FATIMA
My heart raced as we rushed to the playground, the familiar sounds of laughter and play now replaced by an ominous silence that settled over me like a thick fog. Each step felt heavier than the last, dread curling in my stomach. The thought of my baby boy missing, unprotected, sent shivers down my spine.
"Please, God," I whispered under my breath, hoping for a miracle, for Tempo to be safe and sound.
When we finally reached the playground, my eyes darted around, searching desperately for any sign of him. The swings swayed gently in the breeze, and the slide glinted in the sunlight, but there was no sign of my son. I felt the world closing in around me, panic clawing at my chest.
"Where could he be?" I murmured, turning to Zac, who stood tense beside me, his face etched with worry.
Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted something bright—Tempo's jacket, crumpled and discarded near the gate. I rushed over, my heart dropping as I picked it up. The fabric was torn, a jagged rip near the hem, and my breath caught in my throat.
"Zac!" I called out, my voice trembling as I held up the jacket. "Look! This is Tempo's!"
He rushed to my side, and I could see the realization hit him like a ton of bricks. "Where did you find it?" he asked, his eyes narrowing as he examined the torn fabric.
"Right here," I said, my voice shaking. "By the gate. It looks like it was caught on something... like he was pulled or something. What the hell happened?"
"Maybe he just took it off," he suggested, but I could hear the doubt in his voice.
"No, no! Dis doesn't feel right," I said, the panic rising in my throat. "Why would he leave it here? He knows to stay with his friends. This is not like him!"
I felt the tears prick at my eyes as I imagined the worst. "Yuh think something bad happened?" I asked, my voice cracking. "I can't take this, Zac! We need to find him now!"
"Let's retrace his steps," he said, trying to sound calm, but I could see the worry etched in his face. "We'll ask the other kids if they saw anything."
I nodded, clutching the jacket tightly against my chest, feeling the cool fabric against my skin, a stark reminder of the warmth of my boy. "Tempo, where are you?" I whispered to myself, hoping somehow he could hear me, hoping he was safe.
As we turned to head back toward the school entrance, I felt the panic rising again, mixing with anger and fear. "Yuh know what? I swear if anyone hurt him, I'm gonna kill them!"
"Fatima," Zac cautioned, trying to keep me grounded.
"Don't 'Fatima' me right now! My son is missing, an' all I can think about is him out there alone, scared. Dis is not happening!" I couldn't help it; the frustration boiled over, fueled by the fear clawing at my insides.
I had to find my baby. We all did.
The playground felt like a dark pit of despair as I clutched Tempo's torn jacket, my heart pounding with fear and frustration. My mind raced with worst-case scenarios, each one more terrifying than the last. As I turned to my husband, my eyes darting around for any sign of our boy, my phone buzzed violently in my pocket.
I fished it out, seeing Jazz's name flash across the screen. My stomach twisted at the thought of him worrying about us. I answered quickly, my voice shaky. "Jazz? What's wrong?"
"Mom, where are you? Why didn't you pick me up?" Jazz's voice was frantic, echoing my own fears. "I've been waiting forever! What's going on?"
"Jazz, listen to me. Tempo is missing," I said, forcing myself to stay calm even as panic clawed at my insides. "We're at the playground, and we can't find him."
