?HIS BALLERINA?
THEME: {What the heart sees}
✍️Written By Precious Pinky✍️
?Chapter Twelve ?
~‘what if it isn’t just a nightmare but a memory…?’~
?ACE?
Ace snapped his eyes open, sitting upright on his bed. He was sweating profusely, even his pillow were soaked with his sweat, his room was quite dark but he could still make little light out of the darkness.
He was breathing heavily, the dream he just had was very confusing and complicated. Who were those people? Who was the man lying lifelessly on the ground? His face was blur…in fact all of their faces were blur. The kid and the other man, he doesn’t even recognize any of their voices. Most importantly, why was he having a dream like this? It was rare. He hardly dream about anything and that’s because his mind and head were fu-cked up. And he knows for a fact that they were still fu-cked up before he went to bed.
He let out a de-ep breath and got out of bed, he walked towards his bathroom, he splashed some cold water on his face, regaining his full consciousness and putting his head in order. He was a mess.
He placed his hands at the side of the spotless basin, his gaze rested at the guy staring right back at him. His eyes were sad, his face held no emotion, he looked broken and bittered. It was him. He was the guy.
He was broken. He knew that fact but yet he kept reminding himself every single day.
Ace turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on his face again, he needed it badly.
He sighed, turning away from the basin and grabbing a white towel on his way out of the bathroom, his wiped his face dry and hung the towel around his neck, sitting down on his bed. The bottle of whiskey which he had been drinking from before sleeping off was still on the table where he had left it.
He grabbed it, took a large gulp directly from the bottle.
Who was that child?
Who was the lifeless man?
Who was the other man?
Why did he have to dream something like this? It was meaningless and probably has nothing or whatsoever to contribute to his already fu-cked up life.
Slowly his mind wander off to the dancing Ballerina, the girl who seem to have captured his heart. Was that even possible? His heart? Damn, they were broken beyond repairs and can’t possibly be fixed.
He took another large gulp from the bottle and ran his fingers throu-ghhis hair, dishevelling it in the process.
Why did he run away from her? Why? She will probably see him as a fool or even worst a coward. Because honestly that was what he is. Tsk, she is even blind and didn’t even see him running away like a prick.
He gro-aned in frustration, and took another gulp from the bottle only to find it empty. fu-ck it. He toss the empty bottle to the corner of his large room and fell back flat on his bed.
He wanted to see her again. He wants to watch her dance again. She might be blind but her moves has captivated him and turned him into a mess. The feelings he was feeling were all new to him. The urge to see a blind girl dance was new to him. Now that’s where the curiosity comes from. How can a blind girl dances so perfectly well like that?
He was still de-ep in thought when the ringtone of his phone invaded his thoughts and peaceful moment. What an irony.
He picks the call and placed the phone over his ear. “What?” He asked in a low voice.
“Are you still sleeping?” Paulo’s voice rang throu-ghhis ear ring.
“What time is it?” He asked instead.
“Eight thirty. Where are you?”
Ace eyes went wide as he shot out of bed, he drew the curtains open, he hissed as the reflection of the sun shone directly at his eyes. He didn’t even know it was morning, he had a-ssumed the time should be either 2am or 4am. How could he be so stupid?
Ah. It must have been because of the alcohol.
“Why didn’t you call me earlier.” He literally yelled at Paulo as he made his way to the bathroom. He should be at work by now and not here, in this shit hole he calls a house.
“Excuse me? I’m not your PA or errand boy.” There was a long silence before Paulo spoke again. “Anyway, I didn’t call to pick a fight with you, I rather called for something much more important.”
“Like what?” Ace asked, taking off his shirt. He had been the call on speaker while he ran his bath.
“Mr Anthony’s information.”
“You’ve gotten information about him?” Ace asked just to be sure he heard correctly.
“Yeah. I would have say everything over on the phone but it will be preferable if I show you the files directly.” He said.
Ace intake a sharp breath as he processed the information. He was damn curious to know who this Anthony of a person is.Was he a friend? or an enemy?
“Let’s meet at our usual spot.”
“Alright.”
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He grabbed his car keys, his phone and walked out of his room. He descended the flight of stairs and went directly to the bar, he grabbed a bottle of vodka and poured himself some on a glas-scup, he downed the content in one gulp before walking out of the house.
He need courage to read throu-ghthose files that might provide him with answers he need.
He started the ignition and just when he was about to drive his mom jumped right in front of the car making him to press on the brake pedal immediately.
“Shit.” He cursed loudly. He angrily got out of the car, glaring at his mom. “WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!?” He yelled at her.
She flinched but soon regained her composure. “You didn’t eat breakfast.”
“Really? Breakfast? Should that be enough reason for you to jump right in front of my car like that? As much as I want you dead, I still don’t want to be the one to kill you.” He spat angrily at her.
He saw the hurt in her eyes. He had hurt her with his words but this wasn’t the first time for him to hurt her with the words he say. She should be getting use to them by now.
