Simone's silhouette clicked louder with each footstep on the hospital floor. She arrived at the main administration area.
"Come with me Miss Simone," the female receptionist said. The receptionist had already seen the striking resemblance and had earlier been informed of Simone's coming. Simone followed the woman.
"Dad!" Simone ran into his arm. "I came as soon as I was told. What's happening?"
"On his way to the party a truck collided with his car. Someone immediately recognized the Solomons plate number and called nine one one. The doctor said their ambulance arrived promptly and he began the defibrillation process but then Simon went into a coma.
"He assured me everything will be fine. For now they've got Simon in the ICU and are trying to stabilize him. We can't see him right away, but tomorrow we can come." Mr Solomon said very calmly. Simone momentarily lost her balance but steadied herself.
Mr Solomon was a well groomed man who looked like he was in his mid fifties. He looked imposing but he was actually very approachable once you got to know him.
"Jesus Christ! Coma?" she said, wearily. As a medical practitioner herself, this was very frustrating news. Coma could mean a range of things. One might have permanent amnesia after recovery. Recovery could take anything from a few weeks to several years.
Her dad hugged her.
"What should we do about the party now?" He said, releasing her but still holding her shoulder and looking into her eyes.
"Right! I'll make an announcement," Simone said.
Her father let go of her shoulders and took three steps back. She brought out her phone, punched in a few keys and pressed the phone slightly on her ear.
"Put me on speaker," she said and waited for the order to be carried out. "This is Simone, it saddens me to say this but the party has to end immediately. My brother has been involved in a car accident."
***
The guests started to leave and the atmosphere in Solomon's mansion went from one of groovy to gloomy.
"I told y'all she'd left in such a big hurry," Kane said, as he and his friends exited the mansion and made their way to the parking lot. "Mehn, what a sad night it turned out to be for them."
"Yeah," said Michael and Louise.
***
Two weeks had passed. Stephanie had gotten the building plan and contracted the art studio to the builders. She had moved into the house her dad willed to her. Tiffany was living with her in the meantime. Kane was still asking her out on dates which she agreed to go on. It was Friday and she was getting prepared for yet another date with Kane.
"How do I look in this gown?" Stephanie asked Tiffany.
"Stunning! Now I see why the boys can't keep their eyes off you," said Tiffany, turning away from the pot.
"Oops he's calling!" Stephanie took the call. "Hello. Okay I'll be down in a minute."
"Go get him girl. Have fun!" Tiffany said excitedly, but her heart ached with loneliness.
"See you tomorrow! Don't get too fat before I come back," Stephanie said eying the pots on the electric cooker.
As Kane drove to the restaurant on Pearl Street, her old neighborhood, they passed the construction site for her art studio.
"Nice. The workers are fast and the building is just like I designed it. You good babe?" Kane said.
"Yes it is," she replied. "I'm good, I just feel a bit exhausted."
She smiled!
"Sorry," Kane whispered, not entirely sure what was the cause of Stephanie's exhaustion.
Simone saw the couples enter the restaurant and was watching them with desires of her own. She had come to grab a quick bite before going back to the hospital to read and talk to Simon who was still in a coma.
"I've been thinking, Steph. I think we should just get married as soon as possible!" Kane said, in between a mouthful. Stephanie almost choked on her beacon! Rather than choke, she chewed slower, swallowed and cleared her throat.
"Really? Wow, it's not," she cleared her throat again. "Well it's- You see, I'm not ready okay. Let's take things slowly. Any reason why you are in a hurry?"
"Not really. Right, let's take it one step at a time. How's the taste?"
"Great! I love it. The chicken is nice too, just might add yours to mine." She laughed. Kane thought her laugh was the most beautiful thing ever.
As Simone got up to leave she made sure Kane caught a glimpse of her.
"Excuse me!" Kane called out to her.
She paused, unbelievably!
"You look vaguely familiar. Are you Simone?"
He even knows my name! She thought.
"Yeah, have we met?" Simone followed with her own question.
"Not really, just that I was at your party. How's your brother?"
Simone felt a rush of excitement. Oh he is a caring man!
"Oh. He's still in a coma. I'm headed to the hospital now. What's your name?"
"Kane."
He's bold talking to me with her sitting next to him. She is so nonchalant.
"Alright thanks for the concern, you two enjoy the rest of your meal." She walked away.
"Sorry 'bout that babe." Kane said to Stephanie, who was eating like nothing happened.
"Huh? It's fine!"
Simone was in the intensive care unit where her brother laid on a bed. She was talking to him.
"Simon, can you hear me at all? I love you so much. Please come alive and come back remembering your twin sister and dad. We have missed your presence so much. Things haven't been able to go on smoothly in our lives without you. I think I've seen a guy that I like but he has a girl. Love-"
Simon's finger curled and his eyes began to twitch.
"Doctor! Doctor!" Simone ran to fetch the man.
