Have You Seen Miss Mulopwe?

It is September 4, 1997, in Lubumbashi, in the south of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and it is the first day of school since the civil war ended. There's traffic in front of the Catholic boarding school of Madini. Students unload private cars of luggage and give goodbye hugs to their parents and guardians.

The school's priest, known as Abbé Layo, dressed in his long black dress, meticulously controls the boys' haircuts and uniforms.

Students, excited to see their friends again, greet each other energetically.

“Jonathan!” Amir shouted as he saw his classmate enter school.

“Amir!” Jonathan answered, dropping his bags, so he can embrace his friend.

As they both greeted each other, more classmates joined them, all very grateful to see each other again.

The priest, Abbé Layo, angry, began to walk quickly towards them.

As some classmates were able not to be caught, Amir, Jonathan and two other boys (Andy and Lucas) were stopped and later punished for causing disturbances.

The boys were then sent to clean the cathedral, causing them to miss the lunch break.

"Honestly, I miss you guys, but I haven't missed these punishments," Jonathan said.

Lucas replies: "I was really hoping that the war would take him away. I just can't stand Abbé Layo."

The four begin to laugh as they continually clean up the church.

"What have you guys been up to? Amir, your mother called and told me that you had peed and pooped in your room because you were too scared that a missing bullet would come in your bathroom." Jonathan said jokingly.

Everyone began to laugh uncontrollably, as for Lucas, he accidentally hit an 8-foot-high bookshelf, causing books to fall.

As they gathered to pick up the fallen books, Amir finds a transparent plastic bag full of money with a note inside that indicates 39 million Congolese francs, which is equivalent to about US$ 20,000.

"Guys!" Amir yelled.

"What? What is that?" Jonathan asked.

"Looks like money," Amir said.

"Wait what? How much is that?" Andy asked.

"Well, the note says 39 million Congolese francs," Amir replied.

“Wooow, what? No, you're kidding. Let me see?" Lucas said as he grabbed the plastic bag.

“Damn, that’s a lot of money. We should put it back."

"Wait, should we? It seems like it been sitting there a long time. They will never know” Andy said.

"No, no and no. We should put it back." Amir replied by taking the bag.

"Hum, actually, we got a problem, guys. The shelf is 8 feet tall. Remember, Abbé Layo also forbade us to touch it." Jonathan said.

"Damn it, what should we do?” Andy asked.

"Well, someone might have to suck it and give it back directly to Abbé Layo. There's no way to reach the top of this shelf." Jonathan responded as he looked at Lucas.

The boys then proceed with the cleaning.

As they all gathered in the hallway of the school leading to the priest's office, they began to play rock, paper and scissors to decide who would talk to him first. While doing it, Miss Mulopwe, a nun and also a Biology teacher, starts approaching them.

"What are you still doing here? Didn't you hear the ring?” She says.

"Sorry Miss Mulopwe, we just cleaned up the cathedral, and we have something to give back to the priest. " The boys said.

"And what is it? Because he's in a meeting right now." She said.

"We are not sure" they handed over the transparent plastic bag full of money.

“Whoa! Okay, it looks like a lot of money. You said it failed from where?" she asked.

"The cathedral bookshelf. The one next to the stage." The boys replied.

"Aren't you forbidden to clean that shelf?" She says.

"We're sorry it was an accident," the boys answered.

"Okay, run back to class. I'll give it back to him." she says.

They then proceed to walk back to class.

It is now 2:00 p.m. and Amir asked: "Hey Jonathan, what class do we have now?”

"I'm not sure, mate." Jonathan replied.

"Biology with Ms Mulopwe" answered another student.

“Great." Amir said.

20 minutes have passed. Students are beginning to wonder where she is because she is never this late.

"Damn, where is she?" Andy voiced.

“Right, she is never this late” Jonathan responded.

"Do you think she ran away with the money? Haha." Lucas stated.

"I doubt it. I mean, I don’t…” Amir said.

"Yeah, nah, that doesn't look like her." Jonathan said.

Class is then dismissed.

Jonathan, Amir, Andy, and Lucas are all in their senior year of high school, and have now received the final schedule of classes.

They have biology three times a week, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 2-3:30 pm with Ms. Mulopwe.

It's the following Wednesday, and Miss Mulopwe is still nowhere to be found. As the whole class is excited to enjoy an hour off without a teacher, Amir and Jonathan begin to be even more suspicious.

Now it's Friday and Mrs. Mulopwe still doesn't show up.

"I don't know, dude," Amir says to Jonathan.

"What?" Jonathan responds.

“We've had her since 3rd grade. She never misses a class. Even if there's a tornado, I bet she's coming. This doesn't look like her at all." Amir says.

