A QUICK GOODBYE

Flint got up early the next day in order to get a headstart. When he arrived at the scene, he met the man on guard tight where he left him standing last night and they exchanged quiet "Heys" though the man had told Flint his name, for the life of him, he found it difficult to remember.

As he walked by, the man's eyes followed his steps.

Members of the search party started arriving at past nine by that time, Flint was on his 3rd cup of coffee. At 10, everyone had gathered and this time, they expanded their search range and decided to start calling on the neighbors.

********

Annie stretched herself as yawned she got up from the blanket, which she lay on. She felt totally sore as she had never slept on the floor in her life. Blanket or not, she didn't dig it.

She tapped her siblings and watch them stretch and yawn in together.

This morning, they were going to the station.... probably they would get help and be safe.

She climbed up stairs and knocked on Sam's door.

Yesterday, after her terror of loosing the bunch of keys her mother had given to her, she had found them on the river bank where the women she now knew as Catherine and Sam found them. Apparently, it had fallen off when they were being carried away from the spot.

When she opened the box, she had found it empty, save for a plain white sheet of paper. It was the size of a notebook page.

She flipped it over, it was empty. Nothing was written on it, which she found odd.

She had shrugged and replaced it in the box before replacing it back to it's position in her bag.

They had found two out of the three bags they left home with, Bertha's bag was missing.

The door she has knocked on opened and she found a sleepy eyed, frog voiced Catherine with hair in disarray in front of her.

"arrgh what's the time" she muttered yawning and stretching when she opened the door.

She turned to look at the clock on her bedside table it was 8am.

"for Pete's sake Annie we're going to a police station not to a Sunday church service" she complained.

Annie just stood looking at her.

Catherine wanted so badly to shut the door and go back to her sweet sweet sweet beauty sleep but a look at Annie's silently pleading face made her re consider.

"fuck" she cursed under her breath, making sure Annie didn't hear her clearly.

She stepped out of her room and closed the door, then she eyed Sam's door, wishing silently they could switch places and she would get some more sleep.

She went downstairs and straight to the kitchen to make breakfast. Annie went with her and did the dishes, passing her items and ingredients occasionally.

"did you get to open the box your mom left you" Catherine asked as she cut vegetables for the pot of egwusi soup.

"yes"

"care to share what was in it?"

"nothing useful.... just a piece of paper"

Catherine paused momentarily.

"why would your mother leave you a piece of paper in a box?" she asked

" I don't know"

"makes no sense" Catherine muttered as she washed the vegetables.

"it could mean something.... maybe you might figure it out later....best to keep it safe"

"sure" Annie replied.

Catherine threw her a look.

"are you alright" she asked

"yeah, why"

"nothing... it's just you're giving short replies"

"I'm just not feeling chatty"

Catherine just shrugged.

"come see this...I bet you have never tasted anything like it" Catherine said gesturing to Annie.

The kitchen was filled with a nice aroma that was soooo good it could wake a sleeping man.

Annie practically ate the entire pot with her nostrils but as she came closer, she looked into the pot. It looked as though a new born baby pooed in the pot and someone sprinkled vegetables in the poo.

"what's that" Annie asked, eyeing Catherine suspiciously.

"Egwusi soup"

Annie still eyed her, her face scrunched up. Catherine threw her head back and fell into a bout of laughter. She laughed so hard her eyes watered.

When she could finally catch her breath, she dipped a spoon into the pot and asked Annie to stretch out her palm.

Annie threw her a glare then she stretched out her hand.

Catherine spooned a little drop into her palm.

Annie bent her head slowly, still eyeing her and touched the tip of her tongue to her palm.

The moment the taste registered, her eyes widened in surprise. It was actually very delicious.

Without a word, Annie produced a plate for a spoonful. Catherine fell into another fit of laughter.

"you don't just eat it like that or drink it like normal soups...you eat with processed cassava... you'll see... I'll show you" she said

Just then, Sam walked in.

"What are you two up to"

"egwusi soup" said Catherine still laughing.

"oh..." said Sam as she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.

"I had the same reaction too the first time" She added and chuckled.

"Cat likes to watch cook shows and movies of chefs...wants to be a celebrity chef someday....as if" Sam said rolling her eyes.

"oh you just watch me" Cat replied determinedly.

Annie just stood by and watched their exchange.

In few minutes, breakfast was ready and the five of them dug in. They ate with relish. Annie had little trouble with trying to knead the thing which stuck to her fingers, which she was told to call garri. She couldn't knead it into round little balls but she eventually got the hang of it after a few trial and error attempts. Jon and Bertha had it even worse. Eventually, Bertha ended up having little balls kneaded for her by her brother and sister while she did the job of putting them into her mouth and swallowing.

After they had put away the dishes, they got ready and were soon on their way to the station.

It was a 30 minute drive.

******

Catherine and Sam sat in front of the officer's desk when they got to the police station. The man eyed them and they Hart kids suspiciously.

"where did you say you found them?"

"By the river bank close to our vacation home .... well not ours really Sam's parents own it...we just came down together for a little stay"

"why did you not alert the police immediately you found them"

"they were unconscious officer" Sam replied.

"Names?" the officer asked no one in particular.

"Annie, Bertha and Jonathan Hart" Sam replied.

The officer's pen froze mid- writing.

"did you just say Hart?" he asked. Annie nodded.

"gimme a minute" the officer said and stood up from his desk, walking briskly to the chief's office"

He came out few minutes later with the police chief.

"can you repeat to him what you just said to me" the officer said.

Annie narrated the events that occured two nights before to the police chief.

He showed no visible reaction.

"Miss Catherine and Sam" he began after a pause.

"Thank you for your help and care for the children but we'll take it from here....you have few minutes to say your goodbyes, Irene will handle the children now" he said gesturing to a plain clothed woman who was approaching them.

The woman held files and folders in her left hand. She wore a gray coloured suit, her hair was tied up in a bun, auburn coloured, she carried a black bag.

Catherine and Sam gave each kid a hug, Catherine almost teared up.

"thank you for everything" Annie whispered to them as they exchanged hugs.

"I'm Irene Carlton from children social care" said the woman, holding out her hand for a handshake. Sam and Catherine took it. Her grip was too firm to belong to someone whose job involved handling children.

After the business of goodbyes, Sam and Catherine turned and walked out of the station.

"do you think they will be alright?" asked Catherine skeptically.

Sam eyed her. "of course they will. Their parents are well connected... they're going to be safe" Sam replied assuredly.

"that woman I don't like her" Catherine said as they got into their car.

"why"

"she's not feminine and gentle"

"how in the world would you know that" Sam laughed.

"what? so you think she's some kind of assassin or something? come to finish the job?" she added still laughing.

"their parents were killed Sam... entire household massacred....it might not be safe to leave them just like that"

"how did she even appear so fast...out of nowhere like she was on standby waiting for us to bring them in"

"oh come on don't be silly.... it's a damn police station. What could possibly go wrong" Sam said shaking her head and laughing as she pulled out of the parking lot.