The City Heroes (7 page)

With his little boy, Mr. Francis strolled to the river where the fishermen were at work in their boats. The men were busy making their nets and tightening loose ends. Not happy that he was the only person not working, the ferryman decided to work on his boat, too. He raised his spectacles and looked around to find a place where Thomas could play as he worked on his boat. His search was not a long one, as he found a doll on a toolbox that belonged to a man whose boat was close to Mr. Francis's boat. He thought his son would like the doll, and his guess was right! Mr. Francis took the doll and placed it in Thomas's hands. Thomas was excited and obviously happy to receive the doll. Happy that his son was pleased, he rubbed his hands together and moved away.

Mr. Francis boarded his boat, and his son played with the doll. Meanwhile, the owner of the toolbox, and the doll, emerged from one of the restaurants nearby. Reaching his boat, the fisherman went for his toolbox and was surprised to see the little boy. Unfazed, he gathered his things, including the doll he'd just bought for his own son whom he would meet that evening, and went aboard his boat. As he prepared to launch his boat, a serving girl from the restaurant where he'd just eaten his breakfast raced toward him. “Sir, you forgot something on the table,” the girl said.

Mr. Drood, the boat owner, raised his head. “What is that?” he asked.

“It's a parcel!”

“Oh, why didn't you bring it?”

“My employer said that you must come to see if it is yours,” the girl replied.

Mr. Drood sighed. “Yes, the parcel I was asked to deliver to the magistrate,” he said. He disembarked from the boat and followed the girl back to the restaurant.

But as soon as Mr. Drood had left, Thomas crawled into the boat via the gangplank. And before Mr. Drood had returned, the little boy had found the toolbox and the doll. He held the doll in his arms, smiling. When Mr. Drood returned with his parcel, he did not check his boat again because he was already late. He pushed the boat into the river and jumped aboard.

After working awhile, Mr. Francis raised his head to check on his son, but the boy was gone! He jumped out of the boat and rushed to the sand, looking helplessly about. He ran from one end of the river to the other crying and shouting that his son was missing. But no one seemed to know where his son had gone. Mr. Francis fell on his knees; he could not hold back the tears that came rolling down his cheeks.

After covering a good distance, the island now just a stone's throw away, Mr. Drood cast his fishing line into the river. After a time, a fish strayed onto the hook and the fisherman was excited about the catch. He flung the fish into the boat, drew a knife from his old boot, and gutted the fish. Happy he had begun the day on a bright note, he moved to a corner of the boat and dropped the fish into a basket. But as he turned to go back to the helm, he heard a sound. Afraid that it might be a thief who had stowed away, Mr. Drood looked carefully about for a weapon he could use to defend himself. He found an axe, and with the weapon in his grip, he moved forward. When he was close enough to see who was there, he was surprised to find the little boy he'd met on the riverbank.

The ferryman did not know what to do. He just stood there gazing at Thomas, who was in a world of his own. After a time, he dropped the axe and smiled at the boy. He rubbed his hands together and picked up the boy. Mr. Drood placed the boy at his side and said, “Your mother must be by the river, crying. But don't worry. I will take you back to the river as soon as I deliver a parcel to the island magistrate.” Mr. Drood did not expect an answer from Thomas who was too young to understand what he had just said. He smiled and quietly rowed the boat to the island.

Soon Mr. Drood reached the island, and after covering a good distance on foot, he turned to the boy. Thomas was quiet. Why had the child stopped playing? Perhaps it was hunger, Mr. Drood reasoned, so he stopped at a grocery shop to buy a bottle of milk. The boy grabbed it and savored every drop.

After a time, the ferryman took a bend that led to Wilson Street. He stopped at house number fourteen and made his presence felt with a gentle knock on the door. Not long after, a man with thin lips hidden under a heavy line of moustache and a shaved head opened the door halfway. Smiling faintly, he said, “Yes, what can I do for you?”

Clearing his throat, Mr. Drood replied, “I have a parcel for Magistrate Theophilus!”

“I am Magistrate Theophilus,” he disclosed. “Who gave you the parcel?”

“Chief Edaoto!”

Almost leaping for joy, “Ah, Good! Edaoto finally remembered me. I'll take it from you now!” the magistrate said.

Mr. Drood heaved a sigh of relief and handed the parcel to the magistrate. Then turned to go. But Magistrate Theophilus stopped him. “WAIT. I have something for you. I will be with you in a moment!” Before the ferryman could blink, the magistrate disappeared into the house. After a time, he was back with a bottle of wine and some money. “Please, take this wine to merry your good soul, and the money to buy a gift for your boy!”

“Thank you,” Mr. Drood said with a smile. He collected the present and faced the way he had come as the magistrate slammed the door.

Mr. Drood had decided to buy Baby Thomas a shirt with the money, but a short distance from where the clothes were sold he changed his mind. He stopped in the middle of the road and looked at the boy. He flashed a menacing smile at the poor child then took the next bend in the road. He walked down an old deserted street, his feet moving quickly and his eyes darting about to make sure no one was watching. He arrived at a building whose walls were old and crumbling. With a little push, the door opened and he went inside.