As Jonathan attentively listens to Amir's concerns, Lucas approaches them.

"Told you. She ran off. She got the money and ran away." Lucas says.

"No, something's just not clicking for me. Something must have happened." Amir told Lucas.

"Well, imagine they only pay you $150 in salary, and now all of a sudden you have $20,000 in your hands. If I were her, I would've run away, too. I don't blame her." Lucas responded.

"Do you really think she ran away with the money?" Andy asked as he joined the conversation.

"Yes, absolutely." Lucas insisted.

"And I don't think so. Something happened, and we need to find out." Amir said.

Class is again dismissed.

Amir goes to Professor Ilunga's office, another nun who teaches faith and religion.

“Hello Ms. Ilunga”

“Amir! What brings you here? How can I help you?”

“Oh, nothing on the class, but I just wanted to ask, have you seen Miss Mulopwe? She has been missing all week. Is she all right?“

“Hum, no. I don't remember much seeing her this past week," she replied.

"Well, okay, thanks. Have a good day, Miss." Amir said.

"Will certainly do, you too." she responded.

The following Monday, Ms. Mulopwe remains absent.

"Guys, we have to do something. Something happened to her." Amir said to Jonathan, Andy, and Lucas.

"Yes, it's getting weird," Jonathan replied.

Abbé Layo suddenly enters class.

"It has been reported that Ms. Mulopwe could not come to the class. I'll help with biology until we find a replacement," he says.

“A replacement! What happened to her? Why can't she be here? » Amir said out loud.

Abbé Layo stares back at him intensively.

"Let's start. Take your books out to chapter one." The priest says.

Amir insists.

"Our father, you haven't answered our question."

Luke and Jonathan start patting him on the shoulder out of fear.

"I said, open your books, chapter one. Let's get started."

After class, the boys start walking back into their dorms.

"He did something to her.” Amir said.

"Who?" Jonathan asked.

“Abbé Layo did something to her." Amir said.

"Do you think he killed her?" Lucas says jokingly.

"I don't know. We need to find that out." Amir replied.

"But how though? How are we going to find out?" Andy asked Amir.

“I don’t know yet. However, something about this is not sitting right with me." Amir said to Andy.

It's the following Wednesday morning and all the boys are walking towards school.

"Jonathan, Lucas wait. Wait. Wait!" Amir shouted.

"I think I've got a plan." Amir whispered.

"Today, I will confront the priest again. He will probably get irritated and kick me out of class. Which is great because I could go to the bathroom and sneak into the back window of his office. I need to find clues or at least her home address." Amir told his friends.

"Man, this is crazy," says Jonathan.

“Right, you are courageous. But you got my support” Lucas says.

"Class, take a piece of paper. Popup quiz." Abbé Layo tells the class.

The whole class replied, "Wait, what?"

"But our father.." said a few students.

"I don't want to hear it, take out a sheet of paper.” He insisted on it.

“Amir. Where's your paper?" The priest asked Amir.

“I don’t have any.” Amir replied.

“Well, why don’t you ask your neighbor?” The priest pointed out.

His neighbor hands him a sheet of paper.

“Nah. Where's Miss Mulopwe? That's not how you do things. You know that no one has prepared for this test, it's a setup." Amir responded.

"You can leave if you do not want to attend this class," said the priest.

“Well, guys, see you later." Amir says.

“Amir, what the heck man? Just take the sheet” his neighbor says.

“I'm good.” Amir then leaves class.

As he walks out, the priest began to look and follow him out the window.

Jonathan notices and begins to get nervous. Raise his hands to distract the priest.

“Our father, would this quiz count? I mean, for the semester." Jonathan asked.

“Yes, it will” The priest answered.

Jonathan looks outside and sees Amir ready to run out of the bathroom. So he raises his hands again.

"Our father, I don't know if I understood the first question well.”

“What about it?” The priest responded with frustration.

"I mean, with Mrs Mulopwe, we didn't go that far last year, so it's gonna be a disaster. No one knows these terms at all."Jonathan said nervously.

"That's why we're doing this test. So you can always be prepared. Laziness is not allowed here." answered the priest.

Amir climbs up and enters the priest's office through the back window. Then he proceeded to open all drawers and look for clues.

After relentlessly looking around he then decides to leave the office. While he was getting ready to go back down. He sees a little black notebook with Polaroid pictures in between pages. He goes back in and opens it.

The pictures are what seems to be a Catholic field day and other religious social events. While returning the photos, he realizes that the little black notebook was full of erotic poems written by the priest himself.

Honey, I can't sleep tonight from the thoughts of you.

