Beautiful Mask
By Ameh Juliet
Episode 13
Caroline:
“I cant believe chinedu set you up. Are you okay?” Favour ask from the other side of the line.
Simon didn’t come home last night neither did he call. I have been alone in this big house since yesterday except for the time favour c@m£ to give me shoes and a purse for the p@rty. Its almost four pm and i am about to get re-ady for the p@rty.
My belly is currently fluttering with nerves. That’s the reason i called favour. Talking with her calm me.
“I am fine. Its just that i am worried about Simon. Something seems off about his disappearance yesterday.” i say
“babe, you are thinking too much. Perhaps he wants to surprise you at the p@rty. Maybe with a proposal. Oh my God! Caroline that could be it!” she screech excitedly and i have to take the phone away from my ear to save my ear drum. She keeps rambling about the kind of ring i am going to get and all the rest.
“Favour” i say but she keeps rambling.
“Favour!”
“what?” she ask innocently
“you are a piece of work, you know that right? How would he ask me to marry him when we ba-rely know each other?”
“but it’s still possible” she says and i roll my eyes.
“I have to start preparing for the p@rty so i am going to hang up now”
“Alright babe . Call me after the p@rty. I want to know how many carats your diamond is” she says and hang up. Could she be right?. No. Its too sudden. I don’t want to get my hopes up. I better get re-ady fast so i won’t be late. I sl!pon the pretty dress that hvgs my curves perfectly and flares from above my knee to my ankle. Its beautiful. I put on the mask and stare at myself in the mirror. The mask is so unique, i have never seen anything like it.
It covers my hair and most of my face. The mask covers my scar perfectly and makes me look different. Beautiful. I put my phone in my cute purse and sl!pon my heels.
Its alre-ady a few minutes to six when i get to the h0tel. After asking for directions i finally find the hall where the p@rty is taking place. I give my name to the guy standing in front of the door and he checks my name on a book he is holding. He finds it and smile at me.
“The p@rty is almost over. But you are just in time for the big announcement the boss is going to make” i look at him confused
“isn’t it supposed to start by six?” i ask
“no ma’am. It says 4pm on the invitation card” i nod at this information and thank him before walking in. Why did Simon want me to come at the end of the p@rty?. And what’s this big announcement all about?.
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Kelvin:
Bullet signals me towards the entrance and i look to see a Beatrice lookalike walk in. It cant be Beatrice because i know she is currently in the restroom. She has been there ever since the p@rty started. I didn’t want her to see Caroline so i sli-pped a laxative in her drink to keep her in the toilet.
I walk to Caroline and put on my best smile. I know the ladies love it.
“Caroline” i say and hvg her. My heart feels strange while holding her so i just re-lease her quic-kly.
“Umm. Who are you?” her pretty mouth twist in confusion and i smile. My mask must have confused her.
“Don’t you know this smile?. Its kelvin” i say and she bur-st out laughing.
“Forgive me for forgetting your radiant smile” she tease and i smile again.
“Dudn’t know you were invited. Its almost over.”
“Simon gave me the wrong time. I don’t know why though. Have you seen him?”she ask and i shrug
“He should be around” i say and look towards the stage. It should be time for the big announcement. I look around for Simon and find hi
beside the stage talking with the MC.
“Oh, there he is. He’s supposed to announce something important. I think its time. Lets get you a drink before he comes up” i sl!pa hand on her back and lead her to the bar.
“Um kelvin. I don’t really drink alcohol” she says abs£ntminded when we get to the bar. Her attention is on Simon who still hasn’t work up the nerve to announce his engagement. I knew he is a weakling.
I ignore Caroline’s protest and get her a drink. I place the glas-s of champagne in her hands and she just hold it. Her eyes are still on Simon who just walked onto the stage.
“Good evening. Y’all must have been waiting for my big announcement. Well, i just wanted to announce my wedding to Beatrice Williams of Williams corporation” he says and the whole auditorium echo with applauds.
