The Happy Lights in your Window

Chapter 11

Kas

"Kas, Kas!" Kas gets up tiredly as someone shakes him violently awake. Its Aunt Mona, one of his Ma's coworkers at the big house. He sits up suddenly alert. Aunt Mona never visits them "What is it, Aunt Mona, Where's Ma "? He asks. Aunt Mona looks at him worriedly. "At the big house, Kaya is missing, son". Kas stares at her. "Kaya is missing"??....

A week later..

Kas stares at the wall clock. It's a cheap plastic green frog clock which someone had gifted his Ma years ago. Kaya never allows them to change the clock though it's cracked all over the edges. It has been their main source for time checking for a long, long time. He used to play tell the time game with Kaya on that clock. As he looks, the frog stares back at him. The eyes seem accusing and angry even though the frog is laughing. The hands on the clock have stopped moving. They haven't moved in three days. Kaya has been missing for seven.

The door opens and his Ma comes in. She seems to have suddenly aged a lot, dark shadows under her eyes, her shoulders hunched. He can't remember the last time she slept. He can't remember the last time he slept. He stands up and goes to her quickly. Before he can ask about the search progress for Kaya, she envelops him in a tired hug. "Nothing. Nothing at all, no clues", she tells him hoarsely. He trembles in his mother's weak embrace, torn between wanting to scream out in anger and wanting to comfort his anguished Ma.

She pats his cheek gently, brushing away a traitorous drop of tear which has managed to escape his eyes. There is a knock at the open door. Mr. Bernard is standing there, stiff and formal in his three-piece suit. His bloodshot eyes look stark in his lean face. "Agnes, can we talk"? He watches his gentle Ma's face harden into a cold mask. He can hardly recognize her. "Wait here, Kas", His Ma tells him gently and turns around. She passes Mr. Bernard and he moves carefully away to give her way. He then follows her. The usually curious Kas just lies down on the small bed and covers his eyes with his hands as he lets go the tightly held back burning tears. He weeps quietly in the little room, his young mind lost and confused. Finally, he sleeps, exhausted.

Chess

Chess stares at the still closed Drake's Bakes shop with bitter disappointment. The shop has been closed for a fifth day in a row. The boldly written Closed sign on the door sways a little in the breeze. He walks to the door and knocks as he has been doing for the past five days, a faint lingering hope that the door will open. The sign flaps again as though mocking him.

He waits patiently for a few minutes as his knock remains unanswered. As he turns, a lady walks to the shop hurriedly, keys in hand. "Can't you see, the shop is closed", she tells him as she turns the key in the door. "Any idea, where the bakers went", he asks her calmly, his heart anxious in comparison. "They asked me to service the van", he adds. "Oh, Drake, that old dog took his wife away on a surprise holiday", she tells him laughing. "I see. When will they be back?," he asks, casually. "This evening, in fact", she tells him. "I do part time work here'', she adds helpfully. He mumbles a thank you, fighting graphic thoughts of the titan on holiday with the old man.

Dor

The lady who works part time in their bakery smiles up at her as Dor walks into the kitchen. "Oh, you're back, hope you had a good holiday". Dor politely nods at her "I'll just wash up and take over, Thanks for starting the prep work for tomorrow morning."  She quickly turns and starts to leave the room. Rosa is a nice hard-working lady but a big gossip and Dor abhors gossip and idle chat. "Really sad about the little girl", Rosa quickly tries to engage Dor in a chat. "Been missing for days now. I have seen her here a couple of times with her brother. It's the talk everywhere. Kaya, the little girl". Dor stops, shocked. She turns around to Rosa "Did you say, Kaya"? she asks. Rosa looks pleased, having gotten Dor's attention.

"Yes, the little girl, Kaya, her Ma works at the Bernard home". Dor looks at her horrified. "When did she go missing?", she asks urgently. "Since the evening of the engagement, it seems", Rosa answer is prompt. She is always up to date with everything that happens in their locality. Dor rushes for the door ignoring Rosa calling after her. She walks briskly down the path, trying to make sense of what has happened.

Kas

Kas fidgets with his carefully decorated pastry, unable to do justice to the effort that Dor has taken for him. "Kas", Dor calls out to him gently. He looks up at her and tries to give her a smile. "It's been two weeks, Dor", he tells her." The cops have called off an active search and even Mr. Bernard who has really helped us through it all has finally left it to them. Ma forced me to go out for some fresh air so I came to see you". His lips tremble and his eyes fill up with unshed tears. Dor's heart aches for the boy. "Is it ok for me to enjoy this cake, while Kaya is I don't know where"? Kas asks her. "I've started feeling hungry again these days. Am I a bad big brother?", he asks her with trembling lips.

"Kas", Dor gently takes his small thin hands in her large hands. "I know what you are going through. But you need to eat well and live well so that you can help your Ma. As they say, no news is good news, is it not?. You have no idea how much I blame myself. That evening, when I saw her talking to Zander, I should have taken her to your Ma. There were people around so, I just left. Am really sorry, Kas. I watched her for a moment but Zander and Kevin were quite nice to her even checking the doodles in her little book so I let it go." As soon as these words leave her mouth, she straightens up abruptly. Kas also almost simultaneously straightens up. They stare at each other. "Zander and Kevin"?, Kas asks her, anxiously.

"Kas, they were being nice to her, leaning down and talking to her". Dor tells him softly, but Kas's body is stiff with tension. "Dor, Kaya has gone with Ma to that house multiple times, I have gone to that house with Ma and Kaya so many times, not once has Zander ever bothered to even look at Kaya, forget chatting with her. "Dor looks at him with a troubled expression. "But there is absolutely no need for Zander and Kevin to even think of harming Kaya ". Their anxious conversation is rudely interrupted by Drake setting down a coffee for Dor." Call that mechanic fellow", he tells her in his usual rough tone. "Van's acting up again". As Drake goes, Kas stands up. "Chess was there too that day, wasn't he?. Maybe, he too saw something that could help us?"

An hour later, Chess, Kas and Dor are sitting around a table putting the events of the that day in some order. As Chess and Dor give their statements, Kas carefully puts his points down on a printed Drake's Bakes paper. They sum it up and go through the points again. Dor tries to convince Kas again.  "There is no motive whatsoever for Zander and Kevin to kidnap or even think of harming Kaya. She is just a little girl". Kas is silent staring at the paper. After a few minutes, Kas looks up and tells Chess "The book which you gave Kaya for drawing". Did it have anything on the investigation we were doing on Zander and Kas. 

"Not at all'', Chess denies vehemently, "I never wrote down notes on anything I did. Just pictures on my phone. I can read but I don't write well, not much practices or... studies", he adds uncomfortably, embarrassed. "That book was just an old book with the accounts of services at the garage ". "Did you take the book back from Kaya later?", asks Kas again, looking anxious. "No, that was the last I saw her", says Chess quietly.

"Dor, you are right", Kas tells her sadly. "I just hope Kaya's missing has nothing to do with what we were doing.". "That's impossible", Dor tells him, leaning towards Kas, putting her arm around him. Chess watches them, hating himself for being jealous of Kas. "Chess, can I have my notes which I gave you" Kas adds. "Let's close this. I just want to put all my attention on finding Kaya. "Chess nods, opening his bag and handing over the book. 

Kas takes the book and almost immediately returns it. "This is not my book.". Chess takes the book back and rummages through his bag. Few minutes later, the entire bag is open, its contents spilled all over the table. All three are staring at each other in horror. "Chess", whispers Dor "Did you give Kas's book to Kaya that day?".