Talk To Me

20. We must find him

Cherry had been packing for what felt like hours, his suitcase a battlefield of unruly clothes and stray emotions. It was a good thing he'd come home early from work; he had no desire to burden Swalha with another favour, especially after she'd let him stay for a whole month. Swalha was the epitome of a reliable friend, unlike Kind, who'd thrown him out of his flat in the dead of night without so much as a second thought. He hadn't spoken to him since, and frankly, he didn't care to rekindle whatever it was they once shared. Some things were better left in the past.

He glanced at the clock. Late. Swalha hadn't returned from work yet. Perhaps she was tied up at the office, running her practice; Cherry had known it could be demanding and wasn't about to call and ask what time she'd be home, for Swalha had done more than enough by offering her a place to stay. Besides, it was time. Time to move back in with Wale and surprise her. Things would be smooth this time around, surely for Wale had kept her promise to maintain distance from Kind, and as long as she never found out about Kind's... well, about that, everything would be fine. Cherry was determined to make it work. No more jealousy, no more fights. He'd endure whatever came his way until they were married.

"Right," he muttered to himself, his resolve hardening. "I'll handle the wedding planning myself. No relying on Wale or Kind for that. It was time I took charge of my own happiness."

Just then, he heard Swalha calling from the living room. "I'm in here!" he called back, still wrestling with the zipper on his overstuffed suitcase. "Almost done packing."

Swalha appeared in the doorway, her eyes sweeping over the room. "Pity you're leaving, I was getting used to having you around," she said, taking in the sight of Cherry struggling with the suitcase. "Need a hand?" Not waiting for a reply, she plopped herself onto the bulging suitcase, compressing its contents enough for Cherry to finally zip it shut.

"This reminds me of college," Swalha said with a grin. "When you graduated and left the rest of us to fend for ourselves. You were hardcore back then, everyone wondered how we even became friends! Then you and Wale started dating, and suddenly you were the couple. Formidable!" She waved her hands for emphasis.

Cherry smiled at the memory. "Well, I'm still your big brother, even if I left you lot to struggle. Thanks again for letting me stay here and not trying to talk me out of going back to Wale."

Swalha offered a sympathetic smile. "I would never. It's your choice. Though, how about staying for dinner before you go?"

"Sure, why not. I've already made dinner for us," Cherry replied, settling back into his chair.

As they ate, Cherry asked, "Have you heard from Wale lately? I've been trying to reach her, but no luck."

Swalha raised an eyebrow. "I thought she knew you were coming?"

Cherry leaned back. "We've been talking. Met a few times. I wanted to surprise her tonight, show her I'm serious about giving our relationship another shot. She's willing to compromise for the sake of us. I mean, ten years together just to throw it all away? That would be such a waste, right?"

Swalha nodded thoughtfully. "Ten years is a long time."

Cherry continued, "And she's been keeping her distance from Kind, like I asked. So, it should all work out. No more jealousy, no more fights."

Swalha raised her glass. "To no more fights, and to you two working things out." She took a sip, then added with a teasing smile, "I'll have to go back to takeaways once you're gone. Unless, of course, I invite Kind and his girlfriend over to cook for me for the week."

Cherry froze, his grip on his fork tightening. "Don't bring him up like that, Swalha. You know we're not on good terms."

"Sorry," Swalha said, backtracking quickly. "I guess I'm just trying to lighten the mood. I want you to be happy, that's all. And if you're happy with Wale, then that's what matters."

Cherry softened. "Thanks, Swalha. You mean well." They ate in silence for a while before Cherry broke it again. "I take it you haven't heard from Wale recently either?"

Swalha paused. "No, not since we had drinks at Yummy Yum a couple of weeks ago." She glanced at Cherry's packed suitcases, frowning slightly. "When was the last time you spoke to her?"

Cherry responded without hesitation, "Two weeks ago. I told her I'd get in touch when I was ready to make my decision."

Swalha collected the plates and walked them to the kitchen. "Strange..."

Cherry looked at his phone, his brow furrowed. He hadn't spoken to Wale in a fortnight, yet here he was, bags packed and ready to move back in with her. He dialled her number but was met with voicemail. Again. "This is weird. She's never offline this long."

Swalha's own concern was growing. She called Wale too, but no luck. Picking up her handbag, she motioned for Cherry to follow. "We need to check her place."

They arrived at Wale's apartment fifteen minutes later. "Did you bring the keys?" Swalha asked. Cherry handed them over, and they entered.

The flat was eerily still. "She hasn't been here for a while," Cherry said, noticing the stale smell coming from the kitchen bin. The place was a mess. Wale had always kept a clean home for this wasn't like her at all.

Cherry's heart sank, panic creeping into his voice. "No, no, this isn't right. She never leaves the place like this. She could be in danger! We need to call the police! Her family...!"

Swalha grabbed her by the shoulders. "Cherry, calm down. Let's think this through. We need to talk to Kind first before we involve the police."

"Why?" Cherry snapped. "How could Kind possibly help when he hasn't spoken to Wale either?"

"Because," Swalha said firmly, "Kind knows Wale better than anyone."

Reluctantly, Cherry agreed, and Swalha made the call. Kind arrived soon after, accompanied by Todo. Cherry's face hardened the moment he saw him. "You've brought her here?" he demanded, glaring at Todo.

Kind kept his voice calm. "Todo is here to help. Her family has resources that can aid the search for Wale. Please, let's not focus on what is important right now."

Todo made a quick call, her demeanour professional and collected. "My security team is already on it," she informed them. "The police have been notified, but we'll handle the search privately. It's faster and more discreet if we can reach a family member."

Cherry didn't say a word, just stormed out onto the balcony. Swalha sighed, watching her friend's emotional walls crumble from the strain. "He hasn't spoken to Wale's family in years," she explained to Kind and Todo. "And Wale doesn't have many close friends. We might need another lead."

Kind hesitated for a moment. "There is one place she might have gone... Her parents' house. Or maybe their graves."

"Graves?" Both Todo and Swalha asked.

"Yes. Wale tends to jet of there from time to time whenever he feels lost... Or sometimes whenever in disillusioned."

Swalha nodded. "Then that's where we start."