and the next he wasn't. I only wanted to use the bathroom and so I kept one of the teachers in charge but she fell asleep on duty. Once I returned, Micheal was gone and the door was open."

"What?" I couldn't believe my ears.

"We think he must have walked out on his own."
I stood up taking a really frustrating inhale. How could a two year old just walk out on his own? What was this? Baby's day out?

"Micheal can't just get up and walk out of this building on his own. He can barely take five steps without falling down. We pay you to take care of him, how could you just let him disappear like that without your security even noticing?"

"I'm really sorry." The woman started to rub her palms together. She seemed a lot scared now. I couldn't believe it. I didn't even know what to think. How on earth could Michael be gone? Who took him? I heard my Mum's loud sniff as she picked up her ringing phone. She was back to crying again. She looked at the caller.

Peter.

I watched her shake her head the first two seconds and then went forward to clean her eyes right before she picked the answer button.

"Peter," she rose her head to mine. I could see how her hands trembled. How on earth was she going to explain any of this to Peter? Tell him that his son was missing? "Peter," her voice broke again, she was about to start crying all over again and then I saw a glimpse of surprise in her eyes. "Huh? Michael's there?— oh my goodness." She had her hand over her mouth now and got up in quickly. "Really? He did?— good lord." My Mum had her hand on her chest taking huge relief breaths. "Thank goodness. I'd be on my way now!"

"Mum," I needed to know what happened the moment she hung up. She slowly turned to me.

"Micheal is with Peter."

"What?" I asked. "He took him?"

"No, one of Mr Ozor's men found him and took him home, I guess they thought we still lived there."

One of Mr Ozor's men found Micheal? Did that even make any sense? Jeremiah and his family had no idea about- I paused for a second, noticing how Mr Benjamin's words started to echo in my thoughts again. I remembered all the things he said to me. How he threatened to come after everyone I cared about if I disobeyed him. Was this it? Did he take Michael to scare me? to teach me a lesson that he had the power to do whatever he wanted to do? Power to make those I care about disappear and then returned him just to make me know it was him? Was this what he meant? I let out a frustrated sigh.

"I have to go to the house now." My Mum turned in a hurry and reached for her bag as fast as she could. "You should go back to the house and wait for us. I'd bring him soon." She rubbed my arm. "I prepared lunch if you're hungry. I'd be back okay?" She turned to leave.

"Mum?"
She stoped when I called her name and then slowly turned to me. I couldn't hide it in anymore. From the look of things, I was powerless, something like this could happen again and even worse, I wasn't sure I could handle it on my own if it did. My eyes were glossy and my breathing was weak. I shut my eyes after a few seconds and let the tears in it fall, watching my mum retreat back to me.

"Mum, there's something you need to know."