THE CHRISTMAS SEARCH

LOST HOPE

"Jingle bell, Jingle bell, Jingle all the way. Oh what fun it is to ride..." Cecilia sang along to the song playing on the Uber car's stereo. Even with her angelic voice, the singing sounded like noise in my ears. "Could you please be quiet? I'm trying to think here." I spoke to her; she was seated beside me.

"It's Christmas season, Naomi. I am singing a Christmas song." She replied.

"I know. I just need all the silence I can get right now."

"I'm sorry, miss grinchy, but I can't be quiet while the song plays on." She said. "It's not my fault Santa didn't show up."

"Geez! Could you stop with that talk? You say it every year." I responded.

"And I will keep saying it till you eventually like the Christmas season."

"You know that's not happening soon." I replied. As I said that, the Uber driver, putting on a Santa Claus' cap gave me a stern look through the mirror inside the car. I noticed his look but threw my gaze towards the window. It was snowing.

Cecilia continued singing, she stopped after a while and said, "What's going on in your head? You've been staring at the seat for a while now. What's that thing you said you were going to tell me on the way?"

"We are not going to the KFC to eat or so." I replied.

"Then what are we going to do there this Friday morning?"

"We are going there to see someone."

"Who?"

"I'll explain everything when we get there." I nodded my head towards the driver. Cecilia instantly got my message that I didn't want to say anything with a stranger around. She remained silent till we got to our destination.

We got to the restaurant and we went straight in, walking hastily. The shop was almost empty that morning, a woman and her daughter were the only customers occupying a table. We met Abby at the counter. "Hi, Abby. Good morning. Do you remember me?" I asked.

"Yeah, and I hope you are not here in search of someone again." She replied. Cecilia was confused as she looked at the both of us talking.

"Oh, no," I smiled. "I only came to see Evans. Could you please tell him I am around?"

"Okay." She began walking and when she was about to reach the kitchen's door, the other guy I met the first time I came here walked out of the kitchen. "Great. Please tell Evans miss curious from the other day is here to see him." Abby said to him. The guy glanced at me and smiled, then walked back in.

Cecilia and I left the counter and sat at a table where she began querying me. "Is Evans your new guy?"

"No way!" I laughed and began narrating the whole story to her, from my mother's revelation to the club's incident. She was shell-shocked to hear Jeremiah wasn't my father. As we spoke, Evans approached us in his usual suit. "Afternoon, ladies." He spoke.

"Hey, I came by again." I responded. "Have a seat, I have some questions to ask."

"If this is going to be a long discussion, then let us please make use of my office." He replied.

"That'll be better." Cecilia said. We stood up and followed him into the office. Abby and the other guy stared at us suspiciously as we walked past them. I smiled at them.

We got into his office and sat. He sat in front of us on the manager's seat. "How can I help you ladies?" He asked.

"It's about Sarah," I began. "I found her at the club you described."