Baby

I almost committed suicide when I lost Baby. I still remember Madam punching and kicking me, telling me to go find her child.

“How can you loose a child? How the hell can you loose my child?” she kept on screaming. I had my hands over my head, trying to shield my face from her blows. Afterwards, my nose bled, my eyes swelled and there was a slight opening on my cheeks from Madam’s sharp nails. 

It happened last month Saturday. I work in Madam’s house as a maid and so when she had a party to attend with her husband, I stayed at home with her only child. Minutes later, a random number called. 

“Come to Street 5”, the voice said before I could even say anything at all. I sat down and wondered what audacity the caller had. I didn’t do anything. It was risky living Baby all alone. Street 5 was not too far from the street I lived in but it was much quiet and lonely. I almost felt like it was unsafe. Anything could happen and no one would know in the street. The number called again.

“Come to Street 5 with Baby,” it said. I shook my head. How did this person know I was with Baby? I debated whether to go or not and then I decided not to. I ate little rice and stew and watched TV. My mind went to the caller again. Minutes later, the number called again.

“Come to Street 5,” it said again. I sighed and thought about it for a very long time. Then I decided that a little adventure wouldn’t hurt. I couldn’t leave Baby all alone in the house and so I took him along. I closed my eyes and breathed in the fresh air as I walked along. The atmosphere was beautiful, calm and the weather was perfect. The sun was not too hot and the sky was cloudy. What could possibly go wrong?

I got to Street 5. I could see a shadow of someone with a cardigan. He was tapping his feet softly on the floor. I suspected he was the person that called me but I was too scared to go to him. I decided to go back home. This was all a waste of time. I held Baby’s hand and we walked away. All of a sudden, a hand appeared and pulled Baby away. I was too shocked and by the time I turned, I could see a man running away with Baby. I screamed and began to run after them. The man jumped into a moving car and zoomed off. I couldn’t move. It was unbelievable, how everything could just be okay and in the next second, you could almost be dying from a panic attack. I thought of running away from Madam but then the Police would be sent after me and I didn’t want to live the 'hide and seek' life. I have promised to find Baby at all costs. 

Right now, I’m placing my hands on my head, trying to figure this out. All of a sudden my phone beeps. I ignore it. It beeps again and I take a look at it. There are two messages from an unknown number.

The first reads:

Come to Street 5. There’s a black car around the corner. You don’t have to do much. All you need to do is enter the car.

The second reads:

Be fast if you want to find Baby. 

I stare at it for a while and wonder if I’m dreaming. I rub my eyes over and over again and realize I’m not. I’m so scared that I might be kidnapped and killed. My heart beats and I put my hand over my chest. Its cold and windy and I put on a cardigan before going out. I’ve got my hands in my pocket as I walk to Street 5. I see the black car glittering and the tinted windows all rolled up. I take a deep breath. Before I know it, I’m inside the car. There’s no one in the car except myself and the driver who has a dark sunglass on. I can’t even make out how his face looks like. I say, “Baby,” before I can stop myself. He looks at me and nods. 

“Why’d you bring the child with you to Street 5 the first time? Why did you even come to Street 5 at first?” he asks.

“Stupidity. Sheer stupidity.”

“Yeah. It was stupid of you. No one would receive a random message like that and do what you’ve done.”

I nod. He continues driving and later he coughs. 

“I don’t even know where you’re taking me to,” I mutter.

He glances at me. “You want Baby, don’t you?”

Was that even a question? “I wouldn’t be in this car if I didn’t want Baby.”

“I’m not suppose to tell you this,” he sighs. He rubs his forehead and sigh again. “I’ll tell you anyways. They’re two doors they will show you. When you open the door, you’ll see a straight passage way. You’ll find Baby in one of the doors. One of the doors lead to a main road. It’s the door you will find Baby. If you end up taking that door, run. Run and never look back. Just run and you’ll burst out on the side of a main road. Take a taxi home from there.”

I kept on nodding to show I was listening.

“The second door is empty. The end of it leads to death. Actually, if you take the second door, there’s a time bomb that will be activated once you go inside. Only a matter of seconds and you’re gone. That’s as much information as I can give.”

I thank him profusely. He blindfolds me and wishes me luck. I don’t know where he’s leading me to but I follow all the same. I begin to hear two other voices apart from his. Someone else holds my hands with a firmer grip. I can tell he’s a man from the sound of his voice asking me how I feel. I feel like struggling, like telling him he’s holding me too tight but I say nothing. Finally, he stops and opens my eyes. I’m in front of two doors with keys. I can see a lady on the right and a man on the left. 

“Take a door.” Someone behind me says. I turn and see an old man. I realize this is a life changing decision. My heart beat is so fast and I fear that I might jfaint. I close my eyes and take deep breaths. I take the left door and cross my fingers as I enter. The door shuts tight behind me and I hear the door lock. Just perfect. I walk really fast. My legs wobble and I fear that I have taken the wrong door and a time bomb has been activated. I walk for so long that I fear that it has no end. My legs hurt and I take more deep breaths in. I keep on walking and only stop when I hear the cry of a child. It sound exactly like the cry of Baby. I can’t tell if it’s coming from the other door. I begin to tremble. I stand and listen so carefully and realize the sound is not too far. I run closer to the sound of Baby’s cry. I see Baby far away and I cry in relief as I run closer to Baby, closer to freedom.