Today being Saturday, I slept so well, turning from left to right on my little mattress. My mattress is placed on an iron spring that makes this screeching sound whenever you sit or lay on it and sometimes you don't even have to sit on it before it starts making noise. I said I was turning from left to right. Well...I was not just turning on my own. You know what? If you are to survive in Old Town then you must be prepared to wrestle with bloodsuckers. Mosquitoes.

     Old Town is known for housing mosquitoes. Giant ones. Some say it's due to the bushes surrounding the town which I believe it's true because my teacher said so. 

     If you ever become a teacher in an elementary school teaching elementary pupils, then have it at the back of your mind that those kids believe everything you say not minding the logicality, common sensibility, if it is true or just a joke, they believe everything. So don't blame me if I believe or claim something stupid or unreasonable on, just take the bags of blame and drop them at Ms. Erin's doorstep and graciás.

      That's why we have mosquitoes in Old Town and that's why they find their way into my room each night, staying obscure till I come to bed and drift into oblivion. Then they strike. Me being a lover of sleep can't forfeit my sleep for a mosquito bite so I only roll to the side where I feel their bite and roll back again when I feel another. It goes on like that till the light of dawn chases them back to the cave till the next blood hunt.

      The ray of sunshine forcing itself through my window and the noise of passers-by and neighbors woke me up. I didn't believe I could sleep for so long. The work I did during the week did take its toll on me. It's even more surprising that Mom didn't wake me up. The sun releasing its light blazingly makes it obvious that it is near midday and mom being a person of order and one who does not joke with time not waking me up makes it more surprising.

    So I got up from my bed, hurriedly washed my mouth, and changed into another cloth. When I got into the dining area, I met food on the table, one was covered while the other was left half eaten. This irks me the more because Mom doesn't leave her food half-eaten, she doesn't take more than she can finish and will never leave food uncovered in the dining where flies come at you like you are the intruder in their humble abode.

     I quickly checked Mom's room, running and walking at the same time. It seems normal because she could have left the food uncovered in the dining maybe because she was just pressed and quickly went to ease herself but I can feel this knot in my stomach like a huge stone has been thrown inside. You know that feeling you have when you are waiting for the result of an exam, even though you wrote the exam fine, you are just dreading an unexpected outcome. It's never good when I have that feeling and it became worse when I couldn't find Mom anywhere in the house. 

      I rushed out of the house to find people, neighbors, and town folks standing in front of our house saying some things to each other. This act just confirmed my prognostication. I was soon able to make out some things from their monotonous whispers. I was hearing words like 'lost', and 'kidnapped'. By now, I know either my mom or someone close to her has been kidnapped so I decide to ask someone around.

      As I was about to approach someone though, I saw Jane standing not too far away so I approached her. 'If she's here them she should have clearer information.' So I thought.

     "Hey Jane" I called 

    "Mase you are here, I thought you left with your mum" Jane replied but her response just confused me the more so I asked her what happened and why everyone is gathered in front of our house.

    "Someone called your Mum this morning and told her that your Dad has been kidnapped. It's obvious it was the kidnapper who called her but she didn't say why they kidnapped her, it would be for money won't it?" 

    My ears were listening to what Jane was saying but my mind was not in concord at all. A lot of questions were pouring into my mind; why would they kidnap Dad, what do they want from him, is it money as Jane just said, we obviously won't be able to afford the money they will ask for, they should know my Dad is not one of the rich folks. But the one I'm worried about is what will happen to Dad. Will they kill him?.

     "Where is my Mom now," I asked Jane

     "She went to find your Dad I guess" 

  

    You are probably wondering why the people standing outside our house too can't help in the search or just inquire about the seriousness of things. (You understand). I'm wondering as well but not surprised because it has happened before. Yes. It was not my Dad that was abducted neither was it my Mom. Hey, it wasn't me too. No one was abducted.

     I was in Elementary 1 then. The first year of school coupled with being a six-year-old and not knowing your way around and all of the naivety of a child. So it happened that I got lost. How?. Wait I'll tell you how the great Knight Mase got lost.

     I told you how naive I was at that time right, and I already told you once how my school is far from my house and the school bus has to take us to and from school, and you already know how the path to our town is flanked by bushes. Thick ones. So this fateful day in Elementary 1, one thing led to the other and I missed my school bus. Maybe I didn't tell you, but I've always been bullied since Elementary 1, probably because of my elegance and beauty. I believe it because Ms. Erin said so. So now you can see put one two together and grasp what thing led to the other that made me miss the school bus. So I missed the school bus and I had to find my way home all by myself.

      Don't blame me for not seeking the help of a teacher I could not find my way home, I already told you that I was naive. So me being Knight Mase decided to walk home since our house is not far from my school when we are on the bus, it shouldn't be far when I walk. ( I already told you I was freaking naive!).

 

      I'm sure I didn't walk half a mile before I found myself on the floor and when I opened my eyes again, I was in someone else's house. Whose house?. I don't know. So I was scared and screamed my lungs out. A woman came into the room, she tranquilized me and explained that they had found me lying on the road and had picked me in. You see there are still good people on this wolfish street of Old Town and one of them is Mrs. Kate. She gave me something to eat and later took me back to school, and the school contacted my parents who came to pick me up.

    It was already dark and the moon has freed itself from the shadows of the cloud when my parents and Jane's Mom showed up in the school staff quarters. They brought a vehicle with them which took us all home. But I was surprised to still meet those town folks standing in front of our house that day and whispering in hushed tones to each day just as they were doing when I came outside then.

     I asked my mom why they are standing there and she said they came when they heard that I was missing. I regret that I didn't ask Mom why they are just standing and can't assist in looking for me.

     "Let's go together," Jane said as I was about to leave in search of my parents. I just nodded in reply and she ran after me. We were both running down that bush-flanked path I told you about. Running as if Mom and Dad are waiting for us on the other side. Some sets of people suddenly crossed our path and stood in front of us. I quickly reduced my pace so I wouldn't bump into them. I tried to go through another side and he quickly stood in front of me again.

    "Get out of our way" Jane screamed at the man blocking her path.

     I couldn't get a good look at their faces when they covered my eyes with a cloth. I was sure they were doing the same thing to Jane because I heard her scream and then silence.  Before I could think of what might have happened to Jane, I felt something hit my head and I fell into darkness.