12
‘You call it madness, but I call it love. Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up.’
“Don’t forget to call me once you are both in Casala.” Kate told Craig who nodded his head.
Nora came down from the stairs, looking beautiful in her dress.
The white dress covers her shoulders entirely and flows down into a stylish jewel neckline. It’s a relaxed fit which makes the dress both enjoyable to wear and look at.
Her arms are completely uncovered. Which not only helps accentuate her gorgeous skin, it also keeps the focus on other parts of the dress.
She wore a white mask that matches the dress.
“You look beautiful dear.” Kate said which Craig agrees.
“Thank you grandma.” Nora responded with a sign.
Kate drove Craig and Nora towards the airport.
“Nora, if you noticed anything that is not right, please tell Craig, okay?”
“Yes grandma.”
“And Craig, please look after Nora.”
“Don’t worry ma’am, Nora is like my own daughter, I will look after her.”
Kate kissed Nora on her forehead and bid them farewell.
___
“Excuse me young lady but that is my airline seat, yours is the second one.” Paul Mirror gently told the mask lady sitting on his sit. He could see beneath that mask, was a beautiful girl.
Craig who sat down on the second row stood up. “Sorry son, I didn’t check.”
Craig gently took Nora and place her in the second airline seat.
Paul sat down on the previous seat Nora was, he kept glancing at Nora and was very sure he had met her somewhere before. But where?
____
The plane landed at the airport of Casala and Nora and Craig both entered the awaiting jeep Mark had sent to pick them up.
Paul Mirror who stood beside them watches as they entered the jeep, he knew who the owner of the jeep was, David father. He smiled, he was going to see the mask girl again.
***
David was livid when he saw Craig coming down from the jeep with Nora but he try not to allow his anger show on his face. Rather, he smiled at them and welcome them in.
Mark was also expecting only Nora but was surprised when he saw Craig. Kate never made any mention of Craig coming with Nora.
He welcomed them with an open arms and a maid brought them cold apple juice to drink.
“I hope you enjoyed your flight Nora?” He asked sweetly, David had angrily gone upstairs.
“Yes sir, we did.” Craig answered for Nora.
“Welcome to Casala.”
“Thank you sir.” Craig still reply.
Mark called out another maid and instructed her to arrange another room where Craig will stay.
“No need for that Mark, don’t bother about that. I will be guiding her door, there are no bodyguards with us Mark, I am her bodyguard until we are back in Floda, I don’t need a room. Nora and I have discussed that.” Craig said with a wave of his hand as he smile at the maid.
“Okay,” Mark said and stood up as the same maid who had brought juice for them came out with roasted chickens. “Enjoy yourself Nora, Craig, while I go and talk to the event planner.” Mark added and left them.
He went to David room and saw him throwing a fit.
“I tried my best David, but as you can see, Nora didn’t came alone like we’d thought.”
“Will Philip father stay in a different room?” David asked.
“No, he said he would prefer staying at the door where Nora is to guide her, against from what? I don’t know.”
“Get out of my room dad, let me think.”
Mark didn’t need to be told twice, he quietly left the room to his. Since it didn’t work out, he was going to plan a lie to tell Nora that the show won’t hold again.
David was angry. Why had Craig come with Nora? His plan if she’d came alone was to rape her, and force her to agree to be his.
What Will he do to have her alone?
David thought after a while, he smiled as a plan form in his head.
Yes, Nora the naive girl will come alone without Craig.
***
Paul entered the hotel he had booked online, he was taken to the suit where he will lodge until his business in Casala is over.
Again, he couldn’t take off his mind from the mask girl. Where had he seen her?
He sat down on the king size bed and saw a magazine beside the pillow. What capture his whole attention was the picture of the mask girl he met on the plane.
Ora, the ballet goddess of dance.
But if truly she was a ballet dance and a celebrity, why then does he has this strange feeling that he had met her before.
Ora? Nora?
If this mask lady is Ora, who then is Nora? In fact how come he came up with that name Nora? What is wrong with him all of sudden?
When he opened the magazine to read more information about his new found interest, he was surprised when he read of her handicap, she was blind and couldn’t speak.
Well, he will check on his Nephew the next day when he and the Hawks has finalized their business.
**
Lora had tried reaching the line of David which he wasn’t picking.
That was unlike David she know, something is up. David is the kind of person that doesn’t joke with her calls, so calling him and not picking made Lora worried.
That night after fruitless effort of reaching David, she made up her mind to visit him in his house.
***
At Night:
Craig was with Nora in the room given to her. They had just finished talking to Kate.
“Are you sure you of what you told Mr Mark earlier today, about guiding my door?” Nora asked in her sign as she prepares to sleep.
