While fixing his gaze on the boy, Austin immersed himself in thought.
Suddenly, the boy stopped eating and dropped the spoon back on the plate. Then he stared at Austin as usual, but this time, the boy was pointing at Austin's pocket.
As soon as Austin noticed, he stopped eating, and dropped the burger that was in his hands. He looked at the boy's finger where he was pointing at. It looks like the boy was pointing at a pen in Austin upper pocket on his shirt.
Austin used his hands and brought out the pen, in the pocket in his shirt. "Kid, do you need this?" he said. "You want me to give you this. he said while holding the pen in his hands. If that's what you want, then take it," Austin said while lending the pen to the boy.
The boy gripped it in his hands as he collected it from Austin. He then picked up a paper that was nearby, beside him, more like a menu where a list of foods was listed. The boy's handwriting was clear; the boy wrote gently, word by word, as he wrote
Austin stared at the text and then looked at the boy; "So you can write, wow, that's impressive. I am impressed," he said while looking at the text, been written by the boy.
When the boy finished the first sentence, Austin tried to read it and then later found out that the boy was trying to ask him something. "Wow, yes, I want to know your name," Austin said.
The text that was written by the boy was, "Do you want to know my name?"
Thomas collected the pen, fixed his gaze on the menu where the boy wrote the text, then wrote, "Yes, I would love to know your name." He wrote it on the menu, passed it back to the boy, and dropped the pen on the paper, waiting for the boy's replies. The boy looked at the text and looked back at Austin. He then picked up the pen and wrote his name. And then the boy dropped the pen on the paper and passed it back to Austin. Austin saw it and shook his head; "So your name is Derrick; that's a pretty cool name, he said.
"As a kid at this age, you shouldn't be alone in this big city. You might be kidnapped, or something terrible could happen to you."
Austin picked up the pen and wrote on the paper again, "How old are you?" Then he dropped the pen on the paper and passed it back to the kid.
The boy wrote on it and handed it back to Austin. Austin glanced at the text and then turned his gaze back to the boy. "Do you mean that you don't know how old you are?" he asked, in a low tense voice. What was written by the boy was, "I don't know how old I am."
With concern showing on Austin's face, he decided to ask him where he was from and the name of his mother, his father's name. Maybe it could act as a clue.
Austin now wrote on the paper and then passed the paper to the kid; on seeing this, the kid looked at Austin and stood up, from the chair he was sitting on.
He began walking towards the exit door of the restaurant and opened it. Seeing this, Austin stood up and began following the boy. "Hey kid, where are you going? You haven't finished your food; come back and finish it," Austin said while walking fast toward the boy.
"I said it, from the moment I saw that boy, I knew there was something wrong with him," the waiter who served Austin said to her colleague. But her colleague ignored what she said and instead focused on the boy, having sympathy for him.
"Oh, poor kid, I pray he will be okay; he has to be taken to the police; maybe he's missing or something," the colleague said, "Should I call the police myself, or should I just wait if the young man that was with him comes back with the boy? Maybe then I will call and report this situation."
Before Austin could reach where the boy was, he was already outside. Austin walked out but found the boy running; he was wondering why he was running from him. Could he have done something to him or what? Confusion flooded Austin's mind as he quickly chased the boy. But the boy refused to stop and decided to keep running.
The boy reached a specific corner around a building that seemed to be like a carpark, and took a sharp turn. At the side of the corner, there was a recycling bin. When Austin reached the place, he turned quickly, hoping he could see the boy, but the boy was not there. Only what he could see was a recycling bin at the corner. It was as if the kid had vanished into thin air. Austin stood confusedly at the corner of the building, hoping where the boy could enter, but couldn't find a clue because at the corner where the boy took the turn, there is a dead end, a wall at the end, and there is no other exit apart from how you came in.
"Wow, what a strange kid; I was just trying to help the kid, and I am not harming you or something," Thomas said. "Could it be that someone must have scared the boy in the restaurant or what? I am quite confused over here; I think I should call the police and tell them about this so that they can put a search on the boy, probably his parent might be looking for him."
Immediately, Austin brought out his cell phone and dialed 111.
"Hello, who am I speaking to? What is your emergency?" a woman's voice from the other end of the phone sounded.
"Yes, um… I want to report a situation," Austin said. "I found a kid close to a restaurant where I came to eat; he was wearing a torn red shirt and black trousers. He was alone and lonely, so I helped him out by buying him some food.
Okay, is the kid still with you over there so I can send the police to come take him so we can do a proper investigation on him and know who he is and where he comes from?
Hmmm, ma'am, that's where the problem comes in, ma'am; the kid is not here with me; he suddenly stood up and started running; I tried chasing him. I was thinking that I could catch him, but he vanished in a blink by taking a turn in a corner, Austin said while turning his head and looked at the direction of the corner, wondering how he could just vanished from this dead-end passage.
Okay, that's not a good one. Okay, what I want you to do now is to give me the location where you found the boy, and we will come there right away. The woman at the other end on the cell phone said.
Okay, the location is opposite St Diago Hotel, Atlanta Street. Austin replied.
Okay, that's good. I have taken the address, and we will be there soon, the police woman said, with assurance, her voice assuring, and in a deep tone.
Austin then cut the call and put the phone back into his pocket, and then he walked out of the place.
Wow, hmm, I just hope this kid will be found, Austin said. He mumbled as he walked, he then checked his wristwatch and saw the time on it.
Oh, it's due time. I need to get going right now; my break time is over, Austin said while walking back to his office.
When he got in, his friend, Mila, shouted his name from behind as he was trying to take the elevator.
Austin, hold on, don't close the elevator door. Wait for me, she shouted as she began walking closer.
Oh, sorry, Mila, Austin said, and then he used his finger and pressed the elevator button, the hold button.
Okay Mila, you better work fast. He urged.
Yes, of course, that's what I am doing. Mila said as she got inside the elevator, with a lot of files in her hands. She sighed and looked at Austin. What's good, Austin?
It's been quite some few days now, that I haven't seen you. Did you miss work or something? She asked. No, hell no, Mila, you know I can't do that. Do you want me to get sacked or what? It's just that I have been busy with work in the office. If you wanted to see me, you should have come to my floor to visit.
Yeah yeah, I'm also busy as well. And by the way, we don't work in the same department. why don't you come to my floor and see me, if you truly care? Mila said.
Hahaha, just forget about it; by the way, what are the files for, Austin asked.
The files are meant for me; I have to work on them today, all of them. And I'm super tired. I wish you could help me, but we are not in the same place, haha, Mila laughed. Austin, you are a very hardworking man; you know that if it was you with these files, I know you would see it as child's play, hehe.
What a joke, Austin replied, his lips curling into a smile, as he stretched his hands and pressed a button in the elevator control box. And the door closed.
Floor 21, right Mila, Austin asked. That's your floor, right? That's where your department is right? Austin asked.
Yeah, that the floor, but I am not going there directly, actually; I have to keep some few documents in the assistant secretary's office before I move to mine.
Oh okay, Austin replied. Then that should be floor 23, because that's the secretary's office, he asked.
Yeah, that's the place and number, hehe, Mila laughed, lending out a Wide, cheerful smile spreading across her face as she looked at Austin.