I hear Caroline g@sp and i turn to see she looks so stun and pale. I know she is trying to blink back tears and i feel like someone just su-cker punched me.
“Are you okay?” i ask her.
“It hurts” she whisper and clench her fist to her che-st as if in pain. She drains the glas-s of champagne at once and drop the glas-s on the table.
“Caroline. You don’t look so good” i say but her eyes are fixed to the stage. I look to see that Simon has seen her and he starts moving towards us. Caroline flees before he gets to us and i quic-kly pas-s her champagne glas-s to bullet who takes it with his gloved hands and wra-p it in his handkerchief.
“Beatrice! Why is she running away?” Simon asks me as soon as he gets to me and i hold back my smile. He thinks its Beatrice. Stupid man.
“I dunno man. You know women and their issues. Why don’t you leave her be for now” I say and he nods.
Even with his mask, he looks like he hasn’t sle-pt in days. I squee-ze his shoulder and gesture that i am leaving. He nods again and i walk quic-kly toward the ladies room where Caroline is headed. I have to st©p her. She cant see Beatrice.
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Beatrice:
I feel like cra-p. Today is supposed to be a happy day for me but i am spending it in the ladies room. Karma must be getting back at me. I look at my reflection in the bathroom mirror as i wash my hands. I wonder why kelvin insisted i wore this mask. Its so unflattering.
The door flies open suddenly and i look back to see a ph0tocopy of myself. OMG! Its like I am looking into a mirror.
Beautiful Mask
By Ameh Ernest
Episode 14
Beatrice:
“Benedicta?” I whisper yell. I run to her and hvg her.
“Oh my God. I cant believe you are alive. And here. In front of me” I ramble. She staggers backward and i let her go.
“am sorry. Where have you been all these years?.” A tear fall off my eyes and i realise that i am alre-ady crying. She’s alive. I didn’t kill my sister. We look so alike. Wait a minute, Why are we wearing the same clothes and mask?. Kelvin!.
Was this the reason he insisted i wear this mask?. I cant believe he knew where my sister was this whole time and he didn’t tell me. Is she working with him?. I may be up for his revenge plans but i won’t let him mess with my sister.
“Benedicta?”
“What?” she staggers again and i gr-ab her hand. Her eyes look glazed.
Is she drun!k?
“Hey are you drun!k?” i ask
“No. Just dizzy. How many of you are talking, because i see about five.” She slur.
“come on. Lets get out of here. Maybe the fresh air would help” i gr-ab her hand and try to lead her out of the bathroom.
“St©p!. He’s out there . I don’t want to see him” she protest. Who is she talking about?. Kelvin?. My phone start ringing in my purse and i bring it out to see who is calling. Kelvin’s name pop up on my screen.
He has the nerve to call me. I motion for Benedicta to stay where she is while i answer the call and she nod.
“Kelvin you animal!” i yell as soon as i pick the call
“what? I cant hear you? Where are you? Walk out of wherever you are so i can hear you properly” he says and i walk out of the restroom and close the door with Benedicta inside.
“So what were you saying sweetheart?” he asks as i get to the lobby outside the bathroom.
“I said you are a bastard. How did you find my sister?”
“I thought you wanted to see her?” he asks innocently.
“I did. But am sure you want to manipulate the both of us. If you dare-” i pause as a lady walks pas-s me into the restroom. I don’t want her hearing what i have to say. She finally goes inside and i continue my rant.
“As i was saying, if you mess with my sister, i am going to expo-se you. Do you un-derstand me?” i say and he laughs.
“i bet your eyes are blazing with anger right now. I wish i am with you right now.” he whispers se-ductively.
“You are disgusting” i grind out
“you didn’t think i was disgusting last week when i was in your be-d” he says and i am sure he is currently sm-irking.
“That doesn’t mean that i wasn’t thinking it.” i fire at him.
“Then you should have told me babe.”he answers. Why am i even talking about this.
“I don’t have time for you right now. I am hanging up”
“wait!. Lets talk about this bea.”
