At the close-knit community of BHA, a disappearance anywhere is sure to spread like wildfire. This is the case of Mr. Bean, the beloved stuffed bear of sophomore Zeina Elhamadany, who has been in a state of distress for months. Elhamadany, a dedicated and hard-working student, has felt the toll of Bean’s disappearance night and day. “It keeps me awake at night,” she says, in an interview conducted during school lunchtime. “I never go a day without thinking about what happened to poor Mr. Bean. I just want to know that he’s okay.” Now, the real question is, was Mr. Bean subject to a mere case of displacement? Or was his disappearance a more gruesome one?
As a fan of the infamous bear, I felt compelled to help Elhamadany solve this case. I spoke with her recently asking for specifics. “I last saw him on August 26th, before 8:00 AM,” she says, wiping a tear from her eye. “It was before first period, and I was grabbing a textbook from my locker. I had always kept Mr. Bean in the front pocket of my backpack, when my friend Aisha asked me where he was, I was frozen in terror.” She says this painfully recounting this traumatic moment. “I had no idea where he could have gone…or who could have taken him.”
This definitely adds a brand new twist to the story. Before 8 AM, Elhamadany could have been at home, in the car, walking outside, or winding through the hallways of BHA. These are way too many places for one person to check, especially after many weeks of disappearance. “I’ve already checked the lost and found, my home, car, and locker, as well as all my friends,” recounts Elhamadany, “but I still haven’t found him.”
However this evidence points to one main suspect, Elhamadany’s friend who asked about the bear, Aisha Kadiwala, Sophomore. Could this seemingly innocent question pose more malicious intent? I decided to conduct an interrogation with Kadiwala, eager to hear what she had to say.
When asked about the case, she simply replied, “I am not the bear killer.” She stated, refusing elaboration. “I hate the bear, so I wouldn’t want to take it.”
I now leave this case to the readers. Who do you think is the bear taker, or was it an innocent case of a dropped bear? Is there anyone to blame? Should we interrogate anyone else? Feel free to leave suggestions in the comments, and check back for updates soon.