Mother screamed so loud on the phone after I told her about the twins that I became scared of her slumping out of fear or due to heart attack. I had to find a way to calm her down, so I won't have to be in the dilemma of both looking for my children and fighting to keep my mother alive.
"Mother, mother please, calm down alright. It is not as dangerous as you might think." I said to her, just to calm her down, while deep down in my heart I knew it was just the opposite.
"So, you are saying that if I decide to come to your house today to spend the weekend, I won't see my only grandchildren? She asked bluntly, stating the obvious out.
"Mother, calm down. We will work on it. It is not too late Alright. I will find them and bring them home today, unfailingly." I said to her with all assurance I got from who knows where.
"Sonia! Ah! I am doomed. How did this happen? Tell how can my beautiful sweet pies be kidnapped, haha! This isn't good at all, this isn't good." She complained again.
"Well, Mom. I... I" I stammered.
"You what? Please speak out now. I don't remember having any daughter that stammers.
"Mom, please stop. You are making things more difficult for me. It hasn't been easy on me for these past few days. I haven't been myself. It just looks like I'm out of my head and out of my body. I literally don't know what to do." I replied harshly, then started sobbing after that.
"Okay Sonia love. I am sorry if I used the wrong tone. But, you have to be ready to face more of this and worse."
"Yes ma'am, I have heard you." I replied more politely now.
"Good. Now, tell me. What exactly happen? What did you see? Tell me.
"Well mom, it was all my fault." I whispered into the phone, then increased the intensity of the sobbing. "Mom, I was very busy I the office. I had a lot of meetings scheduled for that day, so I asked Nancy to go with the driver to their school and pick them up."
"And...? She continued to question with curiosity in the voice.
"I.... I got home in the evening after I was done with the last meeting. I couldn't find the kids at home. I couldn' find Nancy not the driver and the car as well. None of them made it home from the journey." I finished.
I tried so hard to force myself not to cry again. It wasn't an easy task, as I was sniffling uncontrollably.
"How sure are you that the Nancy and driver went to the school that day? What if they didn't?
"The class teacher confirmed that they came to pick them up from school as I instructed. It was all my fault mom. I put them in this situation. If I had gone by myself to get them, this wouldn't have happened." I cried bitterly.
"Baby girl, listen. It wasn't your fault okay. I know you think your not picking them up from school yourself prompted this to happen, but I can bet that if you were the one who went to pick them, you might have been kidnapped with them." She explained.
"I don't care if I will be kidnapped with them. As far as they keep us together and I am sure they are safe, then there is no need to worry."
"So, if you were kidnapped alongside them, who will you be expecting to come look for you. Me?? Oh or Alex, your husband? That just reminds me, what about your husband, how is he taking up the issue on ground? She asked.
"Mother, there is no issue on ground with Alex, it's only a neutral ground for the meantime." I responded.
I guess my mom had no idea what I was talking about, because she didn't reply for a while after what I just said.
"Sonia, I don't seem to understand clearly what you are saying. What do you mean by Alex is on a neutral ground? Did he travel out or something? She kept asking.
"Yes, he travelled to Dubai for a business trip, but is not what I meant by that."
"Then, what are you talking about?
"Mom, the truth is that, Alex is not aware that the children is missing because I refused to tell him. I didn't know how to break that kind of news to him, especially for the fact that he is away, I had to keep it to myself."
"Sonia wants to kill me before my time. So, you mean, Alex the father of those kids doesn't know about, ha! Sonia, you have to tell him."
"Mother, I can't, I cannot do that. Before he comes back from his trip, the kids will be home and fine alright, so leave Alex out of this."
"So, that's what you think, right? What if he gets back and those children are not home, then, what will you do?
I was taken aback for the moment. She was right, very right. There is every possibility that Alex could return before I get the opportunity to find the kids. That, will be a terrible disaster. I thought in my heart.
"Mother, I believe and I have the faith that I will find them before he gets back home." I said to her with all finality.
"I see. I just hope the reverse doesn't happen. But as for me, as a woman that I am and your mother as well, I will advice that you inform your husband about this, atleast, before he returns home."
"Aside that mother, what other advice can you give to me, as your daughter? I asked with a angry tone which I am not sure she noticed.
"It's not up to 48 hours yet, so you'll have to wait before going to the police station to report the issue. Ask questions, go to the school and get information on your children, if they ever had issues with any one. Some parents could over step their boundaries when people touch their children." She explained.
"Mother, I am not a detective. How do you expect me to go about asking this kind of questions. I am trying to keep this from the world, asking to that extent will only open it up."
"Even if you close the issue, if you become so unlucky not to find them on time, you'll be shocked how such news fly to the media. Just do as o say."
"Alright. But, I have asked everyone in the neighborhood, but no one seems to know their whereabouts. I am thinking that they were kidnapped on the road, not from the house."
"I thought as much."
"Mom, I will do what you say, but as for Alex, I just can't tell him now. I don't want to destroy my marriage."
"Sonia, you are destroying the marriage already by keeping such kind of information from your husband. It will be more drastic if he eventually gets to know from another source aside his wife." She said in a sharp tone.
I wasn't buying what she was saying, even though bit looked like she was saying the reality, I wasn't giving in to it. I had my plans and I will be so lucky to have it all set out. Yes, it definitely will.
Even as I tried to encourage myself to go against my mother's wish, a part of me was seeing what she was saying as something that is very true. A part of me wants to end the call and call Alex to break the bad news to him. A part of me wants me to accept what my mom has said and key into it with good faith. But then, the stronger part of me is resisting bit with all force. That stronger part of me was driven by fear, the fear of the unknown. The fear of losing my love and my marriage. The fear of being alone and not having something I could hold and call my family. This part of me grew by fear and I knew I couldn't agree with my mother totally.
"Sonia, please follow your heart and do not let fear make you take the wrong decisions and thrust the right ones away. Be careful, follow your heart." She encouraged me calmly.
"Yes Mother. I will do as you say. Thank you for helping me out. I am really so grateful."
"You are my only daughter, what shouldn't I do to make sure you are okay. I will do anything for you my darling."
"Thank you so much mother."
"Yeah. Please, inform me if you get any news or information that will aid in the search alright? I will place some calls to the police department in your area so they will take it up seriously "
"That is so wonderful of you ma. Thank you again."
"Please, take good care of yourself my sweet daughter. I will check up on you later today."
She ended the call after she was done. I heaved a deep sigh of relief. I got up from the sofa, went to my room and picked up my bag, some cash and my car keys. Then I left the house, to start up my search!