Silent Voices

Tia arrived home holding her Ice cream cornet, she was exasperated waking with grandfather for hours. The sun stood above her on the horizon, it was a hot and humid day. Grandfather's friend had called for help so he parted to be with him. She gingerly opened the gate at the same time heard the wailing of a child, looked around, however, could not locate the source, the wailing stopped within a minute. Surprised she slunk back into the doorway, grandmother was chopping vegetables and enquired about her walk in the village. Tia enthusiastically narrated the day's events carefully omitting the last occurrence.

She got fresh as well sat before television checking out the channels before she could commit to a channel power went out. Tia got up from her perch once more went to the front veranda, the musk rose, hibiscus and zinnia flowers along the boundary wall were in full bloom lighting up the garden, giving a vibrant feel and of course pride to grandmother. Tia took notice of some faint voice so followed it towards the gate, as she neared heard raucous laughter of a woman. She looked around yet failed to see anyone, nervously ran inside the house. Grandmother appeared from the kitchen plus sat on the sofa wiping the perspiration from her forehead simultaneously announcing food was ready to be served. Tia was on the verge of telling about the voices but checked herself in time, she didn't want to frighten old lady. 

They had lunch, while Tia read a book on the living room sofa grandmother preferred a nap in her room. Tia was not able to concentrate on her book consequently opened the front door walked further towards the gate, generally this time people favored staying in to avoid the scorching heat. Tia checked the gate it was fastened properly vaguely turned towards home, had taken a couple of steps again heard the raucous laughter. Collecting all her might ran inside without wasting a second to find the source, closed the door went straight to grandmother's room, and sneaked beside her. By this time she was sweating profusely, her heart racing. She buried her head in a pillow at the same hugging another. All the time waiting for the grandmother to wake up so could narrate her predicament.

Tia felt a sigh of relief when grandmother got up though the old lady was puzzled to see her granddaughter beside her. She called grandfather who was still with his friend, he too hurried home hearing her pensive voice. Making grandparents sit she slowly and carefully chronicled the horrible misadventure. Grandfather opened the door walked towards the front yard with his wife in tandem. After a wait of nearly half an hour, they heard the wailing of a child. This time grandfather located the voice to a mango tree, a bevy of neighbors had gathered inside their compound getting wind of the incident from grandmother. The soil was heard beneath the tree and ants hurried around it. The voice subsided for a while and again the wailing started. One of the neighbors pointed towards something blinking in the cavity of the trunk, to everyone's amusement it was a mobile phone. The person who had picked answered the call and handed over to grandfather. Tia wiped her face on her sleeve as well made her way back feeling relaxed now as it was the end to the ill-fated rendezvous.

PS: That morning the electricity department personnel were cutting extending branches along the road, in course of action the mobile phone had dropped from a worker's pocket. In search called from his wife's and supervisors' phone the ringtones for which were Tia's misery.