“i don’t-” i pause again when the same lady comes out of the restroom but she’s with another lady who is wearing a waitress uniform when she comes out. She has her hand around the waitress w@!st helping her walk. I watch them and something seems familiar about the staggering waitress.
“I said i don’t want to go out” the drun!kwaitress says and i recognise that voice.
“Caroline?” I ask and walk in front of them and it really is Caroline.” wow. Now you are a waitress?. Did Simon finally kick you out?” the lady helping her out glare at me and i raise my hands up in surrender.
I don’t have time for Caroline right now. I better get to my sister before she pas-s out on the restroom floor.
“Goodbye Caroline” i giggle and strut back into the restroom. Benedicta isn’t where i left her and my heart beat accelerate. I check all the different stalls but i don’t find her.
Did she leave while i was talking to kelvin? Oh no! I cant believe i lost her again. Kelvin will know where she is. I try calling him but his phone has been turned off.
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kelvin:
“Hear is your pay. Thanks for giving her your uniform”i say and smile at the lady who helped me sneak Caroline out. She blus-h and collects the money.
“Thank you” she says and leave. Caroline is currently slee-ping in the back seat of my car. That single glas-s of champagne has wiped her out.
I get into the car and drive home. When i get home, i carry Caroline and lie her down on my be-d. She looks so peaceful. I sit beside her and ca-ress her calm face. She m0@n and stir sleepily and i quic-kly get off the be-d and get out of the room.
I pour myself some whiskey and sit by the window. Beatrice now knows her twin sister is alive. I nee-d to get Caroline away from here before the truth gets out. I also nee-d to get her far from Simon before he changes his mind. How do i get her to leave?.
I cant have her killed since i may nee-d her later on. I drain my whiskey and ponder on a plan. A really good plan hits me. The person Caroline cares about the most right now is her adoptive mother. I just have to use her to get Caroline out of this city.
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Caroline:
I wake up the next morning with a raging headache and little memory of what happened last night. I still remember Simon announcing his wedding with Beatrice though. No amount of alcohol can wipe that off my memory. I push that to the back of my mind as i look around at my unfamiliar surrounding.
Where am i?. This isn’t my house neither is it simon’s. How did i get here. I check un-der the sheets to see that i am wearing a waitress uniform. Weird. Where did my clothes go?. The be-droom door opens and i look up to see kelvin standing by the door with a tray. I breathe a sigh of relief.
“You are awake. Here take this for your hangover” he hands me a glas-s of orange jui-ce a two tablets. I swallow the medicine and smile my thanks.
“Oh by the way, your phone kept ringing. I checked and it said doctor” he says and hand me my phone. Oh no, i forgot all about mom. I quic-kly call the doctor back and he picks up immediately.
“doctor. This is Caroline. I just saw your missed call. Hope everything is fine”i ask nervously.
“Umm we just noticed something really bad in your mom’s test result. We didn’t see it previously. It nee-ds to be treated immediately.”
“okay sir. I’ll bring her immediately” i say
“our hospital cant handle her case. I alre-ady gave her files to my friend in ibadan. That’s the only place you can get her treated in Nigeria.”he says. I thank him for the information and hang up. Why does calamity keep striking now?
“I dont have more money”
“What?” kelvin ask and I remember that he is still in the room.
“Oh its nothing”
“Its definitely something. . You just talked to a doctor and I heard something about Ibadan and You just said you have no money. Tell me what’s wrong. I may be able to help you”
He says and I consider it for a little bit. Maybe I can lend money from him a hundred thousand naira would be enough.
“I feel embarras-sed about asking you for money but can you lend me a hundred thousand naira? My mom nee-ds it for her heart surgery. I promise to pay you back. plea-se” I can’t believe I am asking him but I am desperate right now.
“Just a hundred thousand? Just give me your bank details and I would s£nd it to you. Dont think about paying me right now. Your mom’s life comes First” he says. Wow, he is so kind. I quic-kly give him my Acc details and thank him.
“I promise to pay you back very soon” I say and he just nods. I quic-kly bid him goodbye and hurry home.
Tbc