The Perfect Copy
#1
Light raindrops fell over the graveyard while everyone sang the sad hymn. Slowly, the funeral parlor staff skillfully lowered the coffin into the grave.
She stood a few feet behind everyone, in a position where she could see everything and everyone, and for a moment it felt like a joke but it was actually happening. They all believed they were burying her.
She looked at her two kids clinging to their father, her youngest seeming confused. Her older one looked sad as she stared at her mother’s coffin sink down.
She blinked feeling the raindrops become heavier, her dress beginning to cling to her as if to comfort her.
Her eyes moved through the crowd and she stared at her mother, wondering what exactly was going through her mind.
“This is so sad. To think someone murdered her. What is the world coming to, Jehovah?”
Her heart skipped as someone stood next to her. She quickly fixed her scarf, hiding her face behind it.
“Let’s go closer so we can take a better look.”
“I…” She cleared her throat. “You can go. I am fine here.”
“Oh…” The woman shrugged. “Okay. The relatives are suspecting the sister did it.”
She remained still.
“Anyways, bye.”
The woman walked away and she breathed out in relief then turned, walking away from her own funeral.
A cry broke out.
She quickly turned.
She swallowed looking at her daughter crying, trying to go near the grave that had been dug out. Her heart wrenched and she looked away, quickening her steps, scurrying off as tears rolled down her cheeks.
She had no choice.
This had to be done.
It had to be like this.
*
Later that day, Bokang walked inside his secret apartment and looked at Neo watching TV, staring at her sister being the topic of the segment.
“Babe-“
“They all think I killed her. I would never do that. I know she and I… I know we had our issues but… I didn’t do it. I would never harm her.”
Bokang walked over and sat next to her. “Everyone who thinks it’s you doesn’t know who Neelo was. For all we know, she planned her own death.”
Neo paused, staring at him. She quickly got up and hurried to the door, locking it.
“I don’t know… she doesn’t feel dead. I know it’s weird to say but as her twin, she doesn’t feel dead, Bokang.”
Bokang sighed. “Babe, I saw her. She was in the coffin. It’s her. She is gone.”
Neo shook her head frantically. “I… I don’t know if it’s a twin thing but I… she doesn’t feel dead.”
“She is. You are in denial.” He got up and pulled her closer kissing her. “I love you. I am sad she is dead but I love you. I got you a lawyer on standby, just in case. I still can’t be seen around you. I was or am still Neelo’s husband. You being seen with me will make you look guilty. I have to go, they are waiting for me. Stay inside.”
“Take me through the night you found her again.”
Bokang sighed. “I have to go. Stop overthinking things.”
He kissed her one last time and rushed out. He unlocked his car looking around, and jumped in. He started the engine and paused as his phone rang.
Bokang reached for it and answered the unsaved number.
“Hello?”
“Bokang… I know what you did. And you are not going to get away with it. Time is ticking…”
The caller hung up and Bokang swallowed as a cold shiver ran down his back.
***
TWELVE YEARS EARLIER…
In Gaborone, Neelo’s heart raced as her mother sent the SMS to the Botswana Examination Council number for the Form 5 results.
Elizabeth turned to her daughter and laughed. “You need to calm down. You did well. I am sure you did.”
Neelo breathed out. “Maybe I panicked during the exams and wrote wrong answers.”
Elizabeth’s phone pinged and they both looked.
Good day Neelo Richards
Centre No. BW817
Candidate No: 00451
Your results are:
Chemistry A*
Biology A*
English A*
Mathematics A*
Accounting A*
Physics A
Statistics A
Geography A
Setswana B
Neelo screamed, jumping up. Elizabeth laughed and stood up, putting down her phone. She hugged her daughter tightly.
“You did. I told you so.”
Neelo held her mother tightly feeling emotional. Tears rolled down her cheeks and Elizabeth rubbed her back.
“I am so proud of you. You have made me the happiest mother on earth.” She moved back. “I have to tell your dad. He is going to lose his mind at work.”
Neelo smiled as her mother walked away, calling her father.
Neelo’s smile disappeared as she remembered the bigger problem she had.
She walked out of the house and hurried off to the neighbour’s yard in her flip-flops, her short dress swaying from side to side. Her heart pounded as she approached the door and knocked hard, looking around.
