TEENS ON POINT☑️

chapter forty one

Third person POV ( unknown)

"Toriola, you have to stand up, I need you, your daughter needs you, we all miss you, please get up," Lanre begged sadly while holding the unconscious Toriola's hand.

He got back to Nigeria after Toriola got out of surgery, ever since then Toriola didn't open her eyes, she had been in coma for eight days now without any improvement.

The police had told him the nanny had probably died considering the fact that her wallet and ID card was found with the only lady amongst the robbers which implies that she might actually be one of them. Their other daughter on the other hand was missing, no one knew if she was alive or dead and he really needs to hire a private investigator since the police were seen as sluggish with the work.

Lanre knew he wasn't sane enough to hire a private investigator now but he needed his daughter, her sister needs her, thank goodness he had left with their other daughter then else he would have become childless by now.

He looked at Toriola's unconscious body again and heaved. Ever since he got back, he'd been living in the hospital practically, their other daughter was in care of his mother.

"No news?" his mother asked immediately he got to her place later in the evening, he missed his child so he had to go see her, it's just that seeing her brings back the memory of her sister, how he so much wish she was with them.

"None," he replied bitterly as he carried his daughter from his mother's hand. She was looking radiant as ever with no worry, only if she knew her mom was in coma and her sister was missing.

"Hey, baby," he forced a smile at his daughter while pulling her cheek. She smiled at me and a lone tear wanted to escape his eye but he had to control it.

His mother noticed and patted his shoulder.

"Everything would be fine"

"But am really missing my baby," he told her in near tears.

"We'll see her soon and her Mom would wake up, believe me son" she assured but he shook his head.

"Mom, Toriola isn't showing any sign of recovery, I don't know what to do without her and even without our daughter," he lamented before turning to his child.

"Just calm down but don't you think Toriola should be taken out of the country for better treatment"

His eyes narrowed at this before he nodded, he hadn't thought about that.

"I think that's a good idea," he said as he dropped his daughter who walked back to her toys.

His mother sat down on the loveseat and he sat by her.

"But, what of our missing child?" he asked and his Mom sighed.

"Don't worry, I'll handle that," his mom said in a convincing manner.

"I think I'll just hire a private investigator," he told her and his Mom nodded in agreement.

"I agree with you son," his mother concurred.

"I think I have to go back now, who knows miracle might happen"

His mother scrunched her eyebrows and turned to him.

"Won't you at least eat?"

"I'm not hungry," he replied and stood up instantly.

"But you haven't been eating well for the past few days," she complained as she stood up.

"Food isn't in my priority now," he said to her before bending down to kiss his daughter.

"But, you can't just...."

"Bye mom," he didn't wait for her response before walking away.

"Lanre, Lanre" he didn't turn back but only waved at her.

Ever since Clara started staying at Iya Timi's place, she had been trying to make ends meet. All her salary had been spent on her accommodation and buying of few things into the house. Now, all she did was sell fruits beside Iya Timi's stall, they'd become very close friends.

"Won't you return this child?" Iya Timi questioned when the child finally stopped crying.

"I don't know the place again, whereas her mother is dead, I can't just leave the child like that," she replied, Iya Timi wanted to talk but the appearance of a customer stopped her.

The customer bought some fruits from Clara before leaving.

"Don't you have their numbers?" Iya Timi continued the discussion as she sat by Clara.

"My phone is amongst the things those robbers took from me, it's in that wallet and I don't know their number offhand"

Iya Timi sighed before talking, " That's bad, you can't allow this beautiful girl to suffer oo"

"I don't know what to do," Clara replied as she looked at the girl seated beside her, she was playing with a toy without any worry.

"Can't you remember the address?" Iya Timi queried.

Clara decided to think for some minutes before remembering the address.

"It's Shalom Estate, No 47"

Iya Timi scrunched her eyebrows as she tried remembering if she knew the place.

"I don't know the place at all but we could ask any of our customers sha," she told Clara who heaved.

"But it's of what use? Madam Toriola is dead and her husband is in the UK"

"We can't just conclude like that, who knows the husband might be around for her burial or something, just try your luck," Iya Timi assured and Clara nodded in agreement, she would find sometime to go there but first she must get the place, looking at it, it seemed really far from the place she was, it was another entire part of the state.

Days later, Toriola was flown out of the country, Lanre decided it would be better if she was in UK with him. He decided to employ a nanny for their daughter considering the fact that he couldn't take care of her alone and he had to be in the hospital with Toriola.

It's been three weeks now and she hadn't moved a finger let alone blink. He had actually employed a private investigator in search of his missing daughter before leaving Nigeria, just hoping his daughter would be found alive and well and Toriola would wake up quickly.

Clara had been asking every customer that came their way if they knew the address of Madam Toriola but it was after few weeks that she finally met a man who happened to have a relative living it that area, it was actually another part of the state and it was somehow far from where she was currently staying.

After much persuasion, the man whom she later found out was Mahad took her there. On getting there, she observed that it was just the same as they left it three months ago, nothing had changed. She met a new gatekeeper and she wondered why they changed him. After much explanation, the gatekeeper didn't allow her enter until the cleaner came out to her aid.

Instantly, Clara recognized the cleaner, she was someone who always came regularly to clean the compound when everything was still in order.

"I hear say Madam and Oga don travel go abroad," the cleaner said in response to Clara's question.

Clara scrunched her eyebrow with a baffled look, Madam Toriola was dead so how could she be out of the country.

As if the cleaner knew what was going on in her mind, she clarified, "After Madam get accident, that dey shoot am, and e still dey inside coma for hospital, na so em husband come and carry am back to London where she still dey receive treatment"

"But.. but... Madam Toriola is dead," Clara stuttered with a stunned expression and the cleaner shook her head.

"Dem say e never die o"

"Okay, can I have your number?" Clara inquired and the cleaner nodded without any protest, Clara gave her the small Nokia phone she'd managed to buy last month, the woman punched in her number before returning the phone.

"Thanks, please give me a call whenever they get back," Clara told her and the cleaner nodded before turning to leave.