A man dressed in a dark flowing garment came out of a room. There was no smile on his face. He crossed his arms over his body and stood before Mr. Drood. “Where have you been, my friend?” he questioned. “I thought you had turned your back on this island!”

“No, I have been busy. The fish trade is good and it is part of me now. But I've still managed to pull a few strings to get you this!” Drood replied, simpering.

“Ah, I see. Keep the boy on the floor and let's talk business!” The old man strolled to a corner and sat on a chair and offered his guest a seat beside him. After looking at Thomas for a while, the man sat up. He swallowed hard and said, “Name your price!”

Clearing his throat, Drood replied, “One hundred thousand naira!”

The man wore a frown and looked straight into Drood's eyes. “That's too much for a boy! Be reasonable and let me make my offer,” he said.

Drood gazed at the ceiling, pondering what next to say. Then he turned to the boy who did not know the evil being plotted against him. After a time, he turned to the man and said, “Ninety!”

“Still too high!” the old man yelled. He rose to his feet and faced the room from which he'd come. “Come; let me show you what I can offer.” He walked into the room and Drood followed. The man had fifty thousand
naira
in his box, and he felt the money was enough to buy the boy.

As the men argued and tried to settle on a price, Thomas crawled out of the sitting room through the door that was left halfway open. As he went outside, something interesting caught his attention. By the time the deal was done, and a price agreed upon, Thomas was gone! They searched every part of the house but did not find him.

Seeing a little dog, Thomas was thrilled. And before the men could rush out of the house, he had crawled after the dog whose owner was a middle-aged woman called Mabel. Walking as fast as she could, she noticed the little boy who was smiling at her dog. As the boy came close to stroke her dog on the head, she smiled and picked the child. She looked carefully about, expecting someone from the neighborhood to come out and claim the child, but no one did.

Mabel had no time to spare. So she decided to take the child to the police station as soon as she reached to the riverside. Just then, Mr. Drood and his cohort rushed out of the house, looking about. They managed to find the footprints of the boy in the sand, and Drood was displeased. Angered by the turn of events, the man smacked Drood on the cheek and warned, “Do not waste my time again!” The man turned and moved into a shadow. Mr. Drood adjusted trousers and walked away.

The last time Mabel and her sister met was when she got married, and that was now sometime in the past. Thomas was wrapped in her arms when the boat reached the riverside. Happy that she would finally meet her married sister, Mabel jumped out of the boat and moved toward her house with a good speed. Trip-trap, trip-trap, she went. But the sand did not allow her to move as fast as she wanted. Mabel was eager to see her sister before stopping at the station to hand over the child to the police, but as she tried to keep a good pace Mr. Francis, who was sitting at the foot of an almond tree, saw her. Initially he did not want to attract her attention because he was sad, but when he noticed that the middle-aged woman had a child that looked like his son, he jumped to his feet and raced toward her. “Good afternoon, Mabel!” he greeted as he fixed his gaze on the child.

Mabel was excited to see her sister's husband after so many years. “Good to see you, Mr. Francis. How is your wife?”

He smiled and replied, “She is fine!”

“I hope you can take me home?”

“YES! BUT…” he stammered.

“Before you take me home, I need to see the police.”

“For what?” Mr. Francis managed to ask.

“I found this child on my way here. My plan was to reach your house and ask your wife to take me to the station, but there is no need since you are here.” She gave the boy a stroke on the head.

Mr. Francis looked at the boy and swallowed hard. Then he requested, “Let me have the baby!”

Sensing no danger, Aunty Mabel handed the child to him. She smiled, rubbing her hands together like a poor soul that had won the lottery. Thomas began to play again as soon as he touched the warm hands of his father. “The baby seems to like you!” she whispered.

Mr. Francis heaved a sigh of relief and replied, “You are right. Thank you for bringing my son back!” He held the child close to his chest.

Mabel frowned. “I don't understand…”

“This child went missing some hours ago. We came to the riverside together but I left him to play with a doll on the sand and went into the boat. But after working awhile, I raised my head and was surprised to see that my son was gone. No one seemed able to give me useful information about his whereabouts. So I sat at the foot of that almond tree, praying that God would bring him back to me.” He looked at his wristwatch, “The day is far spent. My wife will be worried now because we left home without breakfast!”

Mabel shook her head and told him how she had found the boy. “You are lucky. I saw your child crawling out of the compound of an old man who had been accused of rituals in the past. I almost left the child, but something in me told me not to. As he crawled after my dog, I picked him up. After waiting for sometime on the street, and no one came to claim the child, I decided to take him to the police station.”

Mr. Francis was humbled by the tale as tears gathered in his eyes. Then he said, “Thank you, Mabel. What would I have told his mother?”

“Thank God the worse did not happen.”

Happy that his son was back in his arms again, Mr. Francis led Mabel to his house.