In the final moments of Simon's coma, his soul was transcended into the spirit world. However, his brain still functioning, interpreted the world around him as a series of dreams. He would whoosh with each new scene and it would look as if his soul was being transported from one unfamiliar territory to another. He saw a dark skinned lady who sat idly on a rock. She wore a creamy silk nightwear. She seemed entirely lost in the view of the turquoise blue ocean underneath the silvery moon and starry skies. Firewoods burned brightly in different parts of the beach that assisted with the glow of the night. The crackling sound of burning woods; the sounds of water patting the rocks, and the ringing of windchimes filled the air. There was a guy with blue hair, approaching the lady from behind. He was cladded in a casual light blue tee shirt that accentuated his hair. He wore a pair of white shorts with a black and white croc slippers. His steps were orderly and light. "Hell
At the doctor's request, Simon had spent some extra three days in the hospital. He had to complete some final examinations before being allowed out of the hospital. The doctor was awed. Coma patients' recovery was almost always considered a miracle. Simon's recovery was just perfect according to his test results. The three days had passed and the day had come when Simon would finally reunite with his family.It was a couple of minutes past six PM. A black Rolls-Royce was pulling out of the gate of Solomon's mansion. Simone and her mother sat in the backseat with their seats reclining. Mrs Solomon was fifty but she looked thirty. She was beautiful and immaculate from head to toe. People often mistook her to be Simone's older sister. Mr Solomon was seated in the back seat too, but his seat was not reclined. He held a glass of wine in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Mrs Solomon and Simone were smoking too. 
Who he was, where he was and what he was doing had not fully dawned on him. For a moment, he thought perhaps he was dead again, for inside Solomon's mansion looked like heaven. The stars shimmered above them, the moon shone brightly too and although they were all artificial, its effects had been quite startling. They were having grilled chicken, potato fries and green salad for dinner. Simon licked his spoon savoring the tastiness of the food. For so long he had not tasted anything this good. The table was made of glossy ceramic which was shimmering with golden glitters scattered all around it like tiny grains of sand. Simone watched in awe as her brother ate ravishingly. "That's unlike you," Simone said. "You don't eat meat!" Simon paused, assimilating the information and then said, "Why?" "You're a vegetarian," Simone replied in shock.
The grim reaper had spared their lives. Instead of death they were given a choice. The gatekeeper to the afterlife had given them another chance. Perhaps it was a chance to say goodbye or a chance to start over. Shane had died in order to feel alive that very morning. So instead of waiting for the grim reaper to come for him he had taken the bold step to the gates of the afterlife.Death had been unwilling to claim Shane's soul and in exchange she took that of another. At first Simon had been unwilling to participate, but then he thought what the hell? Rather than die, if it was only his soul, the seat of his emotion, that was going to be exchanged to keep those his priceless memories then why not?However, memories were not just formed from experience of the mind alone. The soul, the centre of emotions, also stores
Stephanie was driving down the road from her new apartment to the Breakfast and Bed restaurant. Tiffany rode with her in the front seat. "Come on, look alive!" Stephanie said, eyeing Tiffany from the corner of her eyes. "You always tell me to go out with Kane. Today I've decided we will all go out on a friendship date and you look gloomy as hell." "I don't think he would appreciate me coming along," Tiffany said, not hiding her frustration. "Look at the bright side," Stephanie said, finally entering the street where the restaurant was situated. She could see its facade. "With you by my side I'll be more confident in playing along with his demands." "Just accept his marriage proposal already," Tiffany groaned. "Shane is gone, you should live on." "Honestly," Stephanie said, turning off the ignition as the car stood still in the parking lot. "I've considered d
"Great news Simon!" Simone said, eyes wide open. They were sitting on the soft grass in the beautiful orchard that surrounded the driveway of the mansion."What news? Come on, tell me!" Simon said, sounding desperate for it."Dad has decided that we all will go to California for the summer," Simone said."Woah!" Simon said, enthusiastically. "That would be awesome!""Yea of course it'll be," she replied. They both fell silent for a while.Simon forced his eidetic memory to remember if he had been to California but there was no record of it. He was familiar with California. It was one of the coolest resort centres in the world filled with beautiful beaches and it was the perfect place for a summer vacation. A slight breeze blew, the grass swayed gracefully beneath the spectrum of the descending sun. Looking at the horizon, Simon saw the blazing clouds. His
Kane had driven past the B and B restaurant and continued on his way down to the construction site. He was slowly starting to resent the restaurant. Over the past few hours he had struggled with himself not to go and check in on Stephanie. She was a tough nut to crack. One minute he thought he had her, and the next she was turning down his marriage proposal.He breathed the air of the city deep into his lungs and there was a warm feeling accompanied with it. He noticed the changes in the leaves of the trees and grasses on the lawns. They had started to dry up, making them turn shades of brown or yellow. He spotted a woman watering her flowers in her garden near her front porch. It indeed felt like summer was approaching. Part of the sky looked remarkably orange in color as the sun went down.As he rounded up a corner entering Pearls Street, he saw the construction site come into sight. He just wanted to have a view of it, he told
Kane and Stephanie were still sitting on the window pavement. His phone was buzzing.He answered, "Hello, who's on the line?""Hello Kane, it's me Simone," she said. Kane looked at Stephanie but she was smiling softly at him. She was sitting close enough to hear both of their conversations."Simone Solomon?" Kane asked, looking astonished."Yes. I know you're wondering how I got your number," Simone said, pausing for his response."Well, it's my business line, I mean you could literally just get it off my company's website. But hey I never told you what job I worked, so yeah I'm wondering.""I'm not contacting you for business Mr Kane. Far from it," Simone said, pausing for three seconds. "Where are you now? I'm at the B and B. Could you make it there? I really want to see you please.""Well I'm really busy," Kane said. Stephanie ga