SEARCHING FOR DEEP

Gia, Grace, and Deep's parents gathered in the living room, a sense of urgency and determination guiding their actions. Their hearts were heavy with worry for Deep; they knew that spreading the word about his disappearance was vital to the search efforts. Gia was staring at the printed papers with Deep’s photo on them. She wished and prayed that he was still okay. ‘Stay safe and wait for me, Deep. Or just show me a sign of where you are and I will come to get you.’ She whimpered, fighting back the tears.

"We need to get the word out as quickly as possible. The earlier we can do this, the better." Mrs. Azzua asserted, her voice tinged with concern.

Grace nodded in agreement. "The more people who know, the better our chances of finding him. We have to act fast and reach as many people as we can."

Gia felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility crushing down on her as she kept gazing at the stack of posters in her hands. the rush to find her lover. "Let's begin by posting these posters in key areas such as community centers, cafes, and various places throughout the neighborhood. We need as many eyes searching for Deep as possible.

They divided up the work with a common goal in mind, taking a stack of posters and going in separate directions for faster distribution and faster response. With the posters clenched in her fists and a strong sense of purpose driving her forward, Gia headed for the neighborhood eateries.

She went into the first café and addressed the counter, asking to have the posters displayed immediately, but in a courteous manner. “Greetings, Mr. I am requesting that you allow us to put a poster here. We are searching for this person. He is my boyfriend. He has been missing for days.”

The man accepted the poster. “Greetings to you too.” Realizing the desperation in Gia’s face, the café owner quickly consented to her plea. “Okay. I am so sorry for what you are going through. I hope that your boyfriend is safe and that you will find him soon. As for this, I will stick it on the entrance. You can also add me, like, three to stick inside here.”

Gia’s face brightened with a sense of gratitude, appreciating the man’s kindness. She took out three more posters and handed them to him. “Here, sir. Thank you so much for helping us. I really do appreciate it.”

“No worries, miss. I will put them there right away. And I wish you the best in your search.”

Gia nodded, and after uttering another word of gratitude, she walked out, sticking the posters on every post that he found, talking to each and every person he met on the way, and budging in each and every shop or workplace she came across.

Gia had a wide range of responses as she went from place to place: some people were aghast and concerned to hear about Deep's disappearance, while others offered words of support and pledged to keep a lookout.

Grace, in another part of town, carefully pinned posters on community bulletin boards and street lamps, ensuring they were visible to passersby. She engaged in conversations with locals, spreading awareness about Deep's disappearance and urging them to share the information within their circles.

Meanwhile, Deep's parents navigated through the neighborhood, knocking on doors and speaking to residents, their faces etched with worry as they shared details about their missing son. They implored people to contact authorities if they had any information that could aid in the search.

Throughout the day, Gia, Grace, and Deep's parents tirelessly distributed posters, their hearts heavy but their determination unyielding. They encountered a community united in concern, willing to assist in any way possible, but still, challenges are a part of every journey. They still encountered a few who did not allow them to put the posters in the shops, and some dropped the posters as soon as they received them, not even reading through them. Those were a few, though. Many were the ones who offered them their full support.

As the sun began to set, they reconvened back in the hotel, the weariness evident on their faces but a glimmer of hope shining in their eyes. At least they had started the journey.

"We've reached out to so many people." Gia remarked, her voice reflecting a mix of exhaustion and hope.

Grace nodded in agreement. "Hopefully, someone will have seen something. We just have to keep the momentum going."

Deep's parents, though fatigued, expressed gratitude for the collective efforts. "Thank you, all of you. We're overwhelmed by your support." Mrs. Azzua said, her voice filled with emotion.

Gia assessed them all for a while, her mind spinning around something for a while. “I was thinking that we could also start retracing Deep's steps and talking to anyone who might have seen him. I mean, from his house here in Mombasa.” She said.

Deep’s father nodded his head. “Sure. That is another brilliant idea. You're right. We have to use all the means possible to locate him. I have also checked with his office, but he hasn’t been there since a few days ago. So I think we need to concentrate on the search here.”

“My urge tells me the same, Mr. Azzua. Deep is somewhere around this city. We have to trace his steps from the day he left his house. Where he was going, what his schedule was, where he went, and the people he met. I am sure that will give us a clue.” Gia said.

Grace and Mrs. Azzua nodded in agreement. Mrs. Azzua seemed the most worn-out. The walk had left her so exhausted. “Sure. But can we rest even for twenty minutes? We've been at this for hours. We really need to recharge.”

“Sure. You can rest for a few minutes, Mrs. Azzua. We will call you both when we are to set out.” Grace said.

“Okay. But just thirty minutes max. Every single minute is crucial to us.” Mr. Azzua said:.

“Sure.” Grace said, and Mr. and Mrs. Azzua walked out. “You too. Don’t think I did not notice that you carried half of the posters and distributed the other half to the three of us. You came back with nothing, and that means you worked yourself out there like a horse. Next round, I am tagging along to keep watch.”

Gia slammed on the seat. Her feet and back were burning from all the walking she had done.”The sense of dread and the beardown of the responsibility that I am feeling are driving me insane. I need to know how he is.”

Grace sat beside her, combing her hair with her fingers. “We'll find him, Gia. We have to believe that. We won't give up until he's back with us. And this is Deep’s responsibility for us all. We all owe him this.”

Gia nodded, trying to hold back tears. She knew Grace was right, but the uncertainty was eating away at her.