She let out a sigh, stretching out a docu-ment to him. He stared at it blankly before looking up to her face, raising a questioning brow at it.
“I might not remember that night but at least remember this.” She said calmly.
“What is that?” He asked not making any move to collect it from her.
She walked over to his car, opened the pa-ssenger’s door and dropped the docu-ment on the seat, she closed the door and walked back to her son who was staring at her awkwardly.
“Read that when you are chanced. I hope it helps for the investigation.” She let out a bittered smile and stepped away from him.
Ace walked back into his car. They were still staring at each other, he was the first to look away breaking the contact. His gaze dropped to the docu-ment on his seat. What could it contain? And how will it be of help to him in the investigation?
He started the ignition and drove out of the compound and this time around his mother didn’t jump right in front of his car.
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He parked in front of the Café. It was their ‘usual spot’ if not his house. He took off the seatbelt, turned off the ignition. He grabbed his phone and was about to step out of the car when his eyes dropped down on the docu-ment sitting on his seat.
He was curious to see what it contains and to know how helpful it was for them in the investigation.
But….if it was really helpful to them then does that mean his mom is actually innocent but just couldn’t remember about that night? Or was he blaming the wrong person?
*What if your mother can’t remember about that night because she wasn’t the one there when your father died. What if it was someone else. Probably you.* Paulo’s words echoed in his head.
He shakes his head vigorously. That can’t be possible, he can remember very well that he was at home with his nanny, Mrs Dara while his mom and dad were out. He could remember the look on his mother’s face when she informed him about his father’s death. There was no sign of bitterness, pain or the fact that she just lost someone. Instead it was the look of happiness, relief and fulfillment. He could remember it clearly. It was stuck right in his head.
He was still de-ep thought when he heard a tap on his window, he looked up at the person only to find Paulo staring at him with his brows arched.
Ace grabbed the docu-ment from the seat and got out of the car. He pressed the car remote control and turned to his only friend.
“Let’s go.”
They both walked into the Cafe. The workers bowed their heads in respect to them. Well, that’s simply because Ace was also the owner of the Large and populated Café. It is one of the best in the city. Not bragging.
Ace ignored all of them as he ascended the stairs but Paulo was kind enough to reply to their greetings and smile at them. He was very opposite from his friend.
They got into the private section and sat down. Paulo brou-ght out some files from his bag and dropped it on the table, Ace did the same then snatched the files Paulo had dropped on the table.
Paulo’s gaze were fixed on the docu-ment in front of Ace.
“What docu-ment is that?” He asked.
“I don’t know. It’s just a docu-ment she gave to me this morning. She said it might be helpful in the investigation.” He shrugged it off, reading throu-ghthe files in his hands. “Wait, I don’t get.” He began after he was done with reading the files. “Anthony was dad’s partner?”
“Apparently. But I thought every partnership was pa-ssed down to you like I mean those who partnered with your father are still with the company, right?”
“Well, yeah. But damn, I haven’t come in contact with him before.” He said in annoyance.
“Maybe he dissolved the partnership with your father.” Paulo reasoned out.
“Maybe. Did you check on him?”
He nod. “I did. Turns out he left the country soon after your dad’s death was announced. Suspicious, right?”
“Well, yeah.” Ace dropped down the files on the table. “I had a dream.” He said now. He had an internal whether or not he should talk to Paulo about the dream or the nightmare he had this morning. Turns out the positive side won the battle.
“A dream?” Paulo chuckles. “Man, you hardly dream.”
“Well, yeah.” Ace sighed. “But i did had a dream.”
“Wait, why are you telling me? I’m a detective, Ace not a pastor or a therapist.” Paulo said, amusement trailed in his voice.
“You think I don’t know that?” Ace growled. “Will you just shut up and listen.”
Paulo threw his hands in the air as if in defeat. “Shoot.”
Ace shot him a look that says, ‘laugh and die.’ Paulo knew better than to laugh. “I saw man lying helpless on the ground. He was bleeding, but yet he kept yelling at a child to run and himself but the child was too scared to move. Another man came to the scene, he knocked out the helpless man, making him unconscious before walking over to the child and then he said, ‘Let’s make a memory, shall we?’ It’s quite complicated and confusing.” He explained.
“Did you see their faces?” Paulo asked after a long pause.
“No. Their faces were blur.” He replied, his gaze never left the docu-ment his mother had left him this morning.
“Ace, are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“You think stupidly so how can I think what you are thinking?” He said as if stating the obvious.
Paulo rolled his eyes over his friend’s remark but didn’t take any offence to it. “What if the nightmare isn’t actually a dream but a memory?” He questioned.
“What? a memory?”
“What if that man lying helplessly on the ground is your late father, the child is you and the last man is probably the killer, the ringleader of this investigation.” Paulo said.
Ace thought about it for a while but then began shaking his head in disagreement. “No. That’s impossible. I can’t remember going out with my father that night. It was mom and dad who left. I’m sure of it.”
“Are you really sure, Ace? Who knows, your brain might be playing trick on you.”
??.
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#To Be Continued….