Search iliendelea siku nne.
Boats zilipita creek, river mouths na mangrove channels. Volunteers walitembea shoreline.
Police na county disaster team waliweka notice yenye picha ya Zawadi, lakini Amina alihakikisha taarifa haikutaja “former heiress” wala family scandal.
**Missing rescue volunteer.**
**Medical condition requiring treatment.**
Mariam alitaka kuongeza reward kubwa.
Yusuf akasema reward inaweza kuleta false sightings.
Search leader akaweka controlled contact na verification.
Said alileta helicopter ya kampuni siku ya pili. Ilisaidia maeneo ya wazi lakini haikuweza kuona chini ya mangrove. Media walipiga picha ya helicopter na kusema Mbarak family “inafanya kila kitu kwa binti yao”.
Mama Asha alikasirika.
“Wakati alikuwa hai na anahitaji insurance, helicopter ilikuwa wapi?”
Amina akamwomba asiseme kwenye camera.
“Kwa nini?”
“Kwa sababu search isiwe family trial bado.”
Mama Asha akakubali kwa shida.
Siku ya nne, police walisema search active itaendelea kwa kiwango kidogo.
Hakukuwa na proof ya death, lakini family na community walihitaji gathering.
Mariam alitaka dua ifanyike kwenye mosque kubwa karibu na Nyali na reception hotel ya family.
Mama Asha akasema Kilifi school pia itafanya gathering.
Salma akapendekeza events ziunganishwe chini ya Mbarak Group ili message iwe consistent.
Leila akasema, “Hata missing yake mnataka brand guidelines?”
Salma akamkemea.
“Media itakuja.
Lazima tusiruhusu accusations.”
“Accusations zilitoka kwetu.”
Leila alikuwa amebadilika ndani ya siku nne.
Alilala room ya Zawadi lakini hakutumia bed.
Aliweka mattress floor.
Aliangalia old emails usiku, akiona quantities, deadlines na apologies za Zawadi kwa donor wakati family ilichelewesha signatures.
Mariam alipita room na kumuona.
“Kwa nini hulali?”
“Hii room si yangu.”
“Ni yako.”
“Mlinipea kabla hata Zawadi apate sehemu ya dawa.”
Mariam akakaa.
“Nilikuwa nimepoteza mtoto.”
“Ulipata mmoja, ukapoteza mwingine kwa mikono.”
Mariam akalia.
Leila hakumkumbatia mara moja.
Baadaye alikaa karibu.
Dua ya school ilifanyika courtyard baada mvua kupungua.
Hakukuwa na coffin.
Hakukuwa na picha kubwa ya glamor.
Kulikuwa na chair tupu, kanga ya kijani yenye receipt numbers na notebook ya headcount iliyolowa.
Mbarak family ilifika pamoja.
Watu walitazama.
Said alikaa mbele. Idris na Omar pembeni. Mariam alishika tissue.
Leila alikaa karibu na Mama Asha, si Salma.
Kiongozi wa dua alisema hawatangazi death bila uthibitisho.
Wanaomba kwa aliyepotea na kwa waliotafuta.
Baada maombi, Mama Asha alisema mtu yeyote mwenye record ya kazi ya Zawadi anaweza kuipeleka kwa independent audit table.
Si jukwaani kwa drama.
Mezani kwa copy na receipt.
Girls waliimba poem yao.
Teacher mmoja alileta register ya exam fees.
Nurse wa clinic alileta delivery notes za medicine.
Tailor wa Mombasa alileta invoices ambazo Zawadi alilipa kwa personal studio.
Fisherman association ilileta fuel log ya rescue training iliyofadhiliwa na Zawadi mwaka uliopita.
Mwanamke wa Likoni alileta bag ya kanga na kusema:
“Hii design ilinipa pocket ya kuficha cash nikiingia ferry.
Alisikiliza kazi yangu, si picha yangu.”
Bi.
Saada kutoka nyumba ya Mbarak alifika akiwa na envelope.
Idris akamwuliza ameleta nini.
