BANE

CHAPTER THREE

He had spend the entire morning searching again. He thought of all the places she could be;favorite places and places that held great memories. He had asked around ,he printed flyers and showed it to anyone who cared to listen ,hoping that maybe someone had seen her . Nobody had.

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They gave out the flyers they had received earlier from Mr Othman to everyone they met. They posted it anywhere they could . They kept walking and asking around ,until they saw a crowd gathered at Prudent Psychiatric hospital .

They gave each other a look,before walking towards the hospital to inquire about what happened. Zaid looked around for the perfect person to ask ,he spotted a tall lanky woman in a nurse uniform ,talking animately to a another guy.

He knew he had found the person he wanted to ask,she looked ready enough to narrate the story to anyone who cared to listen. She started to walk away when he made his move .

"Excuse me Ma'am." He started in a friendly tone . "What happened here if you don't mind my asking?"

"Oh," she sighed a bit dramatically ,"a patient disappeared yesterday. The Matron went to check on all the patients in their rooms the previous night but discovered an empty room. She raised alarm,and we searched high and low but couldn't find him." The two exchanged another look.

"I don't even know why the Matron keeps bothering herself. The man is crazy ,there is no hope for him." Banan wondered if the woman is fully aware that taking care of crazy people is the job of a psychiatric hospital . Just a few minutes with her and she already didn't like her.

"And just yesterday, he started making up stories."

"What stories ?" Zaid asked with feigned disinterest.

"Are you a journalist?" Her eyes narrowed suspiciously," because we are given clear instruction not to talk to one. " Banan's jaw almost dropped in surprise ,the news is already for public consumption considering the crowds gathered there already.

"No,I am just curious." He defended .

"Two days ago,he claimed to have seen a girl killed brutally and taken away in a green car. I wasn't on duty ,but one of my friends told me that they didn't find any evidence." Zaid looked up and saw the panicky look in Banan's eyes. He saw her eyes ask the same question he was asking himself,could it be her?

"Did he describe what she looked like ?"

"Please,you ask too many questions . I am not his therapist,she is over there." She pointed to an elderly woman who had just emerged from the hospital.

"Nice talking to you." The nurse grunted a reply and went to speak to another group of nurses; probably ,to tell them about the two crazy kids that asked too many questions.

"Excuse me," Banan cried as the woman was about to enter her car.

"Yes?" She looked confused on seeing the two young faces .

"Good afternoon ma'am. Can you give us a minute of your time please?" She nodded at her to continue talking . She wondered what they wanted,she had to see her cousin at the hospital ,before going back home . And it had been a long day ,the matron didn't really looked like she bought her story .

"We need to ask you a few questions please ,about your patient." Ibrahim had no one ,why are these two kids suddenly interested. Did Rose put them on this? To see if they could squeeze information out of her?

"Are you related to him?" She asked .

"No," the girl answered ,"it was about what happened two days ago." The girl removed a piece of paper from her handbag and handed it to her . She looked at it and saw that it was a flyer about a missing girl.