Chapter 4 Nema the worrywart

"oh, Justin how do you do?" She replied detecting his voice

"everything is not so fine Nema, hope you are far from the kids" Justin asked with a little caution

"yes I am now" she stepped into Malik's study because Ikiris and Ceda were close by

"it's about Sasha" Justin said with a little frustration and helplessness in his voice

"what about her?" She asked with a little panic

"she has been missing since the early morning after she went shopping, the driver was found but we couldn't trace were Sasha would have been" he replied in a guilty tone because if he had known this would happen he wouldn't have chosen to stay back in storm city.

"Was she kidnapped?" she said with her voice being a little louder

"we have not gotten any news from the kidnappers for ransom so we really do not know, the kids would probably ask later for their mother just make up some excuses about her and I going out for a dinner event or so" he continued "Dami will be convinced and Bali wouldn't really mind but Ikiris might notice something wrong so be rid of panic emotions when talking, okay?" He was really worried because he couldn't face the kids without finding their mother

"you don't have to worry, do what needs to be done I'll take care of the kids" she replied with her voice cautiously lowered . Everything was fine so what happened all of a sudden?

"Was the car still in intact?" She asked again

"we saw the car with the driver unconscious " he replied feeling helpless, who would imagine that the great Gowas Madam would or can be taken away in broad daylight? If word goes out people will view them as weak and vulnerable.

After the call ended she stepped outside the study and took a deep breath in and out 'what would have really happened to Sasha' she kept thinking while walking 'it's unlike her not to inform others about her movements' she placed back the phone on the living room table and went to the show room to continue with her thoughts.

Dami was in the guest room sitting on one of the chairs when Freda walked in, Freda didn't know the room was already occupied so she was about to go outside before Dami stopped her

"hey, you should come in since you already opened the door" Freda kept staring at her like she was trying to understand which century Dami is from, Dami did not understand why she was being stared at like that

"what's your name?" She asked her

"Freda"

"well, Freda why are you staring at me that way am not a ghost you know"

"what abo you?" Freda asked

"I wasn't staring" Dami replied, Freda slaps her little hand on her forehead and thought 'this was why she did not like holding conversations with people, they do not understand, what she meant was her name not something else' she just blinked at Dami again smiled a little and closed the door as she stepped out fully.

"She is really weird how come Bali likes her" Dami thought loudly although mistaking Jada for Freda.

When Freda stepped out of the room she sighed a little 'I heard mother just now on the phone, I think that should be the girl's mother that went missing' she thought to herself cause she was in her father's study when she finished lunch, her papa always leaves it open so she spends some of her time there whenever she isn't watching television cause she likes looking at the business magazines on his table, her mother did not notice her in there because she was sitting on the floor.

(Mara or Bali)

Later in the night around 7pm before Malik returned Bali decided to throw a tantrum

"woahhhhhhhh, woahhhhhhh I want da I want ma woahhhhhhh" Nema who was coaxing her to stop crying kept repeating

"da is with ma on a dinner date sweetie stop crying you'll soon see then okay" but that just increased her tears and Nema felt helpless till Malik came home

"why is she all in tears" he looks at his wife puzzled

"she wants her mother or father I've tried what I could but she won't just stop crying" Nema said helplessly.

Malik had done his usual Mara catching ceremony this night and Mara was still in his arms "give her to me let me see I she would stop crying " he tells his wife while bending to put Mara down but Mara wasn't ready to come down so she held her father's neck tightly refusing to release it

"dada noo" she kept saying while shaking her head

"be a good girl and come down now Mara, let daddy try to stop the crying Bali" he tries to appease Mara but Mara wouldn't budge

"Mara or Bali " she says looking at her father pitifully while pouting

"Mara is this how I taught you?" he said a little sternly, today was really tiring and tomorrow might be more tiring he really had no time for her childishness,

Mara who he had never spoken to like that felt scared and sad then she started sobbing "dada Don like Mara anymore, dada has Bali now" she got down from her father's arms and ran to her room making Malik more stressed, he really didn't mean to speak to her that way

"here you go don't worry about her I'll go speak to her" Nema says while handing the crying Bali over to him surprisingly she stopped crying loudly. 'Mara must have really sensed competition and felt insecure ' Nema thought to herself while laughing a little.

"I guess you are really a hot pie for even the little girls Mal" she said cheekily

"well, what can I say" Malik replied a little boastful.

It was time for dinner and everyone was seated at the table but this time Mara did not seat close to her father but in-between Freda and Jada,

"when is mom coming for us" Ikiris asks when Nema dished out his own plate

"she and your father went on a dinner date" she tried to sound calm but Ikiris did not buy it

"mom always tells us every time she goes out so why did she say she was only going shopping?" he asked in doubt

"there should be no noise on the dinner table so save your questions for when you see your father" Malik interrupts Ikiris, he can't leave his wife in a tight spot.

When dinner was over Bali fell asleep again so Malik decided to keep her in Jada's room so they would sleep together thankfully the bed was big enough for two or three,

Nema directed Ceda "Ceda, make sure Ikiris and you go to bed early he will be sleeping in your room tonight"

"but there is a guest room downstairs why should I share my room" Ceda did not like the idea of sharing his bedroom, he was used to having his own space,

Nema just gave him a fierce eye like to say *are you trying to object my words?*

Ceda did not need anybody to tell him otherwise before he rushed out to obey his mother's instructions, he knows how his mother can be when she is unhappy with something. Dami on the other hand insisted on staying in the guest room because she did not want to stay in someone else's room and by someone else she meant Freda, she still feels her to be creepy

'how can she and her sister look so alike' she thought to herself it scares her sometimes especially when they were in the dining hall. Mara had to go to bed while cuddling her teddy because daddy did not come to tuck her in bed, she really slept sad and heartbroken, she was use to daddy's Company that she did not know what to do sometimes if he wasn't around

Malik and Nema returned back to the room "what is going to happen now?" Nema asked, this really worried her someone cannot just disappear

"it'll have to fall in line as the days go by" he replied this way because he could not think of anything more to say

"we can't keep making excuses like dinner dates Mal, they will keep asking" this really also worried her, lying to them wasn't something she would be able to keep up with most especially in Bali's situation, the little girl might be accepting of Mal now but what happens when Mal comes homes later than today

"I really hope she is found soon" she says sadly

Malik comes closer to hug his wife tenderly "don't worry about these matters, it'll be resolved soon okay?" He kisses her on the Lip

"rather than worrying about that why not put your darling husband to sleep today has been really stressful"

"You really look stressed love, but the holiday will soon be over in a few days so it'll really be difficult" she said

"when did you become such a worrywart my love" he pulls her over to the bed and rests on his head on the pillow directly beside his favourite mounds

"when someone just disappears with no back story it is something to worry about" she sat while she pets his hair making him to fall asleep quickly. 'I really hope it's not serious' she thought to herself.