Only if you knew how badly I needed you right now.

I want you to feel close to me and touch my chest.

Mulopwe, I can't do this anymore.

As Amir skims through, he starts to hear steps getting closer and closer to the priest's office. He closes the window and looks for a place to hide. Then, notice a door to what seems a bathroom. Run towards it but it's close. Then he begins to look around, founds the key, opens it, enters and hides.

The steps that seem to be approaching the office stop at the door. Knocks couple times.

“Our father are you here?” A nun asked.

"No, he's not. He is replacing Ms Mulopwe, so he is teaching at this very hour.” Someone in the hallway answered back.

Amir, relieved and then turn around and see what seems to be a dark room for photography. As he walks around, he sees pictures of a woman taking a shower. But he can't see her face completely.

He also finds women's underwear and hair extension. All of a sudden he hears the door open.

Somebody just walked into the office. Hears that person grabbing piles of paper. Then Amir realized that he had left his bag at the priest's desk. Then, suddenly, he feels a violent push that opens the bathroom door where he hides.

The end of part one.

As they all gathered in the hallway of the school leading to the priest's office, they began to play rock, paper and scissors to decide who would talk to him first. While doing it, Miss Mulopwe, a nun and also a Biology teacher, starts approaching them.

« What are you still doing here? Didn't you hear the ring? Hey, am I talking to trees?” She says.

"Excuse me, Miss Mulopwe, we just cleaned up the cathedral, and we have something to give back to the priest. » The boys said.

“And what is it? Because he's in a meeting right now.” She said.

« We are not sure, but that's what fell down" as they handed over the transparent plastic bag full of money.

“Whoa! Okay, it looks like a lot of money. You said it failed from where?

« The cathedral bookshelf. The one next to the stage. » The boys replied.

« Aren't you forbidden to clean that shelf?” She says.

« We're sorry it was an accident," the boys answered.

« Okay, run back to class. I'll give it back to him.

"Thank you Ms Mulopwe » then proceed to walk back to class.

It is now 2:00 p.m. and Amir asked: "Hey Jonathan, what class do we have now?”

"I'm not sure, mate." Jonathan replied.

"Biology with Ms Mulopwe" answered another student.

“Oh okay. Great. » Amir said.

20 minutes have passed. Students are beginning to wonder where she is because she is never this late.

"Damn, where is she?" Andy voiced.

“Right, she is never - EVER this late” Jonathan responded.

« Do you think she ran away with the money? Haha.” Lucas stated.

« I doubt it. I mean, I don’t…” Amir said

« Yeah, nah, that doesn't look like her. I never got that type of vibe from her especially. Now, if it's Professor Thims who got the money, this negro will really be gone by now. » Jonathan said.

They all started laughing.

Class is then dismissed.

Jonathan, Amir, Andy, and Lucas are all in their senior year of high school, and have now received the final schedule of class.

They have biology three times a week, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 2-3:30pm with Ms Mulopwe.

It's the following Wednesday, and Miss Mulopwe is still nowhere to be found. As the whole class is excited to enjoy an hour off without a teacher, Amir and Jonathan begin to be even more suspicious.

Now it's Friday and Mrs. Mulopwe still doesn't show up.

« I don't know, dude. Something about this doesn't add up. » Amir says to Jonathan.

« What? Are you talking about Miss Mulopwe? »Jonathan responds.

“Yes. We've had her since 3rd grade. She never misses a class. Even if there's a tornado, I bet she's coming. This doesn't look like her at all. » Amir says.

As Jonathan attentively listens to Amir's concerns, Lucas approaches them.

« Told you. She ran off. She got the money and ran away. » Lucas says.

« No, something's just not clicking for me. Something must have happened."Amir told Lucas.

« Well, imagine they only pay you $150 in salary, and now all of a sudden you have $20,000 in your hands. If I were her, I would've run away, too. I don't blame her. » Lucas responded.

« Do you really think she ran away with the money? Andy asked as he joined the conversation.

"Yes, absolutely." Lucas insisted.

"And I don't think so. Something happened, and we need to find out. » Amir said.

Class is again dismissed.

Amir goes to Professor Ilunga's office, another nun who teaches faith and religion.

“Hello Ms Ilunga”

“Amir! What brings you here? How can I help you?”

« Oh, nothing on the class, but I just wanted to ask, did you see Miss Mulopwe? She has been missing all week, and it doesn’t look like her. Is she all right? »

“Hum, no. I don't remember much seeing her this past week," she replied.« Well, okay, thanks. Have a good day, Miss. » Amir said.

"Will certainly do, have a good day yourself. » she responded.

