To My Dearest Roseanne- Chapter 46
Enzo was chasing a ball until it fell under an armchair. The dog stood there gobsmacked. His nose inspected the tiny space between the floor and furniture. His paw swooshed into the opening, but it couldn't reach the ball.
Robert was plastering up a hole near the window sill in the living room when he heard the sound of rummaging coming from the kitchen.
"Honey, I told you I will prepare dinner!" he shouted from the room.
"But I'm fine. You don't have to do everything for me! Just let me cook something. It's nearly evening. Rosie should be back any minute." Liz filled a pot with water and placed it on the stove.
"Well, okay."
Having plastered the hole, Robert shoved the spatula into a bowl and straightened his back. The setting sun beautifully covered the blocks of Szwederowo in the intense orange light. The late afternoon was coming to an end and the street looked as peaceful as never before.
"It's going to be a beautiful summer," Robert said.
"What is it that you're saying?!" Liz asked from the kitchen.
"Nothing honey. Just talking to myself."
Enzo began wimping loudly, pointing with his paw at the spot where the ball had disappeared.
"What is it, old buddy?" Robert turned to the dog. "You lost your ball, huh?"
The man crouched and fished it out from under the armchair. Enzo barked in happiness at the sight of reclaimed property.
"Where's the ball now? Where is it now? Here it is!"
Enzo took the ball in his mouth and ran away. A doorbell sound spread across the apartment.
"I'll get it, hun!"
Robert walked to the entrance and unlocked it. His eyes widened because he saw a familiar woman at the doorstep. He never had a memory for names, but he knew her face from somewhere.
"Well, hello, What a surprise!" he said.
"Yes, it is." the woman smiled.
Awkward silence fell between them immediately. Robert wanted the woman to explain the purpose of her coming here, but the woman clearly expected Robert to do something.
"You probably don't remember me, do you?" the woman asked.
"Please forgive me, but my memory can't be trusted. I know I've seen you before.'
"I'm Emily's mother, Molly Champignon. We met outside the hospital two weeks ago."
"Ah, yes. That misunderstanding concerning Roseanne and the police."
"Exactly." Molly rolled her eyes in slight embarrassment. "Well, I came to collect my daughter."
"Oh, okay." Robert was about to go to Roseanne's room, but then he realised something. "Wait a minute. You came to collect your daughter?"
"That's correct."
"But my daughter had a sleepover at your daughter's, so it's impossible for your daughter to be at my daughter's."
"What do you mean? Emily told me she came here for a sleepover."
"And Roseanne told us Emily invited her for a sleepover."
"This is nonsense! Where's my daughter?" Molly raised her voice.
The woman stepped inside and the two began to shout over themselves, gesturing dramatically. Molly threatened to call the police, whereas Robert demanded the return of Roseanne. Suddenly, Liz called them out from the kitchen.
"Both of you stop arguing and come to the window right now!" she ordered.
They did as they were told and together with Liz looked outside. They couldn't believe their eyes.
Cho and Roseanne were walking proudly in the middle of the street, the trunk between them. Emily toddled behind them with her bike. They were quite a sight for passers-by, especially Cho's hanbok which was stained and rugged, but Roseanne's uniform was no exception.
"Hey, are you shooting a K-Drama or what?" somebody asked.
"No, we're just coming home," Roseanne replied.
Liz reached for her glasses to see better, but she threw them away. She got another pair and threw these as well.
"Does anybody have proper glasses? Mine are broken?"
"Here," Molly offered her pair from the purse.
Liz put them on but threw out quickly too.
"They're messed up! I keep seeing double."
"Honey... we're all seeing double," said Robert.
***
When the girls climbed on the floor, the adults fell out of the kitchen. Enzo arrived with a wagging tail, jumping repeatedly at Cho and barking in happiness.
Molly got hold of her daughter and hugged her.
"Where the hell have you been?" she asked. "Doing that dreadful Urbex again?"
"I'm sorry I lied, Ma. Please forgive me. I just wanted to help out my friends."
Robert and Liz stood there in shock. They didn't even start the conversation because they didn't know who to address. There were two individuals who looked like her daughter.
"Mom, Dad," Roseanne said, "I would like you to meet Cho, my sister."
Cho nodded her head gently.
"If... If I bore twins, I would have been the first one to know," Liz said, her voice breaking from fear.
"It's a long story, but if you give me a chance, I'll explain. What matters is that Cho is very much real and she is like me. To tell the truth... she is me."
"It wasn't you, but you!" Molly pointed at Cho. "You ran away from the hospital."
"I'm sorry I caused you trouble, Ma'am, but it was a misunderstanding. I was short of time and had to get somewhere to cure myself."
"What the hell?"
Emily pulled her mother to the side and began explaining to her what she knew. In the meantime, Liz took Cho's hand and examined it carefully, the skin's texture, lines on the inside, shape of the fingernails. All of them were exactly like Roseanne's.
"You are the girl I saw in my dreams," said Liz.
"As a matter of fact, I've seen you once already, but you were sleeping," Cho said, tears coming down her face.
"Don't cry, my little bunny."
"How am I not when I remember you calling me that, Mom."
Cho kneeled down and embraced her like a reclaimed treasure. Now both of them burst into tears.
Robert turned to Roseanne.
"Did you clone yourself or what?"
"Your sister thought exactly the same. I told you I can explain everything, but you'll think it's science fiction."
Cho and Liz continued their hug. Robert observed from the side.
"It's already science fiction to me," he said. "I mean look at her. She looks like a Jedi knight in that robe."
"It's called hanbok, dad."
"Whatever. To be honest, I always wanted to have two children. But I didn't think a day would come in my life, ridden by chasing deadlines and catching up lost kilometres when my teenage daughter returned home with a twin. You never cease to amaze me."
"I know. I am very good at it, aren't I?"
Roseanne kissed her dad on the cheek. He, in turn, wrapped his arm around her. When Cho finally dislodged from Liz, she wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and looked at Robert.
"Come over here," he said.
Without saying anything, Cho rested her head on his other shoulder. Now he was hugging them both.
Enzo, on the other hand, ran outside and charged at Kawasaki Ninja. Sinking his teeth in the delicious rubber of the front tyre.
"Oh, no, no, no! Enzo! Leave the bike! Come back here!" Emily called, jumping down the stairs.
Comments
Post a Comment