I
love to sleep. It allows me to forget all my worries for the day and live my
imagination. However, my beauty sleep was broken by my scheduler alarm for my
trial lecture. “Shit!” I swore loudly, remembering I had to go to college and
make sure the students liked my teaching. I had no time whatsoever to prepare!
I’d spent the whole afternoon with Roran. I was being irresponsible. Not
anymore. I couldn’t be late; I’d already managed to spoil my timely appointment
with the principal yesterday. I hurried in the bathroom, took a quick warm
shower, and changed into formal clothes. I kept it simple with a grey suit and
black skirt.
When
I entered the class, I was hoping to see a few students on their benches with
some books to scribble down notes. I knew the standard of the college was high,
I should have checked the strength of the classes too. The class was more like
an auditorium. The floor was slant, for a better view, and student all over.
They must be more than a hundred. If this were a cartoon, my eyes would pop
right out like a spring.
Anyways,
if I wanted this job, I had to get myself determined to get it. I believed in
hard work and fate. And this was where fate bought me. I had to endure it. I
sucked up my fright and introduced myself to the class. “My name is Koyna
Brahma and I will be teaching you geology.” I knew this was college and not KG,
but I still expected a “good morning teacher” in chorus. When I didn’t receive
one, I continued my lecture on palaeontology. I’d decided to go with mega
fossils and microfossils today. However, when I saw that the class was bored, I
started giving them examples of the Jurassic park lead and the f.r.i.e.n.d.s.
character Ross. When I linked these characters and some of the words that
they’d used on television, I started getting looks saying “she’s cool!” from
the students. I smiled back. That, I liked.
I
wasn’t the kind of person who’d enforce rules on others, students specifically.
I couldn’t be a strict teacher. I wanted to be a friend, someone they could
readily approach to in case they needed to seek help. Till now, everything
seemed to be in place. I was happy by the facial expression – response the
students gave. Feeling confident, I left the room. I was hardly aware of the
head mister and some senior teachers sitting there to examine me. All in all, I
was satisfied by my performance. I was asked to leave for the day. The results
were due in two days. I wasn’t sure if I could wait that long. Not that I had a
choice.
I
decided to pay Roran a visit. I got in my truck and started searching for my
keys when I heard a faint baby-cry. I instantly turned around and saw a tiny
baby crying on the back seat. I immediately got up and covered that baby with a
handkerchief I had, assuming it was feeling cold. It was so small it could fit
in my palm. This was weird. And then the memory came back. All of it. That amoeba,
the wrapper, that foetus. It wasn’t a baby. It was a thing. That freakish thing
which kept following and haunting me yesterday. If I had any indecision about
meeting Roran, it vanished. I had to see him immediately.
I
didn’t even bother calling him. I drove as fast as I could and stopped only
when his house was in view. I kept ‘it’ on the seat itself and rang the bell.
When nobody answered, I tried the door and it was unlocked. I stepped in hoping
to find Roran, but saw mr. H instead. Uh-huh, make it two mr. Hs. Dressed
exactly alike, playing carom.
“What
the…” before I could think, words that sounded really bad were coming out of my
mouth. Roran heard my voice and came running outside his room. “Hi Koy” the
smiley mr.H said, and the frowny one just ignored me like I was a ghost. “Let
me guess” I said deadbeat, straight to Roran who had his expression like he was
caught stealing. “He doesn’t have a memory problem, does he?” “Come in Koy” he
said, and I did.
“Why
did you lie to me? This is outrageous. It doesn’t even make sense. So, mr. H
has a twin brother. Big deal. Why did you have to hide it? Why did you tell me
he has a memory problem when in fact I’m pretty sure, his brother came to us
later yesterday?” It wasn’t a big lie but the fact that Roran had to lie to me
made me angry. “Don’t you remember anything I told you yesterday, huh Koy?” I
stared at him for a long time thinking about all that he’d told me. “You mean
to say that he’s not his brother?” I asked. “No” Roran said, looking at the ground.
He then looked up slowly and whispered, “Promise you won’t tell anyone”. “I
promise”. “Good, because you’re gonna be a part of this secret.”
Roran
started telling me the full story. “We found twinticles about five years before.
In Africa. When the man met his fully grown twinticle, they were of completely
opposite nature. At first, they thought that they’re long lost brothers. But
something seemed amiss. They took a few medical tests. Even the doctors
couldn’t put a finger on what was going on. So the tests were forwarded to some
labs. After two years of inspection, they came across one more case in the same
area. That’s when they knew how it happens. Every twinticle is initially just a
shapeless tiny being. It needs the blood of a human to survive.” Shapeless tiny
being, much like the amoeba, I thought. “Once it has the blood, it gets
attracted towards the person who’s blood it receives. These creatures grow to
look exactly like that person. Except that they’re the complete opposite of
them. They take every behavioural trait of the person, and reverse it.” I was
dumbfounded.
“They
grow pretty fast and and age as much as the person. After that, the aging rate
of the twinticle adapts to its host person.” I felt like my mind whirling. Like
my brain was against gravity and flowing upwards, trying to get out of my
skull. “Mr. H is our subject. I’m observing him for anything that might be
useful for our research. That’s why I stay with him.” He turned to look at the
duo playing carom. “They’re completely opposite. Mr. H is whiny and a cry baby.
His twinticle is happy and encouraging. Koy, you have knowledge of geology.
Some of our experiments are pointing to facts that twinticles come to life from
some fossils underground. We don’t know what exactly is happening, but we could
definitely use your help. The reason why the college needs another geology
professor is that we need a helping hand in our research. And I think you fit.
The principal Mr. Shikhar and my partner is actually considering you as a good
candidate. He just called me up.”
As
good as the new job news felt, my mind was still whirling about the twinticles.
I knew what it was, I knew where it was. A new sample for his, or maybe ‘our’
research. It was in my truck. “Roran”, I said finally. “I have something that
might help”. Also, I added, “I need help.”
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