8 The Search

" She has been a very good friend to us,and so much loved by her parents, it was indeed a very painful loss,I pray God will give her parents the fortitude to bear this" added Linda soberly. Betty came closer to her and said " Amen",wrapping her hands around her neck,consoling each other. After few minutes, Betty added"so what are we going to tell her parents " she said cleaning her tears. " our usual missing plan we will make the phone call tomorrow morning "

The following day as early as 8am the two girls went to the student affairs to put a phone call to her parents. on reaching there Linda took the phone and dialed the number it went through "Hello sir" Linda spoke. "hello who am I speaking with please" added Mr Links, Rita's father. Linda said "is me Linda Sir good morning". Mr Links wondering which Linda will be Calling him by this time at the hour" which Linda". Linda surprised that Rita's father can't still remember her up till now,a name that Rita always talk about when talking to her parents but she didn't really blame him because old age can cause one not having a retentive memory "Linda sir,Rita's friend she always talk to you about". immediately Mr Links remembered " oh oh Linda dear,this one you called, please how is my daughter we haven't heard from her since a week now". Linda said soberly "Sir this is the reason I called,she left our hostel since a week now and we haven't heard from here, not even a call unlike her,so we decided to call you to know if she reached home". This justified Mr Links thinking all this while, because her can't even stay for two days without calling them, something is wrong somewhere, his wife have been disturbing him to call the school and know what is wrong with her but he decided to give it some time, he was about calling the school after waiting for a whole week before Linda called" I knew it, something is wrong somewhere, my dear me and her mother haven't been at rest since,so how come she didn't tell you girls were she was going to as her close friends ". Linda became scared,she thought that the man might have suspected they have a hand in it,but as a clever girl she is, she covered up her tracks immediately" Sir to be sincere that got us more worried, we woke very early in the morning,prepared for lectures and went to her room for her to join us to class, but we didn't see her, we thought she has already left, that was strange, we went to class we didn't see her, after class, we went to check up on her in her room,we didn't still find her Sir, we waited for a whole week still no trace of her,we decided to put a call to her family, to check if they know her whereabouts,that was why we called you Sir" Linda said. Mr Links after paying keen attention to what she said added"well my daughter, you did a good thing I must say for calling us,so here is what we will do,you will report to the school authorities for them to conduct a search,while we report the case to the police". Linda replied "okay sir we will do just that, bye Sir". With that Mr Links hung up the phone, unknowingly for him,his wife has been listening from the back, as he turned to go,he saw her" you have been listening?,my dear there is no cause for alarm,she has been confirmed missing ". immediately Mrs links replied " no cause for alarm you said ?,that my daughter has been missing for a week you said I shouldn't be scared,what if something has happened to my daughter, hey god am finished, my only daughter" she said, crying, screaming with her two hands on her head,her husband wasn't left out,he knows fully well that something bad has happened but just wanted to calm his wife down first,but seeing her in tears,made him to shed tears too because their only daughter whom they love so much is missing and is no where to be found, he couldn't bear it, he went to his room and cried uncontrollably leaving the wife who is wailing, which attracted her neighbours who came to console her.

The following morning, the two girls went to the school authority to report the missing case,and her picture was printed and pasted at every corner of the school, a search was conducted round the school, even outside, still it yielded no result. The parents wasn't left out,they went to the police station to also report the missing case with her photograph splashed in the local newspaper for anybody who had a useful information to come forward but that proved abortive,her parents went to hire a private detective but it still yielded no meaningful result,in all this days the girls still kept in contact with her parents . Her parents even went as far as extending their search party to morgues but still search was still fruitless.

Few months gone and still not even a strand of her hair was found, all hope was lost, her distraught mother accompanied with the brother came to the school to pack all her belongings

Three days later,Betty said to Linda "Linda remember that there are still some of Rita's belongings left in town her people don't know about what are we going to do with them?". Linda remembering said" yes is true, here is what will happen, we will share them to the motherless and sell some and keep the money to her account ". Betty anxiously asked" what will now happen to the money". " I don't know,we will decide as time goes on".