The Boy Who Finds Lost Things — CNF.

Well, the thing is... My mom actually thinks I have a superpower, and I'm beginning to feel I do too.

Now this superpower I'm talking about isn't the type that allows me to fly, walk without stepping on the ground, or see what will happen tomorrow, nah, but it is that I just have my way of finding things people have already given up looking for.

I actually didn't pay much attention to it, not until some years ago. It was a hot afternoon, and we were all home. My mom was about to step out and buy things to stock up her shop when she noticed her purse had gone missing. It would have been better if it had just been that purse alone, but in it were her phone and some important pieces of paper; even our neighbor asked her to help get something along from the market, and she had dropped the money for that inside the purse as well....

Now, that purse is nowhere to be found. That was how we all began to search the whole house; we searched everywhere and couldn't find it. We even moved the chairs, removed the rugs, searched their rooms, and even the places that made no sense... We searched for it everywhere.

After over an hour of searching for it, my mom asked us to read a little before rearranging the whole house back because it was a mess already. She thought maybe she had dropped it outside or inside the shop and someone had stolen it, because there's nowhere else to search.

And because of the stress of searching, I was already sweating, so I decided to take a quick shower. As I was bathing, something dropped in my mind; it was that I should recheck a certain corner again and, if possible, use a broom to sweep it out in case my hands couldn't reach.

I quickly rushed out of the bathroom, took the broom, and went straight to my dad's room. My mom and siblings followed me; they didn't know anything. I'm sure they were not even thinking I'm still searching for the purse.

Immediately I got in, I went straight to the corner, and swept it out, and that was how the purse slid out together with a few dirts. It wasn't even up to a minute. For a moment nobody said anything; all eyes were just on me. My mom, who was supposed to be happy, was just staring at me...

"How did my purse get there?" My mom said.

"How will I know...?" I responded smiling. Yeah, I just couldn't help but smile; the question was funny to me.

""Toyosi, are you sure about this.... I didn't even go near there at all."* My mom said, pointing to the wardrobe and shoe rack as the only places she visited.

"Mum..." I said. Because I was speechless, and I don't even know what to say.

And since that day, anytime something gets lost in the house, they will call on Toyosi (me).

And my siblings wouldn't even stop teasing me....

"If you're looking for something, call Toyosi; if he refuses to answer or help search for it, just know that thing is gone." My brother once said...

And it's just kind of funny. So anytime someone misplaces a thing, I will always be called upon to help in the search, or when they've searched and couldn't find it, they will always come back to me to help look for it.

This reminds me of another incident that happened; it was my mom again; she has misplaced her ATM card and an important printout she needs for a bank issue. She could have gotten another ATM easily just by visiting the bank, but the printout is not an easy one to get. She had traveled all the way to Abuja from Kwara State three different times just to be able to get an individual's signature on that printout. It was that important.

I was traveling when the incident happened, and it was only she and my dad who were home then. I returned him on the third day of their search. Everywhere was a mess; even my mom had to lock her shop so people wouldn't be disturbing her, wanting to buy this and that, just so she would be able to concentrate on the search.

The whole house has been turned upside down, right from the sitting room or each of the four bedrooms in our house. I had to watch my steps when I opened the door. When my dad told me about it, I just shrugged, greeted my mom, and said...

"You will find it." I said smiling

"I've spent three days looking for it everywhere already." My mom said almost angrily.

I just went into my room, cleared the bed, took a shower, drank the Coke and snack I bought along, and slept off.

A few hours later, I woke up and stepped out. I saw my mom sitting down and looking stressed; they've arranged the sitting room back, but the entrance of the corridor that leads to their room was still a mess. So, I guess they were resting after finally finding what they were looking for. Or maybe they've given up already.

"Mom, so where did you later find it?" I asked her.

She looked at me somehow; I guess she was thinking of the best response to give me, either to give me a hot one or just respond to me calmly.

"We can't find it, and there's nowhere else to search." She responded.

I felt sorry for her; I knew how important that printout was, I knew the stress she had to go through, and I knew the money she spent just to get the signature needed on it.

So, without saying anything, I walked into her room, stood in the middle of their room for like five minutes, and scanned everywhere, but no place came to mind. So I made my way out, and as I was telling her to calm down and go freshen up first, I heard the sound of the shop's door. That door always makes one kind of sound, especially when there's heavy wind, but there was none this time. Immediately I felt directed there.

So, I asked for the shop's key, and she pointed to the dining table. I picked it up and made my way to the shop, which was just right in front of the house. I opened it, stood in the middle of the shop, and scanned everywhere; less than five minutes later, I found the pieces of paper (the printout) she was looking for. It was sitting at the top of the shelves where milk, beverages, and the like were placed. The ATM was there as well.

Even I felt somehow.... Like. I didn't even lock the shop as I ran inside to hand it over to her; my mom collected it and looked at me somehow. She didn't know what to say or the right question to ask. I'm sure even I don't have the answers to anything she may ask, aside from the exact point I found what she has been looking for for the past three days.

And till today, I don't know how and why such keeps happening. Maybe I just look where others forgot to look, maybe missing things just loves that I be the one to see them, maybe I scan very well, or maybe I'm receiving a directive from only God knows where... I can't say.

But whatever the reason is, my family already sees it as my superpower. Even if I'm not home and they are looking for a thing, they will put a call through to me. And any time I hear them say, "We've searched everywhere already." I just smile. Because I always feel that since they've searched everywhere and couldn't find it, then that particular thing that they're looking for is waiting for me to come pick it up.

And that's it for me.... I can't fly, I can't read minds, and I can't be in two places at a time, but if something is missing in my home, they call me. And if I didn't act on it, then they know that that thing is gone. I don't know why I don't act on certain things too; maybe it's just a part of my superpower.

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Images are AI generated.

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