The Hidden Agenda: NYSSA
The moment we’ve been waitin’ for.
Ariadne was seated at another table, while I relaxed on one. Upon the openin’ of the door, I sat up and planted a smile. The way to react to the walkin’ in of a doppelganger was somethin’ I wasn’t certain of.
She didn’t smile, unlike me who did.
For a moment, I thought my legs were floatin’ in the air. The smile on my face was shakin’ as well and I heard. “Calm down, Nyssa. You’ll do just fine. Be natural, too.” Were words from Ariadne who acted like she didn’t come with me – just as Kazmir had instructed.
What was I goin’ to face?
I got on my feet and stretched out my arm, waitin’ for a hug but she didn’t give me one. Rather, she took a seat and threw her purse on the table. “I didn’t know you would make it to the restaurant before I would be here.” She smiled, for the first time.
We looked so much alike.
“It’s nice to meet you, finally.”
“Well, what do you have to say ’bout my reputation that you’re ’bout to ruin, Calypso?” Since she didn’t want to start on the right foot, I knew how to go ’bout the wrong foot. “The least you could do was look for a way to reach out to me and not scare my husband and fans.”
Someone at another table coughed.
It was a reminder from Ariadne who asked that I be calm. I relaxed, heaved a sigh, and met the gaze of Calypso who was as well shocked. She definitely wasn’t expectin’ such an outburst, but what would she have me do? I thought and heaved another sigh. “Where did you emerge from?”
“I have no idea,” chucklin’, she snapped her fin’ers. Men in uniform walked to the table. They took her order and she asked. “Don’t you want somethin’ to drink, my sister? You look so much like me, as usual.”
That doesn’t answer my question, does it?
“I should be askin’ you why you abandoned me like that, you know. I’m sure your Mother told you ’bout me at some point-” she started when the drink she asked for had come. “You know what? It was years of waitin’ to be loved by you and maybe Mother who had done nothin’ but show me hate. But what do I get from you? The love I know that I deserve? I still don’t get it. Why would I be separated from birth? Didn’t she have a heart?!”
She was confusin’ me.
I didn’t know what to say, not at this point.
“I don’t know what to say to you,” I confessed. “I’m sure you know I had an accident many months ago. Also, Mother did not tell me anythin’ ’bout you until yesterday when I saw you on the internet. I wasn’t supposed to guess I have a twin if I wasn’t told, was I?”
She smiled.
“I thought we were twins and should be treated the same way but what do I get from Mother, Father, and you? Rejection. Hate. Hate. Hate!”
It was becomin’ too much. Too much and I hated this. “Well, I’m sorry you went through that. Do you want to meet our mother?”
“Of course not,” she chuckled. “She doesn’t want to meet me, so why should I meet her?” She asked and relaxed on the chair. “I didn’t call you to talk ’bout Mother. Sadly, you were involved in an accident. By now, I expect you to understand everythin’ I am tryin’ to say.”
But I wasn’t.
What would she have me do?
Hit my head a million times until I got everythin’ I was supposed to recall.
A sigh ran out of my mouth.
I exchanged looks with Ariadne who nodded with an encouragin’ smile on her countenance.
I should have known I shouldn’t make it to this place in the first place. Even though I wanted to just meet, not talk ’bout ill things that happened in the past.
An excuse to mock me and remind me of the silly condition I was in.
“Well, Calypso. We can’t dwell on the past for a long time, can we? Especially at our first meetin’ ever. I have an idea.” I smiled and looked around. “Would you like some food? I’m sure they have good meals in this restaurant. I’m also hungry. I’m sure we can talk while we look for a way forward or don’t you think the same?”
She nodded.
It was my turn to snap my fin’ers.
When two men came again to the table, our orders were given to them. I looked at Calypso again. It was quite hard to believe what I saw before me. It looked like it was a reflection of me and there was a mirror in between.
A mixture of good and bad feelin’s came ’bout me. It was a good thing to be here with Ariadne, Darius, and two men Kazmir didn’t hesitate to assign to us when the trip came up. I was sure ’bout my safety, but was this woman sure too? Lookin’ up once in a while, I couldn’t help but wonder what went on in her mind.
Kill me?
It was obvious that she hated me.
Very obvious and I couldn’t blame her.
“Is there a problem?” At some point, I asked and she shook her head, lookin’ down at her plate. Now was the time for me to feel very sorry for her. Mother didn’t do well, and does that mean I was her favorite daughter?
Why would Mother leave her?
Maybe there’s somethin’ she didn’t tell me.
Definitely, there had to be.
There’s no way a woman would do a thing like that to her child. Talk more ’bout a twin. Did she not think I would need her by my side at some point? I looked at the watch on my wrist and looked at her. “Do you like-have any idea why she would abandon you?”
I knew, but asked ’cause I didn’t like the silence that ruled the table. She looked up.
“I should be askin’ you.”
“I wouldn’t ask you if I knew, Calypso!”
“Well, I had an infection-” she let out. “A nurse took me in ’cause it was an infection that would be treated eventually. I don’t get your family sometimes. It’s not my family ’cause I wasn’t part of it from my birth. Don’t look at me like that. You should have come for me too.”
Well, how was I supposed to do that?!
I didn’t even know she existed. In my past life, not until now. What was she tryin’ to do? Make me feel guilty? No way. “I don’t know what to tell you.” At this point, I was done with my meal. “But one thing you should know is that I am ready to leave. It was nice meetin’ you, Calypso but this is the point where I call it a day.”
She didn’t say a word.
“We can talk via texts just as we have been doin’, mm?” I smiled and started to walk away. Those who came with me got on their feet as well and walked away from their tables. I believe it was at this point that the woman knew I was escorted in case she had an intention to hurt me.