Seconds later the door opened.
Kgosi looked at her, then behind her before opening the door wider.
“Get in.”
Neelo walked in and breathed out as he closed the door.
“I thought we agreed to text first before you come here. What if my wife was home-“
“Her car left long ago Kgosi. I know she is not here.”
Kgosi got closer to her. “What’s up?”
“I am still pregnant Kgosi! My results are out and I am not going to university pregnant! I don’t want to be a mother. I am not ready. What will I tell my parents?”
“You need to calm down. I also don’t want a baby. I am a married man. I told you I am making a plan.”
“We need to go to the clinic and have it surgically sorted out.”
“And pay for it how? You know Amo and I have a joint account. What will I tell her?”
“I don’t care! If we don’t take care of this, I am telling my parents you ra.ped me! You knew you had a wife when you were busy chasing after me!”
Kgosi frowned. “What?”
“You heard me. If tomorrow ends and I am still pregnant, I am telling my parents that you raped me and you are going to jail.”
“Neelo-”
“I will ruin you. I will ruin your little career let alone your marriage. Don’t test me. I want this baby gone!”
Kgosi stared at her for a moment and sighed.
“I said I am making a plan.” He pulled her closer. “By tomorrow everything will be sorted. I promise. I swear on my life.”
Neelo stared at him angrily. “I have to go home.”
Kgosi chuckled. “You look more beautiful when angry. O mmasetsenwa nyana.”
Neelo smiled softly. “Mxm.”
He tilted her chin. “Kiss me.”
“Ke bata go ya lapeng. (I want to go home.) Kgosi, if you don’t sort this out…”
He pulled her closer, kissing her.
“Kgosi! Baby!”
Amo called from the veranda outside.
Kgosi quickly jumped back, his heart skipping.
The front door opened and Amo walked in. She paused looking at Neelo, then her husband.
Neelo smiled sweetly. “Good morning.”
Amo blinked, then looked at her husband who walked over and kissed her.
“Forgot something? Uh, Neelo, you can tell your mom I will come in a bit, though you need to get a plumber. I am not versed in that regard but I will take a look at the leak.”
“Eerra, thank you.”
Neelo waved at Amo walking out. Amo smiled back and closed the door.
“Waitse babe there is just something about that kid I can’t put my finger on.”
Kgosi laughed. “You are starting, psychoanalyzing everyone.”
Amo smiled. “It’s my job. Anyways, I forgot a file. It’s red.”
“Check in the bedroom.”
Amo walked to the bedroom and returned seconds later holding the file.
“Here it is, thanks.”
They kissed one last time and she rushed out.
*
Neelo walked inside the house and Elizabeth looked at her.
“Your father wanted to talk to you. Where did you go?”
“I went to tell Rose. Remember we were in the same class.”
“Mhmm… I am calling your father again. He is so happy.”
Neelo sat down with a smile, staring at her mother. Her eyes moved to their family portrait and the more she stared at it, the more she wondered exactly where she got her features from.
She looked nothing like her parents.
If she didn’t know better, she would think she was adopted but her birth certificate dismissed that idea.
“Do you ever think maybe I was swapped at birth?”
Elizabeth burst out laughing. “Neelo, sweety you are my baby.”
“I look nothing like-“
“God works in mysterious ways. Not every child looks like their parents. You are very beautiful and you are mine. I am calling your dad. Stop talking nonsense.”
***
In Mahalapye later that day, Neo walked into her grandmother’s yard carrying a bucket of water over her head. She slowed down as she approached the veranda and carefully lowered the bucket.
She breathed out exhausted, then walked inside the house.
“Nkuku!”
She looked around but her grandmother wasn’t in. Neo carried the bucket inside then walked back out. She breathed out and headed back home, humming to herself.
She walked into her mother’s yard and slowed down as she approached the door, listening to her mother and her boyfriend yelling as usual.
“Why don’t you just talk to that family Maria? We don’t have money! Tell them to give you money!”
“For what? So you can go and drink it all? Huh? So you can give it to your girlfriends? I wonder what they see in you when you are nothing but an ugly drunkard!”
Neo’s heart skipped as her mother screamed as if she had being struck.
Neo looked around, picked up a brick, and walked toward the door.
