CHAPTER FIFTEEN
T
Split up and find Asanda.
The self-appointed man of the house instructs everyone after assessing the contents of both bags found in Asanda and Notho's private cave.
I don't despise him anymore but the horse he's on is too high for my liking.
Ella would be going back to the house with mom, Kelly and Notho but she may be useful for the mission we're embarking on. She did spend many years fraternizing with the very thugs we suspect Asanda has disappeared to. Only she has the intel of how they operate.
"How come you ended up dating a thug like Zizo?" I ask Ella as soon as we're alone in my car.
I know the timing is all wrong for the mother who just stopped crying a minute ago. Hearing her past domestic life is at the center of our child's missing status greatly upset her.
Shocker; Catherine helped her calm down.
"I hope this doesn't change your perception of me but I lost focus on my first year at college and fell into the 'gold-digging' lifestyle"
I wasn't expecting that. I expected her to say Zizo was a good guy when they met and I must admit I'm a lil' disappointed. Ella was one of the smartest in high school.
"When I finally learned what's important in life, Asa was four-years of age, my peers were graduating and my mother and I were almost homeless. Zizo was the handsome bad boy who was eager to take care of us. I'm sorry I was so careless with your child." She finishes then releases one more tear.
I reach for her hand as an indication of my understanding then we both sit in silence waiting for Father and Zanda to come out of mom's house. We need to map out a plan for the search.
Next, my phone rings and I stare at the unknown number for a few seconds before reluctantly taking it. The caller starts off by having me confirm that I'm Asanda's father and upon getting the desired answer, he proceeds to tell me to stay put as he and his cop colleague will be returning Asanda in an hour or so.
*****
"But the station is ten minutes away. Why an hour later?" Mom asks, further agitating everyone.
"Depending on the state they found him in, they may still be gathering information for investigation" father calmly responds.
At that, Ella's feet give in and she sinks into a sofa. We all follow suit but Zanda walks away and I can't help but feel sorry for him. He can't fully express his hurt for his son's disappearance because of the pact father had us make. I wonder how I'd be in his position.
"We need to come clean about the bags we found at church as soon as the cops arrive. No more crime in this house" mom states emotionally and we all agree.
*****
Kelly put Notho to sleep then made coffee for everyone but no one drank. Even Zanda who was back and visibly fighting all sorts of emotions.
An hour and twenty minutes later, the blue lights announced the end of the vigil through the huge glass sliding door. We all got on our feet and waited for the horror story of Asanda's involvement in criminal activities. More importantly, we were eager to reveal the stash at the church.
Anything to make Asanda's case light.
To our biggest surprise, the two officers walked in and greeted jovially, effectively causing confusion in all of us.
Ella already had Asanda in her arms and crying again.
"Did you all know that you have a future detective in your family?" Officer Bird asks after introducing himself and his colleague, officer Stevens, whom we already met.
"We do?" father asks while inviting the two guests to take their seats, prompting us all to also sit down.
"Oh, yes. This young man led us to a criminal syndicate that's had us working unpaid overtime for the past six years. Highly intelligent thugs using unconventional but super smart methods of communicating and executing crime"
"Oh really?" Zanda asks taking a seat next to Ella and reaching for Asanda.
How am I ever going to get over watching him love and support the child that's supposed to be mine?
"What happened Asa?" mom prompts and Asanda continued to share how he secretly packed Bob the comrade's future job location puzzles so that he will know which places will be robbed next then pass the information to the police.
"Is that what the puzzles are? Business locations for future robberies?" Ella asks
"And farm locations of where the procurements will be buried till the investigations into their cases have been closed" Asanda explains.
To say I am in awe is the understatement of the century!
"And how did you know about this?" Zanda the real dad this time.
I know, I need to stop saying it to myself but I can't help it.
"I told you. Boss and the comrades secretly held some meetings at our house when mom was away. I always heard them"
"What about the bags you left inside your cave in chur..."
Father didn't even finish that sentence because Asanda quickly interjected in a way that communicated clearly that the officers were not privy to that information.
"Yes, Khulu. I always leave my school bags in my special cave when doing homework. It's nice and quiet. But I'm sorry I left a mess. I'll clean it up first thing in the morning.
"Don't be too hard on our hero, Khulu. After the wonderful job he did for the state, he deserves a break from domestic chores" officer Stevens declared joyfully and getting up to leave with his partner.
*****
We spent another thirty minutes getting clarity on Asanda's previous disappearance from school. That was the first time he made the police aware of the ruthless syndicate but all they got from it was the names of the master minds behind the crimes. They still needed proof so Asanda promised to keep them informed every time he figured the next location.
"I kept getting locations they'd already hit but today, I got it right again. They were going to bury more procurement at a maize meal farm by the high way after robbing a gas station. The police caught all of them red handed"
"And the procurement in the church?" daddy Zanda inquired.
"I arrived at the first location I got right before they did and took it all for us"
"Us?" I ask obviously sounding shocked because I am.
"Yes" he answered innocently. "Unless you want me to take it to the police.
"Of course we want it!" mom exclaimed joyfully. "The universe has paid us back our million!"
And that's how Asanda, Ella and her mother officially became the favorites of the family, especially to the queen of the house, Catherine.
*****
The following morning, whilst enjoying a lovely breakfast prepared by all of us; the bell from the gate rang and Kelly answered the intercom. She then informed me I have a delivery so I walked to the gate and received an envelope I had forgotten I will be getting soon.
And although I had made peace with the situation, I continued to open the envelope containing paternity test results I requested using Asanda's hair brush.
There was a short paragraph typed out at the top but my eyes went straight to the percentage at the bottom.
That 99.9 number set the tone of how my life was going to pen out moving forward and I was finally at peace with my brother.
MY SON.
YOU ARE READING
My Son
Mystery / ThrillerA young man learns that his identical twin recently discovered he has a nine-year-old child. Upon meeting the little boy, he realises the baby mama might be mistaken about which of them is the biological father. To spare his twin the truth of his po...
