Part 39: Rescue Mission

I grabbed my handbag and gestured for Tumi to follow me out.

 " Sumaya I'm going to check!", I called out over my shoulder.

I got into the car and I was about to open the passenger side for Tumi but she got into the backseat.

As I drove to the bus stop at the end of the road, she explained to me that the other maids had seen the boys getting onto a bus earlier that was headed for town.

OMW!!!!...i couldn't imagine what would make two five year olds that have never been on public transport ever, take a bus alone!

When we got the bus stop I got out and spoke to the ladies that sell sweets there, they both confirmed what Tumi had heard.

 I didn't know what to do! I tried calling Imraan but his phone kept going to voicemail and anyway what help would he be, he was 45mins away!

Suddenly I saw the bus and taxi operator numbers stuck on the bus stop shelter, I called it!

I had to speak to three different people and explain to them I needed the route of a bus that stopped at this stop around 1:30, nobody seemed to understand me even though I tried to give a description of the bus etc...

Finally, seeing my faustration, Tumi motioned for me to give her the phone...

In a torrent of fast paced IsiZulu I didn't understand she managed to get us put through to the bus driver of the said bus.

 He too remembered the boys very well but unfortunately they had just hopped of at his last stop...outside mr price in town!!!!, Tumi explained to me.


I didn't stop to think, I just ran back to my car and made a u-turn headed towards the freeway that would take me into the CBD...as I approached the on ramp i thought I better call Imraan stained...as I searched for my phone with one hand, I suddenly remembered that I had left it with Tumi when I took off...oh-0...too late now, I couldn't go back!

Luckily I was heading into town so I didn't have much traffic, but once I got there, west street was a circus at this hour! It took me ages to get to the corner where the huge Mr price is located and even longer to find parking...i don't know,what I was thinking! They may not even be here!

But I had a hunch...

I finally found parking and ran into the store, I headed straight for security, I tried to explain to him as best as I could, luckily he seemed to understand me and directed me to the manager.

The manager too knew what I was all frantic about, despite it being minutes away from closing time, he too made a few quiet phone calls and then directed me to the 3rd floor....swiping his employee card to give me access to a 'staff only' area and lift.

In the lift I suddenly felt very scared, I had calmed down by then and suddenly realized that I was on a wild goose chase, nobody knew were I was, if Imraan was home yet, he must be frantic...and here I was in an unknown building, in an area unseen by public, going I don't know where...

When the lift open I found myself in a busy office area with tons of people frantically finishing up their busy day...phones were ringing all over, people rushing here and their...i didn't know who to stop and ask...

"Fatiiii MAAmeeeeee"

The shouting of my name made me turn, just in time as first one boy and then the other ran to me, wrapping themselves around me...

.OMW, I found them!

A man about my age was walking towards me, thankfully he was smiling.

"As salaam mu alukum", he greeted me...I'm  Zaid.

"wasalaam", I replied

" so you here for my two friends, I thought Il have to take them home with me!" he said as he ruffled their hair.

Zaid explained to me that the staff on the shop floor found the boys earlier in the afternoon when they came in asking for the staff to call their mother, they told staff that their mum always shops at this store and they want their mum to fetch them, they didn't know their phone number or address so somebody decided to call him from accounts to see if he could get their parents via the company data base. He had been told to report it to the police by the close of business if he didn't find the parents.

Zaid tried looking for their surname on the system, but none of the names and addresses that came up matched the area that the twins said they lived in.

 He finally posted to Ask Nani Ma , in hope that somebody would have better details while he tried to keep them entertained and extract more information.

He hesitated to call the police because he felt that they may not be able to locate the parents any better than he could and feared that the children would be placed in custody till the parents were found, he had no faith in the local police.

I was so relieved to find these two monkeys, I just took all his details down for Shireen and Bilaal to contact him and thank him properly. I thanked him profusely.

As I was leaving he called after us "Yusuf, you forgetting your milkshake!", as one boy turned and ran to get it I stood amazed that he had learned to tell them apart in just a few hours yet I couldn't!

When I got the boys strapped into the back seat and headed back into the traffic to leave I suddenly realized I should have asked Zain to lend me his phone to call Imraan...to late now! Hopefully we would be home soon!