"Amina, let's play hide and seek", Zara called out to Amina, her cousin.
"Wait let me call others", Amina replied as she went in to call her other cousins.
They've all travelled to their village with their parents to celebrate during the festive period. It is the family's routine to gather together during the festive period yearly.
All the children gathered outside in the compound and began playing hide and seek. They continued for so long until it was getting dark, when Amina's aunt, Zara's mom, called them all in.
"Where is Zara?" Amina asked her other cousins. She went in to report the disappearance of Zara to the elders. Immediately everyone rushed out and began to look for Zara. Including their neighbours and other well-wishers. It was like a dream, the children burst out in tears, including Amina, who was just 13 years of age then, while Zara was seven.
"Zara, where are you, please?" Amina cried out.
Their search was futile, Zara was nowhere to be found. The next day, the policemen arrived and began an investigation. They also invited some religious leaders to seek spiritual help to know where Zara had disappeared to. According to the spiritual leaders, they said the house used to be a shrine, and maybe Zara had entered the spirit realm. They were warned sternly not to dig the pit in the backyard to avoid calamity.
It was a sad year for the family; they mourned Zara for a long time until everyone forgot about her. Amina and others had returned to their destination. The family later moved out of the house because of the incident, and after 5 years, everyone had forgotten about Zara, but Amina did not. Every year she wishes a miracle would happen that would bring Zara back.
"Zara, where are you"? Amina sobbed a night before her 18th birthday. "I will be 18 tomorrow, I know if you were here, it would be more fun. I miss you, Zara, I wish to see you again", Amina cried until she fell asleep.
Then she had a dream, vivid, clearer than anything she had in years. In the dream, she stood in the backyard of their house in the village where the incident happened. The compound was still there, but abandoned; weeds had grown tall. The trees had grown bigger and behind one of the trees was Zara, the same age as when she vanished, wearing the same yellow dress.
Zara smiled and said, "You finally came back".
Amina woke up with tears in her eyes. The next morning, she took a bus to their village. She went to the abandoned house, she made her way to the backyard with her heart pounding and then she heard a giggle, faint, playful.
She tried to mutter "Zara, is that you?".
Then behind the guava tree, a voice replied, "Amina, I've been waiting". It was Zara's voice.
Amina was shocked, and a cold chill ran down her spine. Zara reached out, looking as young as five years ago when she disappeared.
Amina gasped, trembling, "Zara.... where... did you go?".
Zara looked up and replied, "I went to a place only kids can enter. I thought the game was still on, but the gate closed. I couldn't come back until someone who remembered me opened it".
Amina hugged her tightly, tears rolling down her cheeks. "It's been five years since you left Zara, see, I'm grown. I never stopped looking for you", Amina said.
Zara smiled, "That's why I found you".
Immediately, Amina took Zara by the hand and walked out of the compound. Those who saw her marveled and wondered how real it was. She quickly took Zara to the hospital, where she was examined and diagnosed to be healthy. The villagers called it a sign that their gods was pleased with them to had released Zara. The news called it a miracle but all that mattered to Amina was that Zara was back. Zara's mother and siblings couldn't believe their eyes. It took them a while before they could believe it was truly Zara.
Thanks for your time and your comments will be appreciated.
