“Twelve years ago I lost my
li'l boy Gabriel, in the woods of Germany. I was on a camping trip with my
family, an International camping trip you may say, and I was the Personal
Secretary of the Ambassador to Germany. I had every thing; a wife, three
adorable children, a camper’s friend Trailer ‘n all the luxuries money could
buy. But still all the money couldn’t save us from the disaster that changed
our life, I lost my son, my only son…not that I don’t love my daughters…but a
son is what a man can wish for and a daughter, a woman. Still they have kept my
hopes up from then on.” Those were strong words coming from a person who is
famous for his light mindedness, but this is a loss he is talking about, a loss
that cannot be gained back…he lost his son…the emotional turmoil it caused is
phenomenal…loss of his son…in the dark and mysterious woods of the notorious
Black Forest. Days, months, years they searched. But to no conclusion…he was
lost just like that…vanished, disappeared from the face of the earth. But not
entirely the truth, he was there but they couldn’t find him that’s all.
“Mr. Warren! How old was he?
Your son, at the time of disappearance?”
The questioner was Officer Tibet.
“Eh! He was seven. And my
daughters ten ‘n twelve.”
“Keep the girls there…but Mr.
Warren was there any conflict between the kids of yours? I mean any sibling
atrocities, or jealousies or any thing?”
“NO! Its my children you are
talking about, they are not bread like that…yeah, may be some small fights, but
I don’t know how these are concerned with the questioning because its been
twelve years…Twelve God damn long years ‘n no one did nothing, found
nothing…but now why bother us now…hurting an aging mans emotions? What? Is the
meaning of this? Why the questions, now?” Mr. Warren stood up the tall lean
figure panting with rage…what silly questions…twelve years long wait and
nothing, and now…this. The fifty-five years old, now Executive Secretary to
Romania, helpless in the hands of law, but why? He started to walk away.
“Mr. Warren! I am really sorry
for bothering you with all this crap law jurisdictions…but its important we
know all about your son as I was appointed to this task of data gathering
before we could jump to any conclusions. Please tell me all about your son…from
dental record at the time of disappearance, your son’s attire, how he talks? ‘n
all the details. Everything…even the conversation you had with him…please take
your time we are all ears.”
“Well! I am sorry too for my
benignant behavior. Well he was wearing, if I remember right eh…a red striped
T-shirt…a black jacket…you know with those funny batman
pockets…heh…shhhp…hehhe…he was talking about the witches and wizards that lived
in that area…kids! There wild imagination…and the kids they were having a row
over something…I…I…Don’t know what was that all about ‘n in the panic I never
asked the girls about it either. Its then we noticed that he wasn’t with us…”
“When and where exactly?”
“When we reached a place the
locals call Babayaga’s lair…it’s a small cliff edge which faces a dark forest
down bellow…heh…funny it felt then like been watched…cant rid of that eerie
feeling still. Comes to my mind when ever I am in a dark place…I think we lost
him there…I dunno…I really don’t know!!!” Mr. Warren’s eyes become wet, tears
crawling through his hard weather worn face.
“So it fits then!!! Jimmy take
note of the place ‘n situation…we will need to send it to German Bureau.” He
talks to another officer. “Well Mr. Warren! Thank you for your precious time,
hope you enjoy the stay in your homeland. And there is good news coming your
way, we have found your boy…your details will help us confirm a bit of info,
that this boy carries he…”
“Officer is that true? Is my
son alive? Is he all right? Where was he? What happened? Tell me for God’s
sake…”
“Mr. WARREN!!! Calm down! We
have him under custody and he is been moved as we speak, but we need to see
some positive ids before confirmation, but as from the story line you told it
fits well. He might be your son, he is your son, but there are things that you
should take into consideration, twelve years, twelve years in isolation, lost
from family…he is under so much pressure…and one big fact you should know…he
is, he is blind…”
“Blind? How?”
“That they are not so happy
about explaining…they said something about the lenses missing…Not a good time
now to discuss all that I see…well you will see him tomorrow…and move the
necessary papers…and sign some papers for immigration, because of the years of
stay…and all that law shits…be confident Mr. Warren you wont be disappointed, I
saw his picture…he looks like you.” Saying this he got up from his chair,
getting ready to leave. “Jimmy lets wrap up. Call the Chief and tell him all
went fine. Happy reunion Mr. Warren…happy reunion! Good Luck!”
There was questions to be
answered, puzzles to be solved, this was one reunion that’s bitter and
sweet…his son was back. A strong teenager…no a strong man!
Tomorrow,
Twelve
years passed and there was no other day as happy as that day for the Warrens.
Mr. Warren waiting at the embassy for the big news, the news about his son, he
will see him after a long wait of twelve years. Usually the local PD dealt the
lost and found cases but this was more than a lost and found, it was a reunion,
and that of a national proportion. The boy in subject was lost in another
country and that too for a very long time, but these type of cases were not
uncommon still the boy in question was the son of a Federal official, a man who
dons a respectable position in the nation at a time like this. Well that all
are not our matter but the boy is. He is unique, he is been through many and he
is blind, in a strange way, mysterious way. As the handicap happened after the
boy was lost, it becomes a case of attempted assault and extortion, at least by
Police standards, so there are some complications on how or where or when the
boy was handicapped. After all these years of wait and the suffering these
matters were of no concern for Mr. Warren and his family, they wanted their son
back as he is, as he was, they want him to remember them and love them as he
did then twelve years ago, which no one can promise. But hope lingers still.
The news came from the embassy, their son is here, and he
has just reached the airport waiting for extraction. The local PD will escort
him to the District Counselor for further questioning, as the officials in Case
recommended it. A Black GM sedan stopped in front of the embassy porch on which
the Warren family was escorted to the Counselor’s Office. The District
Counselor was one Prof. Sabeer Paktia, who is famous for his many involvements
in cases concerning mental isolation and some dangerous assaults…mostly the
later said. He was also a friend of Mr. Warren, and it was he who recommended
his name for the counselor. He has a mysterious record, about his family
background and his old life. He was a member of a team that dealt with the
issues of mostly Arab Americans and other Middle East Countries. He had a wife
and two kids, not kids actually, at the time of their death his sons were
twenty years old; they were twins- Rashid and Rahim, and their mother Razia…all
killed in the September 11 attack. But the funny thing is that they were all
earlier immigrants from Afghanistan, at the time of Russian invasion of
Northern Afghanistan. He was an old Thaliban soldier, but the fate brought him
to the USA, and again fate made him trust worthy earning him a place in the
Official seats. That is fate and fate is that which brought Mr. Warren and
Prof. Sabeer together, and now it’s the same fate that brings them in a
situation like this.
