ABIGAIL : a story about CHILD TRAFFICKING

   BY SAYDHAR BILKIS

"Why does it seem like they all moved on without me

 like they stopped caring if I were still alive?"

I heard her call me stranger. She asked her mum, my sister ‘Mum, who’s the stranger in our living room?’. Those were her actual words and I know I shouldn't be angry over it but I am. I am her aunt, she is supposed to know me.
‘Honey, would you want a cup of tea?’ my mum asks, pulling be to reality. I gave a slight nod and she places the little tray in front of me, with two saucers and a tea pot. She sits opposite me and begins to work on preparing the beverage.

    I have nothing to say to her and she also has nothing to say to me. It sucks that even after all these years of being separated, even so much that has happened, yet we have nothing to say to each other. 

The irony of it all. It's like she is my mother, but it is also like she isn't. I do not know her at all.
    ‘Its apple flavour honey, used to be your favourite, remember?’ she says handing me a saucer.
‘That was years ago m-mom. Things aren't as they were’ it was only after I said it did I feel how weird it was calling her mom. Where was she all these years? Why does it seem like they all moved on without me like they stopped caring if I were still alive? It might seem unfair for me to think like this, blame them for this. But I was so angry, God!! I was so angry and I do not want to feel this way anymore.

‘Thanks for the tea mom, but I have to go’ I said as I grabbed the coat Joan gave me, just like the jeans, shoes and t-shirt I am wearing which are all hers. And like the house, I am staying and we all are staying in for my sake. I am an inconvenience to Joan, to my family. They have already moved on and I am just a bump on their road. I needed to leave, ‘Honey!! Abigail!! Where are you going?’ My mum screams after me, her scream brings everyone out of where they are, and once again I am the spectacle. The question they all don't know how to answer to. Where am I going to? What am I going to do now? What should they do about me? How would they fix me in their lives now?. I could literarily see the questions as I look back at them. Before any of us could move, there is a knock on the door and Joan walks past me to open the door. A man’s voice filters through, and after a while, the door opens again and Joan walks in with a police officer. He seemed to have felt the tension in the room because he pauses and his gaze sweeps through all of us before he speaks.
    ‘U-uhm hope I am not interrupting a family moment, I’d really hate it if I were. But I have Abigail’s test results and doctors comment here with me’ He raises a brown envelope and my mum recovering first takes no time to reply him, ‘Well then officer, let's move this party to the living room shall we?’ she gives me a once over before turning to leave with the officer hot on her tails. Everyone looks at me too and follows mom into the living room. Heaving a sigh, I take off my coat- Joan’s coat and walk into the sitting room. I took the only empty seat which was opposite the officer, ‘the results here says she has mild photophobia which would explain her sensitivity to light, she also suffers from malnourish, she- ‘
‘speak to me directly officer, I am in the room’ I interrupted through gritted teeth. He looked confused so I added ‘You keep saying she like I am not in the room and it's not my test results you are reading’ My mum shoots me a look and I look back at her. ‘Pardon Abigail officer, it is difficult times for our family especially her- You know after all she has gone through-‘,

    ‘I am not sorry sir, could you continue addressing me?’ I interrupted in feign politeness
‘Abby!!’ My mum calls out in warning ‘Mum, let it go.’ Joan pleads. My mum looks at me then nods at Joan ‘My apologies officer, please if you don't mind continuing’ she smiles at the officer.
‘Sure thing ma’am.’ He looks at me before he continues ‘ Abigail, you have Hepatitis and a lot of other infections. The doctor suggests you visit a gynaecologist to do proper tests and get medication. They also suggest you go for therapy, and after all, I have seen tonight I think so too’ he says smiling
‘I do not want to go for therapy’ I mention. He looks at me for a while then says ‘ I understand, most people in your condition would not want to either. But don't you feel so angry, at everyone, at everything? and you feel confused as to where to begin after all these years?’ I nod and quietly added ‘I am so angry and so confused’
    ‘Then go for therapy, before the anger consumes you’ he’s silent for a while until I speak again
‘will you find them? The people responsible for this?’
‘yes I assure you we will, every single one of them’
‘do you have any leads yet? I can help, I know a few of them’
‘I know you can, but we are working on it. And I can't tell you anything now but if we get anything serious we will let you know’ he looks at his watch, ‘oops!! İts time to go. Thank you all for having me’ he says as he stands up. Then he turns to look at me ‘ Abigail, I’ll keep you updated. Don't forget to visit the gynaecologist’ he says and after an afterthought, he adds ‘try therapy, it helps’.
He turns to leave and my mum follows him out, and I start thinking of what he said, and all my medical conditions.
I decided to start from there, I needed to get well first if I wanted to start living again but does that mean no one cares to know what I went through? or they just decided against asking? I went through hell!, days I never wanted a replay of and the criminals? are they truly going to be apprehended? I guess time has answers to all my worries, can't imagine more of them on the surface of breath.....(to be continued)

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