The following Monday, Mrs Mulopwe remains absent.

" Guys, we have to do something. Something happened to her. » Amir said to Jonathan, Andy and Lucas.

"Yes, it's getting weird," Jonathan replied.

Abbé Layo suddenly enters class.

"It has been reported that Ms. Mulopwe could not come to the class. I'll help with biology until we find a replacement," he says.

“A replacement! What happened to her? Why can't she be here? » Amir said out loud.

Abbé Layo stares back at him intensively.

« Let's start. Take your books out to chapter one. » The prriest says.

Amir insists.

"Our father, you haven't answered our question."

Luke and Jonathan start patting him on the shoulder out of fear.

« I said, open your books, chapter one. Let's get started. »

After class, the boys start walking back into their dorms.

"He did something to her.” Amir said.

« Who? » Jonathan asked.

“Abbé Layo did something to her. » Amir said.

« Do you think he killed her? » Lucas says jokingly.

« I don't know. We need to find that out. » Amir replied.

« But how though? How are we going to find out? » Andy asked Amir.

“I don’t know yet. However, something about this is not sitting right with me » Amir said to Andy.

It's the following Wednesday morning and all the boys are walking towards school.

« Jonathan, Lucas wait. Wait. Wait! » Amir shouted.

« I think I've got a plan. » Amir whispered.

« Today, I will confront the priest again. He will probably get irritated and kick me out of class. Which is great because I could go to the bathroom and sneak into the back window of his office. I need to find clues or at least her home address." Amir told his friends.

"Man, this is crazy," says Jonathan.

“Right, you are courageous. But you got my support” Lucas says.

« Bet. » Amir replied.

« Class, take a piece of paper. Popup quiz. » Abbé Layo tells the class.

The whole class replied, "Wait, what? »

"But our father..." said a few students.

"I don't want to hear it, take out a sheet of paper.” He insisted on it.

“Amir. Where's your paper? The priest asked Amir.

“I don’t have any.” Amir replied.

“Well, why don’t you ask your neighbor?” The priest pointed out.

His neighbor hands him a sheet of paper.

“Nah. Where's Miss Mulopwe? That's not how you do things. You know that no one has prepared for this test, it's a setup. » Amir responded.

« You can leave if you do not want to attend this class," said the priest.

“Well, guys, see you later.” Amir says.

“Amir, what the heck man? It's okay. Common, just take the sheet” his neighbor says.

“Yo, I'm good.” Amir then leaves class.

As he walks out, the priest began to look and follow him out the window.

Jonathan notices and begins to get nervous. Raise his hands to distract the priest.

“Our father, would this quiz count? I mean, for the semester. » Jonathan asked.

“Yes, it will” The priest answered.

Jonathan looks outside and sees Amir ready to run out of the bathroom. So he raises his hands again.

« Our father, I don't know if I understood the first question well.”

“What about it?” The priest responded with frustration.

"I mean, with Mrs Mulopwe, we didn't go that far last year, so it's gonna be a disaster. No one knows these terms at all."Jonathan said nervously.

"That's why we're doing this test. So you can always be prepared. Laziness is not allowed here." answered the priest.

Amir climbs up and enters the priest's office through the back window. Then he proceeded to open all drawers and look for clues.

After relentlessly looking around he then decides to leave the office. While he was getting ready to go back down. He sees a little black notebook with Polaroid pictures in between pages. He goes back in and opens it.

The pictures are what seems to be a Catholic field day and other religious social events. While returning the photos, he realizes that the little black notebook was full of erotic poems written by the priest himself.

Honey, I can't sleep tonight from the thoughts of you.

Only if you knew how badly I needed you right now.

I want you to feel close to me and touch my chest.

Mulopwe, I can't do this anymore.

As Amir skims through, he starts to hear steps getting closer and closer to the priest's office. He closes the window and looks for a place to hide. Then, notice a door to what seems a bathroom. Run towards it but it's close. Then he begins to look around, founds the key, opens it, enters and hides.

The steps that seem to be approaching the office stop at the door. Knocks couple times.

“Our father are you here?” A nun asked.

« No, he's not. He is replacing Ms Mulopwe, so he is teaching at this very hour.” Someone in the hallway answered back.

Amir, relieved and then turn around and see what seems to be a dark room for photography. As he walks around, he sees pictures of a woman taking a shower. But he can't see her face completely.

He also finds women's underwear and hair extension. All of a sudden he hears the door open.

Somebody just walked into the office. Hears that person grabbing piles of paper. Then Amir realized that he had left his bag at the priest's desk. Then, suddenly, he feels a violent push that opens the bathroom door where he hides.

The end of part one.