Time check, half to 6:00pm. I was already home to retire from the day’s work. As I lazily opened my door, I looked over and there was my neighbor’s 7-year old boy, seated at their balcony, holding a very beautiful little boy. My neighbor only lived with two primary kid boys. My attention was now diverted! I stopped opening the door, put my bag aside, went and carried this little kid from the boy. Immediately, this 7-year old boy jumped up and took to the stairs, leaving me with the kid. While down, I asked if there is anybody in their house (so I can give them the kid) and he said, “No one, the mother went to the shops and I haven’t seen daddy since morning”. It seemed like I had just relieved him of a burden, so this was an opportunity for him to go play.
I then proceeded to my house with the kid. One hour past and
I realized I had been with this kid for all this long without any milk. I soon
found out that the mother had not left any milk, no pampers, no changing
cloths, no baby sheets! I gave it a benefit of doubt, perhaps she mistakenly
went back with the baby bag, and perhaps they are not yet back up to now because
of something beyond their control, because there is just no way any woman in
her right mind would abandon such a kid –I thought! Not sure whether he had
started eating solid foods, I decided to stick to giving him only milk.
Past 8:00pm and am not seeing any sign of a new face of any
woman approaching our building. I had never seen this woman. I could not take
back the baby to the 7-year old boy because that does not make sense –he is
only a child too. My neighbor (who by now I learned is also father to this
6-months old boy) was nowhere to be seen and I did not have his contacts either!
Then his friend returned and helped to reach both the woman and “husband”. The
woman’s phone was off!! I confirmed trouble! But first things first, it was
running late, so I rushed to nearby supermarket and picked some milk, pampers
and feeding bottle –just to prepare us for the night incase this woman did not
show up.
True to my thoughts, the woman never surfaced and her phones
were off! But wonders shall never end! This baby never ever cried or showed any
sign of resistance throughout! All it did was take milk (he had some really good
appetite), sit/lay very calm or sleep! Surely, something was at work; something
with more superior powers and this can be none other than the trio; God the
Father, Son and Holy spirit, with all the Angels! Which 6-months old kid is so
cool, never cries and yet with a stranger, moreover through the night too??!!
Afraid that while asleep, I would probably forget about his
existence and roll over him at night, I lay him on my chest and we both caught
some sleep. The challenge now was this baby does not cry, so how was I to know
when he needed some milk? I put an alarm for every one hour, so that I wake up
and give him some milk. I probably overdosed him with milk…because literally, I was awake throughout.
The following morning, I realized this kid was some real
project…there was nothing on my personal plans that I was about to do for as
long as he is still with me. Then the father (my neighbor) showed up with lots
of pampers and milk, and words of regrets. However, he asked me to help keep the baby
for some time and to actually hide the baby from the mother if at all she
showed up!! Okay, it was now official, I had been dragged into this drama which
I clearly didn’t have a clue about even by that time!. He too had no idea where the mother of the kid was or whether she would come anytime soon, meaning, am not about to be relieved of this job! Note that, like the "wife", this man is some party animal and the type who, staying with a baby is some kind of nightmare!
Around 11:00am, the kid was peacefully asleep in my house.
From my balcony, I saw a young lady (campus stage) crying so seriously on my
neighbor’s balcony! One would think she lost someone to death! Soon, I saw a
police woman, with another woman (who I guessed right was the mother of kid),
approach our building and headed straight to my neighbor’s house. The mother of
kid was also crying endlessly. I got confused! Why were they crying? Why was
this woman (the guilty one) coming with a police? Who had she gone to report to
the police, herself? Whatever I was witnessing seemed like some Nigerian movie!
The “crying” must have been some staged show to get sympathy
after realizing that the mother was wrong! It also turned out that this woman
had been to Jinja Road police station to report that the man does not give
support to the kid! Really? Then why not carry the kid along to the police
station other than abandoning him to another child, yet you know that your "husband" is never home?
Anyway, fast forward, after about two hours of talks among
them (moderated by the police woman), I was asked to take the kid. To my
dismay, as I handed the baby to the police, the look on the kid’s mother’s face
was very confusing! Well, not that I really wanted to be appreciated but it’s a
kind gesture that should have come by default and not a look of disgust. Whatever
her thoughts were, clearly, she was to deal with it because by that time, all I
wanted was to leave and go catch some real good sleep if at all I wanted to be productive for the rest of the day. I just hoped no one was going to ask me to write down any police statements
(or whatever they are called)…. I just wanted to get out of this drama.
