Flawless

The Manipulators.

Dedicated to @_dawrites for the shocking twist of #PicturePerfect. Thumbs up.

THE MANIPULATORS.

I was still on my huge bed when Mom walked in looking all dressed up. She was dressed in brown iro and buba (top and wrapper), black heeled shoes and her head gear was black, tied in steps. Her make up was light and she smiled as I got up.

"Good morning, ma. "
" Olufunke, how was your night? "
I shivered. I didn't want to think about it. " it was fine. You all are leaving now?"
"yes, are you sure you want to stay back at home? " she asked, her voice full of hope.
"I'll be fine. I don't want to go out for now."

She nodded and took my left hand, she caressed a scar between my second and third finger. "you were just six when you crashed... On a bicycle. Since then you have always suffered from memory loss. You'll be fine."
I stared at the scar, it was dark and so deep. "so you were the one that sent the report to the NAVE, right?"

Mom looked confused and shocked but she quickly masked her expression. "someone sent a report to them about what?"
"about the crash of course. "
She shook her head as if shaking off an impossible thought.
I frowned." you were not aware? "
She smiled forcefully." of course I'm aware. It's just that... Wait... I'll leave now. Something urgent came up. Joshua will pick you up later."

I stood there confused and watched as she left. Why was she acting weird just because of a medical report? I shrugged and locked my door before getting back to bed.
Mom, dad, Kelvin and Kath were going for a social function at the government's house. They didn't exclude me, it was my decision to stay and work things out.

I went to my wardrobe. There were clothes, a whole lot of them and I sighed in frustration when I didn't see anything that was out of the blue. I was about going back to bed when my hand struck a hard object. Shifting the clothes, I saw a big photo album.
I pulled it out and went to bed, balancing myself well on the pillow, I opened the album.

The first picture was of me. I was a small girl and I wore a pink gown. I looked pale, wires were connected to my small body and an oxygen mask was on me.
What happened?
I brought out the picture and I looked at it more carefully. I looked like I would die in the picture, my body was limp. I looked at the back of the picture and saw some words scribbled on it. They were two sentences, different handwritings.

After the crash.
September 22,2007.

Beneath it was a different handwriting, I figured it's mine.

A crash?! Must they lie? Isn't it obvious it wasn't a crash. Something is wrong, Karl. It went wrong September 22,2007. It wasn't a crash.

I trembled. September 22... The date J.M.K and I went missing. The date I crashed. Was it mere coincidence? What made old Karleen so convinced that it wasn't a crash? What happened ten years ago?
I picked a pen and circled September 22. Something had happened that day to clear my memory just like it did when I was six.
What was it? Why -

I dropped the picture. The why's and what's were driving me crazy. But something dawned on me, the adventure old me craved was finding what really happened to me on September 22.

A knock.
I must have drifted into a dreamless sleep. I scratched my eyes and opened them, I had slept on the photo album.

"who's it? " I asked sleepily.
" it's Joshua. Chichi told me you were in. "
Damn Chichi then. I rolled my eyes. Must he say his name? It caused enough chaos already and he was the only guy I knew that had a musical voice.
Damn him too.

Quickly, I packed the album back to the wardrobe and went to the mirror to see if I didn't drool.

I'm not checking myself because of Mr Hot Driver o. Who am I kidding?