"Macky, I was just joking. Please open the door…"
I covered my ears as I heard him again. That was not a good joke. He should think about that before he lets that out of his mouth.
It's already 3pm and grandpop never helped him.
"Love, I'm begging you… "
"Stop that, Markian! Your voice irritates me." I shouted.
"Love!" he shouted as soon as he opened the door. He came rushing and suddenly hugged me.
Well, I guess I'm wrong when I said grandpop won't help him, 'cause right now, grandpop is smiling as he sees Markian hug me.
"I'm sorry, okay? I thought you'd know that it's a joke. I would never do that. I'm only into you."
"Really?"
"Yes,"
"I don't care."
He hugged me tighter and I smelled his scent. I miss this. But no. I'm mad, right? Why can't I get mad at him for one whole day??
"Fine. Just drive me to the provincial jail." I mandated and he just looked at me.
"Why jail?"
-
GRACEY'S POINT OF VIEW
I was surprised that the jail wasn't as crowded as I thought. In this cell, we're just five and this jail consists of fifty cells, all for women but the 30 cells were not occupied. For males, they assigned 50 cells too and 30 weren't occupied, too.
"I know you!" a lady wearing thick eyeglasses shouted with her tiny voice. I think she's at our age too.
"Hey, talk to me!" she shouted again and so, I looked at her.
"You're Gracey Santos, right? The long lost twin sister of Mackenzie Gavin?"
My mouth went agape as soon as I heard that name. All of the things I've done to her came back. But… "How did you know?"
"Well, I am her friend, Jonah." she said and there I remembered her.
She was Mackenzie's friend way back in highschool. Well, I knew that, of course. Mackenzie's my mortal enemy back then before I...before I found out that she's my sister. My twin sister. And they said, Keep your friends close and enemies closer. I always look at who she is with, what she is doing, where she goes to and many more. If I could work after this, I'll just apply as a spy, haha.
"How did you… end here?" I asked and furrowed my eyebrows.
"Well, thanks to you." my brows furrowed even more. What did she mean?
"Wait. Wait. Wait. What happened and how did you know that I'm her twin when you befriended her 3 years ago? I-I don't get it." I said and she laughed sarcastically. As she started a flashback went back inside my head.
"Hey, Mackenzie. Yes. Meet me at the park if you don't want your friend Jonah to be in jail." I said as I called her on the phone.
We're planning to sabotage Mackenzie because tomorrow will be the date that a genius like me awaited. Pautakan. It's a contest for all of the top students of the school. A project started by President Cruz, many years ago. And Mackenzie is my greatest opponent.
[Mackenzie: W-what do you mean Jonah will be in jail?]
I didn't answer her and let her be worried. Jonah was already tied and was abducted by us. We already edited a video for Jonah and Mackenzie. We will be sending this to the police as evidence that she robbed the school. Poor Jonah. Why did she choose to be friends with Mackenzie?
"B-but Mackenzie showed up that night. My friends told me." I stuttered and tried to remember everything.
"Don't you realize why you lost that competition?"
"I-I don't get it. My friends told me that she came." I explained.
She laughed again and hit my arms. "Silly. Do you think I'll be fooled by you? I wasn't abducted that night. As soon as I heard you from the bathroom that you're planning to get me, I immediately obliged Macky to go to the park and wear my usual clothes. Hoodie. Didn't you realize that?"
My mouth went agape. We never checked who it was as we kept her inside a room after.
"...and I knew that after Mackenzie came, your original plan was to let me go and get her into jail."
T-that's why I never saw Jonah on college. They said she just transferred to another school. Right. This is why I couldn't be called genius. Haha.
"'guess you're really friends with my sister. But how did you know that she's my twin sister? I mean we just know the truth this year."
"I'm about to tell you that when I followed you on the the bathroom but I heard your plan and I thought you don't deserve to know the truth." she said and smirked.
Ouch.
Well she's right. I don't really deserve to know it. Mackenzie was so honest, kind and wonderful to have a...person like me—as her sister. Her twin sister.
"Your mother told me. Haha. That supposed to be her first move to get Mackenzie's custody." she said and hit my shoulder by her shoulder and smiled.
"She's a great woman. I don't wonder that she's Mackenzie's mother. They have the same traits."