Her mother’s boyfriend yelled loudly, “If you tell them it’s for Neo they will send it! Tell them she is sick or something! When I get back, you better have that money! Maria if you don’t have that money… o ta nkitse sente! (You will know me well!)”
He walked out, bumping into Neo at the door.
She looked at him in disgust. She herself didn’t know why her mother even kept him. He was an ugly drunkard after all.
He stared at her then the brick in her hand.
“Mxm.”
Neo’s anger heightened. “Tsek!”
“Who do you think you are-“
She raised the brick making him move back. “ke tla go thuba tlhogo! (I will burst your head!)”
He clicked his tongue and walked away.
Neo breathed heavily dropping the brick and walked inside to find her mother wiping her bleeding nose.
Neo swallowed. “Why do you allow him to beat you?”
Her mother sighed. “You are back so soon.”
“Granny is not there. Why can’t you just leave him?Or better, fight back!”
“You wouldn’t understand-“
“I do. He does nothing but beat you.”
Mmagwe Neo swallowed. “Your little school friends were here. They helped me check for your Form 5 results.”
Neo froze. “You checked?”
Her mother handed her the unlocked phone.
Neo swallowed and reached for it. Her hands shook as she read the results.
One B.
Two C’s.
The rest were D’s.
Pain choked her as she stared at the screen.
Her mother sighed. “I spoke to your aunt. Those results can’t take you to UB and I can’t keep feeding you anymore. She said you can come to Maun. Help her at her cleaning company.”
“I-”
“I don’t want to hear it Neo. You are going there and that’s that. You didn’t pass. You failed. You have D’s. You have one B in Food and Nutrition, a C in Computer Studies and another one in Agriculture. Is that all you were going to school for, huh? Is that it?”
Tears filled Neo’s eyes. “I can rewrite and-”
“You are going to Maun.”
Her mother snatched the phone and walked out.
Tears rolled down Neo’s cheeks and she slowly sat down shaking as the dream of going to UB slowly disappeared before her eyes.
***
Outside, Mmagwe Neo walked out of the yard and breathed out. She gathered her courage and called a number.
The receiver picked up after a few rings.
“Hello?”
“Hi, it’s me. Uh… Neo didn’t do well.”
There was a pause. “Oh…”
“We need money.” Mmagwe Neo cleared her throat. “Please… so I can send her to Maun to my sister who will stay with her.”
“That child is not my responsibility!”
“Elizabeth please.”
“Mine did well. Neelo passed with flying colors. She has A*’s. She has 48 points. Now just because you couldn’t raise yours right-”
“They are twins. If you want, I can bring the other one to your house. The choice is yours.”
“You are crazy!”
“Does your daughter know the truth? Huh? Does she? Or shall I say does my daughter know? Does your husband know?”
“Stay away from my family.”
“I just need money to put her on a bus, Elizabeth.”
“I am sending something. Never call me ever again!”
Elizabeth hung up.
Minutes later an eWallet message pinged.
Mmagwe Neo quickly opened it and looked at the P800 that had been sent.
She shook her head and called her sister.
“Abi?”
“I am putting Neo on the bus tonight.”
“Okay. How is mama? The neighbours called me saying she walks around talking alone. You said she was fine.”
“Old age is catching up with her. She is fine.”
“I hope so.”
***
In Gaborone, Elizabeth walked out of the bathroom a little shaky. She walked toward the sitting room where Neelo was just as her husband’s text came in.
She smiled excitedly.
“Neelo, come, your dad is here.”
“Mom-”
“Come!”
Neelo sighed and walked outside with her mother just as a car drove into the yard.
She frowned as her father stepped out.
“Girl of the moment!”
Neelo laughed. “What happened to your car?”
“I had a breakdown. I borrowed this one.”
He walked away from the red BMW closing the gap between him and his daughter.
Neelo giggled as her father hugged her.
“Daddy is so proud of you.”
“Thank you.”
He moved back and handed her the car keys.
“I am lying. I got this for you. It’s your gift for making your mother and I proud.”
Neelo’s mouth dropped open.
Elizabeth giggled.
“It’s all yours! You can put your license to use now.”
Neelo blinked then slowly approached the car, her knees shaking.
***
That same evening, Neo sat on the bus to Maun.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as the bus drove off.
.