Beautiful Mask
By Ameh juliet
Episode 26
Simon:
“Thanks officer. We’ll like to press more charges against this man. Expect us at the precinct tomorrow” i say then shake the hands of the two police men.
I had woken up this morning with a hangover so intense, i felt like ban-ging my head against a wall. Considering all my frustration, i might have done that but then i got a message. It was from an unknown number and i wanted to ignore it but thankfully i didn’t.
The message told me to call the police and bring them to Kelvin’s house if i want to save Caroline. Caroline is supposed to be dead so i had my doubt but the fact that i also wanted to report Kelvin to the police, made me decide to call the police and take them to kelvin’s house.
When i got to the police station, the police told me they alre-ady got an anonymous call about Kelvin being a drug dealer. They said they didn’t take the last caller seriously because she didn’t want to give them her name and they didn’t want to annoy Kelvin who is really influential over a prank call.
I managed to convince them and they s£nt two officers to go with me. When we got to Kelvin’s house, Beatrice was alre-ady there waiting. I didn’t want to involve the police in Beatrice and my feud so i told them she was a friend. They searched everywhere and ransacked the house till they found drugs in his be-droom.
It didn’t take long for Kelvin to arrive and meet his doom. The police enter into their car and i bid them goodbye with a big smile as they take kelvin away. My smile sl!poff my face as soon as they get out of sight and i turn to Beatrice.
“you s£nt me that message didn’t you?” i ask her and she nod.
“how did you know Kelvin had drugs in his house?”
“He didn’t. I planted it there. I nee-ded to get him behind bars fast and i didn’t have any solid evidence against him so i set him up.”she answers.
“what?! Wow”
“i had to do it for Caroline. I don’t want Kelvin to hurt her. That’s if he hasn’t alre-ady” She says looking panicked.
“Wait. What do you mean Caroline. She is dead. Don’t you know? Didn’t you re-ad the article? She committed suicide”
“no. She didn’t. Kelvin made that up. Caroline didn’t commit suicide.”she says and i stare at her in disbelief. Could this be true?
“where is she if she isn’t dead?” i ask
“i don’t know. She’s supposed to be with kelvin. Come on, lets check the car”she starts walking to the car kelvin c@m£ in with and i walk behind her. The windows are tinted so we don’t see inside the car. I try the door and thankfully it opens.
I peer into the car and i see a lady lying in the back seat. But This isn’t Caroline. I stare at the familiar but different face of the lady. Beatrice push me aside and enter the car.
“oh my God Caroline. What did she do to you? Don’t just stand there. Help me get her inside. She is still breathing.” Beatrice yell at me, bringing me out of my daze. My br@in kick into action and i carry the lady out of the car. There is a big plaster at the back of her head so i take care not to hurt her as i carry her into Kelvin’s house and lie her on the comfortable couch.
“Caroline?” i whisper but there is no answer though. Beatrice push me aside once again and pas-ses a bottle of peroxide un-der the woman’s nose.
“she isn’t stirring. This won’t do. We have to take her to the hospital. Get her on your back and bring her to your car.”Beatrice order. She looks so worried. As for me, am just confuse.
My Caroline is dead but here is a woman that kind of looks like her but also looks totally different. Carrying in my arms earlier had felt so familiar and comforting. I nee-d answers but first, we have to save her. I carry Caroline on my back, then put her in the backseat of my car with Beatrice who is alre-ady in tears.
“i am so sorry Caroline. I shouldnt have let you go with him to the states. God! plea-se don’t let her die again” she says. I move quic-kly to the driver’s seat and drive to the hospital.
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“She’s fine. It was just a case of anesthetic overdose. She is just in a de-ep sleep. She’ll wake up soon.” the doctor says then squee-ze my shoulder.
“Thank you, doctor.” i say and he nod at me then he smiles at Beatrice who isn’t paying him any attention.
“Anything else doctor?” I ask when he keeps staring at Beatrice without saying anything.
“umm. No. That would be all. I’ll be in my office when you nee-d me.”he says then walk out of the room.
“Beatrice, i nee-d an explanation right now. I feel like am going crazy. Just yesterday i was mourning caroline’s death and today you are telling me this is her? Why do you guys look the same? Hell! Why was she with Kelvin?!” i ask as soon as the door closes behind the doctor. Beatrice look up at me then stand up to stare out the window.
“first of all, i want to say i am sorry. I let my de-sire to be loved cloud my judgements and i let Kelvin use me against you. When i saw the way you loved Caroline just in the short time you knew her, i felt inadequate. ‘Why couldn’t anyone love me?’ I’ll always asked myself. He set everything up so i can blackmail you into marrying me. Khalifa is alive though”
“Caroline’s brother told me he survived my beating but we don’t know where he is now”i say
“i do. He’s in a safe place. Everything is so complicated by the day i knew Caroline was my twin i decided to put an end to kelvin’s evil plans to take your company without your knowledge”
“so Caroline is your missing sister? The one who fell off the bridge that day when your car exploded?” i ask and she nod
“She’s Caroline. Just without her scar” Beatrice say while pointing at the be-d.
“she is the woman you love. She is alive and here. No other thing matters now.” she continues.
“Simon?” I hear my name and i turn toward the be-d.
“Am back in Nigeria? How did i get here?” she ask looking perplex and my heart break for her.
“Caroline, my love”i say and move to her side.
“am so sorry for doubting you. I was so stupid. I should have seen what Kelvin was up to. You wouldn’t have gotten hurt” i ramble on but Caroline just engulf me in a ti-ght hvg.
“I was so scared Simon. I thought he was going going kill me and at that moment, the only thing i could think of was you.” she sob into my shoulder.
“Shh. Hush now sweety. You are safe with me. We can be together now.”i mumrmur into her ears. Caroline pu-ll away from me and stare into my eyes.
“No. There is something you must know” sbe says.
“I lost our baby. I was so stupid. I let kelvin poison me. i bled for hours. It was so painful And traumatizing. plea-se forgive me”she cover her face with her Hands and cry.
“No. No. No. This is too much. Am sorry but i can’t do this.” I say and rush out of the room