“Receipts.”
“Za house?”
“Za Madam Mariam.”
Mariam alimwangalia.
Miaka miwili iliyopita, Mariam alifanyiwa procedure ya ghafla hospitali binafsi wakati Said alikuwa nje ya nchi na group account ilikuwa under review.
Deposit ya KSh 480,000 ililipwa kutoka Zawadi Design account.
Mariam alisema alidhani Said alilipa.
Said akasema alidhani insurance ili-cover.
Bi.
Saada akatoa message ya Zawadi:
**Usimwambie Mama sasa.**
**Atakataa treatment akijua account yangu ni ndogo.**
**Dad will regularise.**
Hakuna regularisation ilifanyika.
Mariam akashika receipt na kuanza kutetemeka.
Omar akaangalia tarehe.
Ile ndiyo period ambayo Zawadi alianza appointments zake za kidney.
“Alilipa procedure yako na akachelewesha yake?” aliuliza.
Hakuna mtu aliyejua.
Dr. Neema alikuwa kwenye gathering lakini hakutoa medical details. Alisema tu:
“Zawadi alikuwa patient mwenye privacy.
Family haikujua kwa sababu yeye alichagua.
Lakini cover ilipokatwa, treatment interruption ilitokea.
Hiyo iko written.”
Omar akasema, “Nilijaribu kureverse.”
Neema akamwangalia.
“Letter ya cancellation ilikuwa na digital signature yako.
Attempt yako baada haikununua dawa siku ile.”
Omar akashusha kichwa.
Idris alitaka kusema HR mistake.
Amina akasema:
“Tutajadili responsibility kwenye audit.
Leo record ipokelewe.”
Salma hakuonekana kwa gathering ya school. Alisema alikuwa ana-manage media Nyali.
Lakini waandishi walifika Kilifi hata hivyo.
Leila alienda mbele yao mwenyewe.
“Mimi ni Leila Hassan.
Ndio, independent DNA report imenitambua kama biological daughter wa Said na Mariam.
Hilo halithibitishi Zawadi aliiba fedha, jina au malezi.
Family yetu ilitoa statement kabla audit.
Hilo lilikuwa kosa.”
Said akasimama.
“Leila, no.”
Camera zikageuka.
Leila akaendelea.
“Zawadi hajapatikana.
Search iendelee.
Na records zikaguliwe bila kutumia disappearance yake kusafisha image yetu.”
Salma alimpigia simu mara moja.
Leila akaizima.
Jioni, Mariam alikaa kwenye chair tupu baada watu kuondoka.
Akashika kanga.
“Nilimwambia damu ni nzito kuliko maji,” alisema.
Mama Asha akajibu:
“Damu inaweza kuwa nzito.
Lakini mtu akizama, kinachomwokoa si uzito.”
Mariam akalia mpaka sauti ikaisha.
Hakuna aliyepiga picha.
Baada gathering, Said alitaka kuchukua copies zote zilizowasilishwa na watu kwa sababu family ndiyo “next of kin”.
Amina akamzuia.
“Zawadi hajathibitishwa dead.
Na records hizi zina beneficiary data.
Independent auditor ndiye custodian wa copies.”
Said akasema yeye ni baba yake.
Amina akamjibu kwa utulivu:
“Wiki iliyopita mlitoa statement kwamba hana status ya family.
Huwezi kutumia status hiyo tu inapokupa access.”
Sentence hiyo ilipita kwenye courtyard kama upepo.
Said alishusha mkono.
Mariam akasema, “Acha records zibaki.”
Hilo lilikuwa jambo dogo, lakini la kwanza alilosema dhidi ya direction ya Said na Salma tangu sherehe.
Leila akamshika mkono.
Usiku, Mariam aliondoa kanga ya “Damu ni nzito kuliko maji” kwenye suitcase yake.
Hakuitupa.
Aliifunga pamoja na receipt ya hospital.
Alitaka kukumbuka kwamba maneno yanaweza kuwa mazuri na bado yatumiwe vibaya.