“Missing Man” is a phenomenon that occurs in Kenya that involves the disappearance of a man - often under unclear or suspicious circumstances - whose remains are, in most cases, found mutilated and dumped in a water body or thicket.
Many think that, once the body of Missing Man is buried, it’s business as usual. Nothing could be further from the gospel truth. Ask Cain. When he turned his brother into Missing Man, he put a crimson mark on his head as his brother's blood cried for justice. Spilt innocent blood is, somehow someway, avenged.
As a country, the blood of many a Missing Man is crying out to us to be avenged. Though the blood has dried on the crime scene in the thicket where the body was discovered, the piercing screams are shattering the heavens.
The screams that Missing Man cried as he begged for his dear life didn't die with his life. Though the gunny bag in which the body of Missing Man was stuffed in is now light as any other gunny bag, there are tons of weights in the atmosphere; consequences that are causing the avenging angels to fly in formation as they wait for word from the Almighty to draw their swords.
Missing Man is someone’s son. He may have his flaws - heck, we all do - but he is loved and missed like crazy by his parents. As days drag on, the parents of Missing Man are not just losing hope; they are also losing their minds.
Seeing as the authorities are treating their child like a lost sock, the parents of Missing Man have no option but to start that traumatising search for his body in morgues. They want closure at all costs, even if it means viewing scores of bodies, in different stages of decomposition, in all the morgues in town.
Missing Man is someone's father. Cain, do you know what you are doing to Missing Man's kids? You are putting the future of his kids at risk. If God forbid, Missing Man becomes yet another cold case statistic, his poor kids will be affected for the rest of their lives.
Missing Man is someone’s friend. At times, like men, when a friend dies, we act all stoic. We go on with our lives. Sometimes God gives us friends to help us fill voids and, in some cases, to be our destiny helpers.
A destiny helper isn’t necessarily that big shot who pulls the strings and ushers us to our destiny. At times, it's that quiet, unassuming pal who kicks that banana peel off our path. If perchance, that quiet, unassuming pal becomes Missing Man, a step that would have got us closer to our destiny throws our plans off-kilter.
Missing Man is as much a citizen of this country as any saint or scumbag. He is presumed innocent until proven otherwise. Like all citizens of this country, Missing Man deserves due process. For any of his ills, real or perceived, Missing Man deserves one thing that's applied in a society that upholds the rule of law; a day in court.
With the way things are headed in this country, any man can be Missing Man at the drop of a dime. One can be Missing Man if a deal sours. One can be Missing Man if he falls into the slimy hands of rogue cops. One can be Missing Man if a jealous, scorned or rejected lover decides to shoot a real arrow through one's heart.
I’m not perfect. I try to live my life as best as I can. But if I ever become Missing Man, I pray that God will give my loved ones beauty for ashes, strength for fear and the oil of gladness for mourning. Ditto family and friends of every Missing Man.