“Yes, something sounds fishy. I tried looking up for the shows he said he was having but Google couldn’t find it. I know Mark very well, anything he want to do, it will be all over the internet. When I didn’t find anything related to the show, it looks like he planned something, but don’t worry, I am here with you dear. The least I can do for Kate is to protect you Nora, so get some rest, I will be fine.”
“Thanks dad, good night.”
**
Lora visited David the following day and was surprised when she saw Ora in the sitting room with a man.
“Hello who are you?” Craig asked when he saw the young lady.
“I am looking for David, he is my boyfriend and he never told me that Ora, the lady I will die to meet is in his house.” Lora ended her statement with excitement.
“We came here on a low key.” Craig answered her with a smile.
Lora went to meet her, she knew of her handicap but hardly believe it.
“Hi Ora, I am Lora, Lora Dante. You may have heard of me, I am a singer.” Lora introduced herself.
Craig was shocked when he heard her name and quickly said to divert Lora from seeing the surprised look on Nora. “Sorry that my daughter couldn’t reply you but she is happy that you acknowledge her.”
“So it is true?”
Before Craig would reply, Mark was seen coming down from the stairs. He smiled when he saw Lora and hug her.
“Hello Lora, what a surprise to see you here.”
“Yeah, I have been trying to call David on his cellphone and he was not picking.”
“Oh, go and check in his room if you will see him there. I haven’t seen him since morning.” Mark told Lora who smiled and quickly went upstairs.
She entered his room but didn’t see David, she check the bathroom which was empty. As she was about giving up and return to the sitting room to chat with Ora, her eyes caught something that was on his bed.
She went over to the bed and took the paper and read it.
Her eyes shone with fury when she read the content. She read all the plans of David to have Ora.
Her new develop feelings for Ora changed totally to hate.
She kept the paper like the way she saw it and left his room. She was going to help David in his plan, but this time, she will kill Ora.
“He wasn’t in his room, I think he went out.”
She quickly bid them her goodbyes and left the premises.
As soon as she was in her car. “Dee, you know what to do.”
“The familiar unknown voice reply. “Yes Lora.”
___
David came home late, towards evening and told Nora that he wants to talk to her alone, not in the house though.
Nora agreed and told Craig who decided to come with them.Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.
David drove them with his car and after a while, he stopped his car.
“Where are we David?” Craig asked as he came down with Nora.
They weren’t far from a huge hill.
“I came to take Nora out for a dinner here and I will appreciate it if you don’t come with us.” David said.
“You know that is not possible.”
“Look, I know you cared about Ora, I do, but I won’t hurt her. Look over there.” David said and gave Craig a binocular, he took it and use it to stare at where David had pointed. Truly he saw how elegant the place that was for two couples to eat. He saw various types of food being set out on the table.
“I won’t harm her, I brought her here because this was the place I had a dinner last with my late mother.” David said convincingly.
“Okay, take her, I will watch you with this binocular.” Craig said finally giving in. This place reminds the guy of his late mother, so why won’t he grant his request.
David thanked him and gently took Nora’s hand and they started walking.
Meanwhile the real David walked into his compound and met his dad.
“Did you leave Craig and Ora?” Mark asked surprise to see his son back too soon.
“What are you talking about dad?”
“You took Ora and Craig out some minutes ago.”
“I did not take anyone or Ora to anywhere.”
“Am I seeing double, if you’re not the one who drove out of my compound some few minutes ago, then who did?”
“Where did this other me says he was talking them?”
“To that old hill, you told me you want to take her out for dinner.”
David quickly rushed out and entered one of the cars there and drove off in full speed.
***
The fake David who guided Nora came to a stop.
“Wait for me here Ora, I will be back.” He walked a distance and disappeared. The binocular he had given Craig was a magic binocular which will only show clone of Ora and David sitting at the elegant table.
“You think you can steal away my man from me and go away with it?” Lora voice break through the evening air.
Nora recognize that voice. “Lora? What are you talking about?” She asked with sign.
“Quit pretending that you don’t know what I am saying and besides I don’t understand the sign you just did. Anyway, whoever that wants to take the men I love will die. But before you die, I will love to see that face of yours.”
Lora clapped her hands and the mask disappeared from Nora’s face. Lora eyes grew wide in shocked which suddenly turned into anger.
“So you are still alive Nora? You surprised me, I never thought that the girl I wish to make friends with is actually my twin sister. It’s a pity I have to do it a second time.” Lora said and pushed Nora down the hills.
Where the fake David had left her was at the edge of the hill.
She laughed cruelly and left.
___
Paul saw what happened. He had following that way so that he won’t get caught by the cops when he saw Lora pushed the girl he was just thinking about.
Before he could get there, Lora wasn’t there. He put a call across the Hawks and told them he needed a chopper (helicopter) quickly.
***
When Nora opened her eyes, the first thing she saw were two people. A handsome young man sitting beside her who looked worried and… Daisy.
She then realised something that shocked her beyond imagination.
SHE CAN SEE.