It was last week Wednesday 13th December, 2023, after the end of the year Christmas party in my son's school, when my son, Intelligent Amos was returning home from school. He was very excited as got excellent results in his first term examination and thought about what I would say after seeing the results.
On reaching the house, he rang the bell of the main gate, but there was no response. After three-five minutes, he tried to push the gate and to his surprise, it easily opened. He was thinking about why father had left the door unlocked.
As he entered, he saw all the things displaced from their original position. His cupboard was open and all his clothes were lying out on the bed, the television was on. The water was also overflowing from the bucket as the tap lay open. He couldn't understand what had happened in the house. In the morning, he had read about many news stories of robbery, kidnapping, and all in the newspaper. He felt very frightened.
He again called out to me, but there was no reply. He searched each and every room, but found nothing except silence. He rang me, but he found that my phone was in the house. He went to our neighbor, Mrs. Esine's house and asked whether they knew anything, but he got no information from her. He decided to call my brother, his uncle, but just then, a car came to the door of my father's house and someone started honking repeatedly.
He quickly rushed to the door to see who it was and to his astonishment, he found me and mum standing there. We were equally surprised to see him. Mum wept bitterly on seeing our son and hugged him. She kissed his forehead repeatedly.
After an initial moment of shock and surprise, he asked, “Dad and Mum, where have you been all this while, have been wondering and asking of you everywhere since I came back?” I mentioned that your mother had received a call from a woman who informed her that a boy in a school uniform, riding a bicycle, was knocked down by a car.
She got the number from the identity card he was wearing. We panicked thinking that it was you who had met with an accident. In fear and panic leaving things as they were, we rushed to the spot only to find that the boy had been taken to a nearby hospital.
Reaching the hospital we found that the boy's condition was serious and an operation was the need of the hour. So the boy was in the Operating Room fighting against death. We waited till the operation was over and the doctor came out with a smile and announced that the operation was successful and the boy will soon recover.
We took a sigh of relief and then rushed back home thinking you would be waiting for us. When we saw you safe and sound this added to our happiness. After hearing our story, he told us that his friend and he were playing a prank and he had given his identity card to him and forgot to take it after the school party.
Nevertheless, we were very glad that everything ended well. I will never forget that day, 13th December, 2023 as it got me, mum and my son closer than ever.
