Getting to half past six, Ikem had not returned home. Mr. and Mrs. Oduka walked back and forth. Fear filled their mind. They have searched for their son, but couldn’t find him. Ikem’s teacher said he left immediately after school. Yet he did not return home.
“Where is Ikem?” Mrs. Oduka questioned, looking up into the sky and thinking of where he might be. “Chineke muooh (my God)! The only eye of a blind woman, my son is lost” She cried out loudly, knowing that her son was not safe.
“Woman hold yourself – Let's think out something. Let’s go to the police and report that our son is missing” Mr. Oduka suggested.
As they drove to the police station Mrs. Oduka kept lamenting –pouring out her fear, Mr. Oduka held himself, drove carefully – ignoring his wife’s cry. They drove into the police station compound and parked. Mrs. Oduka entered the station crying.
“Police oh, please find my son!”
“Take it easy woman,” the police officer on duty cautioned her. Mr. Oduka walked to the policeman. He didn’t look like someone who could bring their son back. He had a large pot belly, short and plump.
"Our son is missing,” Mr. Oduka explained.
"Ah! Sorry oh!” officer said with a pitied look on his face.
“Cries no go find am now (cries wont solve anything). You will write an official statement.” He gave them one sheet of paper each, to write everything they knew about their son and his whereabouts. He picked up an old register from his drawer. He opened where he stopped. Almost every case was pending (under investigation). He registered the new case of missing child. He took their statement and filed it.
“Oga and madam, you will go and pray to God” Officer told them.
Mr. Oduka was angry at hearing that. “What did you say?” he questioned.
“I didn’t mean to offend you sir. It is just that such cases never get solved. I am just giving you an alternative to our investigation” He apologized.
They left and drove away in their car.
The police officer put his hand under his table, brought up a bottle of alcohol, drank it and said “Are the police God?”
They drove silently back home. Deep inside them, they knew that Ikem was in trouble – In these days of ritualists and kidnappers.