"Tell me more about Mackenzie."
-
"Okay. Day 1 of being a 'good twin sister to Mackenzie' starts now!"
"What's her comfort food?" I asked and held my pen tightly as I listen to her.
"Pasta with pesto and a combination of chocolate and coffee."
"Her favorite animal?"
"You."
I glared at her as she said that. I'm asking seriously!
"Is that essential, really?" she asked and frowned.
"Well, I want to know everything about her and to know her better, I believe that I need to know the smallest things about her." I explained and smiled at her widely.
"Well, it's cat."
"Favorite color?"
She gave me the 'you're-disgusting-look' as I asked that. Whaaaat? I just wanted to know what she wants.
"Maroon."
"Really? Why not red?"
"Why don't you ask her?"
"Okay, next. Her favorite streetfood?"
"Kwek-kwek."
-
"I thought this is gonna be fun but it's getting so boring, girl. Can we already stop?" I glared at Jonah and crossed my arms leveling my chest.
"Ugh! Okay. Day 4. Starts now." she said lazily and yawned.
"Who is her favorite person?"
"You."
Me? Ugh. "I'm asking seriously, Jonah. Pleaaaase." I said as I write down on my notebook. I made a calligraphy of Day 4 on my notebook.
"And I am serious. What are you talking about?"
I'm her favorite person? But why?
"I know you're wondering why. But I don't know wholly why." she explained and yawned.
Throughout our conversation, I can't remove that thought in my mind. She likes me? I'm her favorite person even when I look at her as my enemy.
The next day I woke up tired as I cleaned true whole cell. Jonah and our other cellmates helped me but I let them rest after an hour and continued it all by myself.
"Are you ready for day 5, redhead?" I opened my eyes and yawned.
What time is it? The sun is shining bright.
"I know you're tired but wake up at least before breakfast not after lunch." she murmured and so, I immediately stood up.
"Here's your food. Just don't eat too much so you'll not puke here."
"T-thank you."
She just nodded, "We're going to celebrate the new year together with the other prisoners. Warden said she'll prepare a party for us tonight, what do you think? Haha."
"I-I don't feel I can go. I'll just stay here."
She then smiled, "Then, I'll stay here too! So, shall we start?"
"Wait. I'll just get my notebook and pen."
"Santos, you have a visitor." the warden said and so I furrowed my eyebrows. Who would visit me? Thinking that Aunt Gian might have paid them gave chills on my body.
She opened the door of the cell and let me out. She lead me to a girl sitting back on us.
"Ma'am, she's here."
"Gracey! I missed you so much!" the lady said as she turned around to see us.
She immediately went to hug me, tightly; it was warm. My body somehow recognize that embrace. Maybe because we're twins?
"How's everything?" she immediately asked as she opened the lunchbox she's holding.
"Fine." I shortly said.
How could she smile at me and talk to me as if I've never done something bad to her before? How could she refer to me as her favorite person? Why did she visited me?
Questions ran on my mind crazily that I couldn't take it anymore. This lady in front of me literally deserves everything I kept away from her. She deserves a happy and peaceful life but I gave her sadness and sorrow.
"I prepared this for you! Look, I brought lasagna. Mama said you eat this everytime you feel..lonely. I-I'm that you ended up here." she said with teary eyes.
Mama? Is she talking about our mother?
I got it from her, "Thank you but you don't have to be sorry. It was my fault that I ended up here. You shouldn't be stressed out about me, okay? It will be bad for the baby. It would be bad for my nephew." I kidded to lighten up the situation.
"Hey! Why do you all think it's a boy?" she said and pouted.
"Nothing, haha. By the way, thank you for this." I murmured and pointed the lasagna. "And please extend my gratitude to Mama. As well as my apology for not letting her go here." I said covered my face with my hands.
"I-I just don't feel like talking to all of you after everything I've done. I know I've left deep wounds on you, guys. I'm sorry."
The moment that the warden called me awhile ago, I was expecting Mama but it was my twin sister. The least person I want to see.
"Shh. Gracey, I know it has been hard for you too and I wanted you to know that I've already forgiven you."
My heart flattered in amusement. Indeed, she's a great lady and because of that, I felt blessed that I once had her not as my enemy but my twin sister.