THE COPY CAT
It started in Uni. I had to re-do a class and joined her batch. She seemed normal, of course everyone does at first. I thought she was kind to sit next to me and converse and catch me up with class when I come late or miss it. All the others had their own click and seemed not to be bothered by the old new kid in class. Little did I know that she had no friends in her own class, nobody liked her, but I did not know that and I just thought she was friendly.
I remembered when she started getting annoying. We had this practical, where we could choose where to do it and which specific field we want to do the practical in. She asked me which field was I interested in and where would I choose to do it. I told her I was going to discus it with a professor of ours before I decide. This professor, he was the best in our fields. She said she would come with. I found that weird, but I allowed it. We met our professor together, he suggested doing the practical out of town, with his friend, whom he called right away. I was excited. To my surprise, she said she wanted to do the same thing and in the same place. Weird. But okay.
When I couldn’t go to the destined practical place due to personal issues, she decided not to go to. I realize she was a cut throat competitive bitch. She was competitive with everyone, but I wonder why she chose me to follow everything about. But I let it go when I passed that class, I dismissed it as a non threatening competition. I thought leaving the class, I would not have to deal with her anymore, but I was wrong. Although I didn’t see her that often, somehow she managed to be around and offer me lifts or chatting me up in the cafeterias.
I was never an introvert person, and boy am I talkative. When someone start talking and asking about me, I sing like a canary. I would regret it afterwards that I said too much, but at the time, there was no break in me telling about me. And everything that she fished out of me seemed to be a challenge for her to do better. I didn’t matter what it was about; whether it was carrier or love life or travels, she had to do the same thing I did and she would make sure she was better at it. That started to annoy me and freaked me out, but mostly annoyed me. I kept my distance from her and reminded myself not to talk too much with her. And then I graduated.
Life was at peace, I did not hear from her or about her and I was happy and relieved. That didn’t last long. Three years into my job in the company I chose to work in, she started as a new employee. As much as I could, I kept my distance from her. She wasn’t very well liked there, she was known as a cut throat bitch and known to lie a lot and delegate work to others while claiming she did them. I kept my distance even more. She still tried to be friendly and chummy to me and tried her best to be as close to me as she could.
She would ask to be in a project that I was in, she would match up travel dates when travelling was needed, she would take my job from me as if giving me a favor, she would go as far as to snatch a project that was meant for me. I hated her. I don’t think I ever hated someone at all. But I hated her. I continued to keep my distance from her. I spoke as little as I needed to her.
But as universe had it, we were on a same project again and we had to go overseas to a tropical island. And this time I couldn’t get away and separate from our group so I was stuck with her. And she got on my nerve.
I had always loved the beaches, I would swim in them all day long if I could. I was prepared to set time to enjoy the beaches. The day I arrived, I kept my luggage in the hotel, got my bikini on and walked to the beach and swam. The other team members weren’t big on getting sand all over, the stayed clean in a café, drinking expensive coffee and liquor, including my nemesis.
The next day, I woke up early just to be able to swim in the sea before our first meeting, and there she was on the beach with her new bikini. How did I know it was new and she didn’t just bring it? It was the same bikini that was in the hotel gift store the day before. Not wanting to ruin my morning, I passed her and jumped into the sea and felt great. She did the same, I ignored her.
While she was still in the water, I got out and walked back to the hotel, buying knick-knacks along the way. I bought the local food from the local shops and packed it to eat it later, I bought the local coffee cause I loved coffee and always wanted to try the local ones wherever I was.
After shower and make up, I got down to the lobby with my food package and my coffee waiting for the rest. She was the first one that showed. She saw my package and my coffee and inquired about it. Absently I said it was the local food and coffee. She nodded and sat. The others came one by one, few of them asked me about the food and coffee. She stood up and said it was a good idea and perhaps she should get some too. She left and came back with the food package and the coffee.
I swear, I think she followed me to the bathroom as well. It was more than a couple of times that I went to the toilet and when I came out, she came out from the next stall. There was nothing I did she didn’t follow and be better at.
This went on until one day she showed up at my door. There was a confused look on her face when I opened the door.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“It’s a holiday, I’m staying home” I said lazily.
“But this is my house…” she was more uncertain than confused.
“Honey, who is it?” my husband asked as he came to the door with my two year old daughter, Annie, in his arm.
“A friend…” I said and he smiled at her kindly, said hi, gave Annie to me and went in again before she could claim he was her husband.
“Ben…” she said softly still confused. “Ben is MY husband” she said emphasizing on ‘my’.
“No he isn’t”
“Annie…” she tried to touch Annie’s cheeks but Annie looked away, hugged me tight and hid her face in my embrace.
“This is MY life” she was upset now, almost shouting.
“No… No it isn’t…” I had a wicked smirk on my face and added “anymore.”
“What the hell are you talking about” this time she was clearly screaming, frustrated.
“You wanted my life so much, I gave it to you in exchange of yours. You wanted to be me so much, now you are…” I said lightly. “Enjoy…” I said and closed the door on her face, leaving her confused, perhaps for the rest of her life, or eternity.
I was told our kind neither lived nor die, we don’t eat nor sleep, no emotions and we can’t see colors. We roam this universe till the end of time as an empty shell, until we are ready to be humans. We take their place and let them live in limbo until they figure it out and choose another human to take their place.
I wouldn’t choose this life, her life, to be her, but she was following me as if offering her-self to me and it was easier than to pick a prey. Funny, with no emotion, I felt hatred towards her, perhaps it was a sign I was ready to get out of the limbo and she was perfect. Any imperfection in this new life, I could manage and change it a little here and there. The thing is, I’m out of limbo, for now.
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As I walked away from the house I once called home, the colors fade and the world was black and white once again. A smile curled on my face with no happiness behind it. I smiled cause I won. Sure it was remarkable to have lived as human; the colors were beautiful, the feelings were entertaining, but living was dull. And the call from my oncologist didn’t help. Everything failed and when I realized I had a deadline I crave immortality once again, and I know just how and who to get it from. I laid the work years before, when the time came all I needed to do was annoy her enough, just enough that she would teach me a lesson, a lesson in which she thought she came out as a winner. Little did she know, she was part of my plan all along.
The End
