Gone Missing

“News circulated that he has passed away, but I don’t want to believe that news. I can call it fake news. I am strongly sure that my man is alive somewhere, maybe not where I know, or somewhere out there. Who would be behind his disappearance? Who would be so heartless as to take him away from me?” Mira was in bitter tears as she spoke to her friend, Amaka, who had been wondering about the disappearance of her friend's man.
“Where will he be? We just have to keep calm, or better still, make some findings. We will get to the root of it, Amaka said while consoling Mira.

The heat of Daniel's disappearance has been in the air, but everyone just kept mute except Mira and her friend Amaka. Just a few weeks ago, Daniel was with everyone in his abode, laughing and chatting together. He's this kind of jovial human being who loves playing with everyone. He has a heart of gold. His disappearance is still a surprise to everyone, even though they are keeping mum about it. Everyone in his domain has been missing him a lot after thinking of his way of life.

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“Why are these people gathered there? What’s going on?” Amaka peeped and started listening to the chiefs in the community.
“We will not release him until he deviates from his character of always poking his nose in the community’s issues.” I don’t know his problem with the way we live our lives here. Better still, he should just find his way to his community instead of looking for what was not lost,” one of the chiefs said as they all concurred.
“Hope, it will not turn against us later? At least he knows our secrets, and dealing with him like this is not worth it; instead, we just have to leave him there for life,” another one opened up.
“No, we will let him go if he can sign an agreement with us never to let his mouth loose about our wrong deeds," another one of them said.
“We just have to take our decision to the king, as he has the final say,” they all agreed as they took their leave one after the other.

The chiefs did not mention any names, and Amaka was just not clear about all they had been saying, but something kept telling him that it may be Daniel. Daniel has been one of the chiefs as well as the king, and doesn’t want to see just because of his pure-minded character. He has threatened one of the chiefs who wanted to claim land from a family in the community forcefully.

“I have to let my friend know about what I just heard, to know where to start. Amaka was somehow sure of her hunch. Amaka rushed to her friend after hearing what the chiefs just uttered out of their lips.
“Mira, please, I think the chiefs, as well as the king, have been the ones who kidnapped Daniel.” Amaka was so sure of her words.
“How did you know, and where did you hear that from, and to whose mouth did you go to know about what you just said?” Angry Mira asked a series of questions just to be sure of what Amaka was saying.
“I heard everything I just told you from the chiefs who gathered under the giant mango tree beside the entrance to the palace. I was going to my grandma's place just to give her what she sent me. Although I hid myself behind the pillar, very close to the trees. No one saw me,” Amaka said.
“I think we need to do something about it. I knew from the outset that Daniel was alive. Nothing can happen to my Daniel,” Mira said.

They could not confront the chiefs and instead sneaked to the palace at night. They made an unwanted sound that kept the guards on duty. This was how they entered the palace. The palace has a hidden room, which Amaka and Mira were able to locate by being true members of the community.
“Daniel! Daniel!!” They tried to call as they peeped through a tiny aperture in the hidden room.
Daniel put his ear to the ground properly just to recognize the voice before answering. He answered and was surprised how they got to the palace without anyone knowing.
“Please go back and inform the police about what had happened,” Daniel responded, as they had no way of bringing him out of the hidden room.

They left with part of them happy and part of them sad. “They must be brought to book,” Mira said as they again made the same sound just to get the guards out of their way. They also managed to get out of the palace safely. In the morning, policemen had to invade the palace. Mira and Amaka had to show the policemen the room where they had kept Daniel for about two weeks. The whole chief, as well as the king, was arrested.