Shades of negligence

By Zee Aslam

It was a fantastic autumn evening. October’s weather had sedated, but the wind was blowing intensively. Mrs Busari’s car came to a screening halt after knocking down a beggar and her baby. The road was not busy as only a few pedestrians were retiring back to their houses due to the wind. 

The thud sound enticed a passer-by’s attention, who ran to the accident scene. The victim fell opined, and the baby keenly wrapped on her back popped out into the drainage nearby. Mrs Busari had leapt out of the car but reverted when she saw the passer-by approaching. 

In a jiffy, she started her car and zoomed off. “I’ve been away from Junior for too long. I need to run ahead to avoid being delayed here”, she murmured while driving fast. 

When she got home, she noticed her husband’s car parked in the garage and heard his voice echoing in the compound. He seldom returns home around this time, so she quickly turned the doorknob and walked in. The face of a worried, perplexed nanny welcomed her. 

“Babe, why are you are back so early and what’s with these faces you both are wearing?” She asked him. 

“I think you should ask this devil here. Could you believe she gave out Junior to a friend?” He responded, adding yet another question. The nanny began trembling in fear. 

“Who did you give my baby to?” Mrs Busari bellowed. 

The nanny’s heart was palpitating, and her hands were sweating. Words deserted her mouth. She only stood there motionless, staring. 

“PAU!” Mrs Busari’s impatient hand landed on her face, which made the words in her mouth gush out like loosened prisoners. “I always get paid for giving out Junior to a guy who disguises as a beggar so that he could earn himself money easily due to the pity”. 

“What! You gave out my son to a beggar. How dare you, what were you thinking?” 

“Call him now to return Junior, and if anything should happen to my son, I won’t hesitate to dismantle your bones and pile them up in heaps for vultures to feed on”, Mr Busari croaked out. 

After several attempts, the call was eventually picked. It was said that the phone was found lying beside the road, and it looked like the owner was the one involved in an accident. 

When those words hit Mrs Busari’s ears, she became utterly baffled. Some moments ago, she had recklessly run into a beggar and acted rashly. Could it be Junior that was wrapped on her back? No! It can’t be. 

As soon as they confirmed the hospital the woman and the small boy were taken to, they ran as their lives depended on what they were aiming for. A few minutes into the hospital, they were told the news of their deaths. They felt numbed.

However, Mrs Busari couldn’t control her emotions, owning that her son slipped away from her fingertips due to her carefree attitude. If only she had been more considerate and not selfish. 

The man that came through for the victims recognized her as the perpetrator. He beckoned on the policemen and pointed her out. They immediately approached the grieving couple, explaining to Mr Busari why they needed to arrest his wife. 

“She might be charged with vehicular manslaughter and possibly serve a jail term. However, if it is proven that the death was indeed a result of a genuine accident, it is doubtful that she will face criminal charges”. He watched as she was introduced into the police van, and they drove off. 

He got the nanny arrested after claiming the body of his son. It was indeed an October to remember, but he pulled through. 

Zee Aslam wrote from Abuja via zeeaslam19059@gmail.com