Timothy’s family members woke up to calls and texts from each other. They were careful not to post the matter on their WhatsApp family group because he was the ‘he who will not be mentioned’ of the family.
“Has Cúcú (grandmother) called you?” Timothy’s younger brother asked the sister.
“No, but mum is asking about Timo,” replied the sister.
“He’s gone missing again,” said the brother.
“Maybe he’s on one of his benders,” said Timothy’s sister dismissively.
“Did Cúcú give him money again ama what did he sell this time to afford his drinks?” Timothy’s brother responded.
“Don’t speak about him like that. He hasn’t done that in a long while,” said the sister.
“It’s just a matter of time. You, Cúcú and mum enable him with your sympathy,” said the brother.
“Let’s not go there again. Dealing with him can be hectic, but he is still our brother,” the sister argued.
“Sawa. Call me when you find him. I am sure he’s got an ‘interesting’ adventure,” said the brother.
As soon as Timothy’s brother hung up, a cousin texted the sister.
“Have you found him?”
“Not yet. Have you spoken to him recently?” Timothy’s sister asked the cousin.
“I was with him the day before yesterday. He was helping Cúcú around the compound. He looked great. He’s even gained weight,” said the cousin.
“Woi, I hope he hasn’t relapsed because I don’t know why else we can’t get a hold of him,” Timothy’s sister replied.
Timothy’s Cúcú was on a call with his mother. He shuttled between his Cúcú’s place and his mother’s. They initially thought the city environment had been the bad influence that got him into alcohol. After his first rehab stint, he was shipped to the village to live with his grandmother. It worked for a while, and then, like the social butterfly he was, he made friends with young men in the area and discovered the dens there.
Even when drunk, he was always affectionate with his grandmother. He helped her around with the compound. His grandmother teased him about his lack of village-boy skills, and he took it as a challenge. He was never the muscular kind, but he did what he could. Timothy was a bright student, but the demons in the bottle rested heavily on his shoulders. It was easy to hear his sharpness when you spoke to him, and his kind heart charmed many, but his addiction had been a weight for his family for years.
“If he doesn’t come back by evening, I will go and look for him at the police station while reporting,” said his grandmother.
“Okay. I am uneasy about this. You told me he looked like he was doing well and I spoke to him. I was really hopeful this time. Ask the young ones to look around too. I am coming,” said Timothy’s mother.
When she got there almost four hours later, there was still no word of him. The younger guys had looked for him in the pubs around. He wasn’t there, but there were reports of him going to the nearest town with a group of people. They split up and looked for him in the police stations and clubs in the town.
“Why is everyone looking for Timothy?” An aunt asked.
“Ati he’s missing again,” responded another relative. They were now discussing the matter in the group chats due to the escalation.
“Respectfully, he’s probably drunk somewhere. He’ll show up,” said another.
When they couldn’t find him, they searched the public hospital, but he wasn’t there. They eventually went home after filing a report with the police. The following day, someone in the family suggested putting up a poster, but it was decided to wait. The wait wasn’t long.
Timothy’s mother got a call about a road accident. As she went, she hoped that he was in a hospital where they hadn’t checked, but she confirmed the worst when she arrived. Timothy had been involved in a hit-and-run incident on the night he didn’t go home.
The news spread quickly among family members. For some, they knew the day would finally come when they’d get that call; for others, the loss cut deep. Timothy’s mother was overcome with sadness and became a shell of herself. Timothy’s Cúcú developed a sudden limp out of nowhere. Timothy’s siblings oscillated between anger and pain. Dealing with Timothy’s addiction had taken a toll on them, but they had many beautiful memories when he was sober.
The funeral was held a few days later, with some sad about losing him and sadder that he couldn’t overcome his troubles. Others were silently glad that that chapter of anxiety and disappointment was over.
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