Problem

It did not even take ten minutes for me to reach my home as I dashed toward it. As soon as I reached home, I wasted no time; I straight away went to my mother to take the permission to go to Shabab’s house.

“Mom, I have to go to Shabab’s house, can I go, please?” I requested to her hoping her to say ‘yes’.

“What? At first go get fresh, then we will decide what to do. Now Go!” As she was reciting Quran, the Holy book of our religion, Islam, she just wanted to get rid of me as she did not want to be disturbed. She continued to recite the Holy Quran, but I was in hurry and who was going to tell her that.

So, I quickly had a bath and started nagging with my mother to let me go.

“Can I go to my friend’s home? Adeeb is going too.” I requested

“To whose house will you go? And why will you go?” she asked me.

           “You know, to Shabab’s house.” I thought for a minute to say what to her, “He has arranged a party for us. So, can I go?” If I had told her that I was going to his house to solve a secret murder in Mohammadpur, she would never ever allow me to go. Instead for that, she would not even let me get out of my own room. She would guard me like a jailer.

  “No need of attending parties.” She was being rude to me at that moment. “I remember you told me that this Tuesday you have an English Literature exam, and I know it very well that, day by day you are demoting in English. Rather than going out for parties, it would be better for you to stay in the home and study.”

  “Please! I promise that I will study when I come back.” I pleaded to her.

  “Don’t be that stubborn, or I will tell your father. Oh! Yeah! I can’t even let you go, as your father is not present in Dhaka, and moreover you brother is not also in the home. So, in such circumstance I cannot let you go?” she was just finding a reason to not let me go.

  “I will go alone; I usually go to all the other places alone. What is the problem going to Shabab’s house that lives in Mohammadpur, which is not actually too far from our house! I remember I used to go there for coaching and at that time you would allow me to go all alone.” I retorted.

  “Why are you not trying to...?”

 “Please! I promise I will be back by 6.00.” I interrupted her before she could finish her sentence. And at last she started to think something. Good thing the time limit was fixed by us.

“Okay! Bring my mobile, I call your father and if he allows then only you are allowed to go, or else no more arguments.” She insisted. Now that she was calling my father I could not actually rely on my father saying ‘yes’ so, I kept on requesting her.

She was repeating the same things I told her, that I was arguing with her about going to a friend’s house.

  It was very kind of my father to say ‘yes’. I thought he would not allow me to go as he is really strict about these things. He does not like parties. He thinks they are wastage of times. Though I am not going for party so, it would not be wastage of time.

  “Okay! You may go, but I want you to be here at exactly six.” She pointed at the clock and was strict about her rule.

  “I promise I will be back by then.”

  It was already 2.50 and I just had ten minutes to reach the crime scene. All my time was wasted persuading my mother. Now I just had to get ready.

  I wanted to make myself look like a detective or at least to wear something which will remind me that I am solving a mystery. I had a red T-shirt, on it was written ‘Find Find’ so I thought it would look nice in this case.

  I never forgot about the black hat, that I always see Sherlock Holmes wearing it in his movies. I had a same kind of hat like that. I even wore the black shoes, to make me look professional.  Then I even remembered my sister’s magnifying glass which she used for some medical work, I could use it for my investigation. I wished that I do look like a professional detective with all the things.

It was 3.10; I was already late although I had started for Shabab’s house. I was sure he and Adeeb would be really angry with me although I hoped Adeeb to be also late like me. I did really wish Adeeb and Shabab to wear something which would also make them look like a professional detective, so that eventually our team looks like a professional detective team. I have even thought of some names for our secret detective team. One can be ‘Three Lakehead Solvers” or it could be “Secret Three” just like ‘Secret Seven’ and ‘Famous Five’. I was in the way of the crime scene and soon our team was going to start the investigation.