Her Baby’s Secret

Arike’s POV

My eyes scanned the area and panic set in about two minutes after realizing that my daughter was gone. At first, I told myself that it was no big deal. Iteoluwa was probably over in the children book section checking to see if there would be an interesting princess book or if Barbie collection has been updated.

When I got to the book aisle, she wasn’t there so once again I thought she would have wandered to the teddy bear collections. Iteoluwa was a sucker for teddy bears. And when she wasn’t there either, I became concerned.

My heartbeat accelerated but I told myself to calm down and not overreact. But I couldn’t calm down, the shoprite mall was big with lot of people in it so I was scared even though I had warned her to never talk to strangers to and stay in one place if perhaps she got separated from me in a public place though it had never happened before.

I walked away from the teddy aisle. “Iteoluwa!” I went to the food section but she wasn’t there either.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“Where are you Iteoluwa?” I started running passing many sections and she wasn’t there.

Has she wandered out of the mall?

“Iteoluwa?!” I looked down at every area.

People stared at me and whispered but I didn’t acknowledge them. Finding my daughter was my concern. She wasn’t even at the ice cream aisle too, Where could she be?

My eyes combed the area for my daughter’s pink gown. I had bought it for her last Christmas and Iteoluwa had decided to bring it along to Nigeria so she could show Busayomi.

Oh my God! If the call hadn’t come in my eyes would have been on her but at the same time how far did she go? I wasn’t even on phone for too long!

One of the mall attendants came to me. “Hello madam, is everything okay?” The young man asked.

“No.. no.”

“Are you looking for someone?” He asked again.

“Yes please…” I breathed out.

Oh my God why didn’t it occur to me to ask the attendants I had passed by instead of running around the mall like a woman completely out of her mind.

“A little girl.. she is four dressed in a pink gown, she had a yellow balloon in her hand and probably the singing doll. She was with me in the children section but then I had to receive a call… after that I couldn’t find her.” I blabbed.

“Relax madam, you are looking for a little girl of about four years old, dressed in a pink gown with a balloon and singing doll in her hand.” He described.

“Yes.. Yes please.. did you see her passing by?” I asked.

“I am not sure but let me ask my colleagues.” He went away to speak to the other attendants.

My eyes continued to search the area.

“Madam did you come along to the mall with your husband?” The attendant asked.

“No I don’t have a husband. I only came with my daughter.” I replied in a rush.

“Okay according to the your description you gave me, my colleague saw a little girl with a man who had a little boy on his shoulder.” He explained.

“She was on a pink gown?” I asked.

“Yes she had balloon and singing doll in her hands.” He replied.

“No I don’t have a man, someone must have abducted my child.. oh my God..” I panicked.

“No that can’t happen here. You can check the provision section, the bakery she must have wandered there to get a cake. But if she is not there come back here so we can check the CCTV in the security department to find your daughter.” he said calmly.

“Okay.. thank you.” I hope to find my daughter at those places he mentioned. I prayed silently.

I started running towards the provision section but she wasn’t there either, I was at the edge of losing my mind.

“Iteoluwa!” I screamed her name as adrenaline coursed through my shaky body.

I was approaching the bakery section and if Iteoluwa wasn’t there, I don’t know what would happen next.

I didn’t even spend too much time on phone and how could my daughter have possibly disappeared in just few minutes.

My heartbeat pounded against my chest as I approached the bakery section, suddenly I spotted the familiar pink gown.

“Iteoluwa.” This time it wasn’t a scream instead I exhaled a sigh of relief.

I rubbed my eyes to see if I wasn’t hallucinating – she was there, standing with a little boy, he had the balloon in his hands as they stood on the queue.

I blinked rapidly to clear my vision of tears that had almost flooded my eyes. How did she get here? Who is this little boy with her?”

I didn’t rush towards her to hug her instead I took slow steps as she stood playing with the little boy. My legs had suddenly grew weak and I could feel slight pain in them due to the running around I had done. I didn’t want to cry so I controlled myself because for a moment I thought I had lost my daughter.

“Iteoluwa.” I called out her name when I got closer.

She turned and looked up at me. Her face lit up at the sight of me.

“Mommy!” She embraced me. “Look there are cupcakes, can I get it?” She asked.

I pulled her away from me. I forced myself to not scold or scream at her in a public place. Slowly I crouched down to her size as I checked if she was okay.

“How could you do this to me?” I whispered.

Her expression told that she knew I was angry but was trying not to lash out at her. “Mommy-”

“You wandered away from me in a public place and you played with a little boy you don’t even know.”

I said in a sternest voice I could muster.

Iteoluwa bowed her head in shame. “Look at me.” I commanded and she raised her head up.

“I am sorry mommy, you asked me to buy anything I want.. so I saw a girl eating cupcake and I wanted it too. I wanted ice cream too but… I couldn’t find you.” She explained.

“I only told you to buy whatever was at the children store.” I made myself clear.

“I am sorry mom, I didn’t mean to scare you.” She apologized in a remorse.

I want to keep on the hard face but her remorseful expression calmed me.

“Please don’t do it again. I was so worried about you.” I hugged her tightly after making sure that she was fine.

“I was scared when I couldn’t find you and I ran screaming through the mall.”

She stepped away from me. “Oh mommy I am sorry.”

“It’s alright.. where are the things you picked?” I stood up not taking my gaze away from her face.

“His dad picked a basket for me and helped put my things in it.” She pointed at the boy.

There was ice cream, doll and cookies in her basket.

“Where is his dad?” I asked.

“Good afternoon madam.” A masculine voice greeted.

I wasn’t sure if it was meant to be a familiar voice or not but I didn’t want to think too much. Why do I still find myself thinking about him? How do I still recognize his voice in my head?

“Oh mom! It’s him! He helped me try to find you.” Iteoluwa said.

“I am glad you found your mom.”

No! Am I imagining things again in my head? No I have to be sure. The knowledge came as a surprise when I looked away from my daughter and glanced up at the man who had helped my child.

And suddenly my jaw dropped completely, a gasp escaped from my mouth and all I could do was stare at the man. He was shocked as I was to see him.