Photo Credit
I closed the door behind me and from that very moment I felt that there was somebody there and that this somebody was very friendly and pleased to see me.In my heart of hearts, I hoped it was Paul Belinsky..Pauk Belinsky? No, no, not him! In 1968, Russia ruffled her feathers and showed her power to the rest of the world when in August she and members of the Warsaw Pact invaded the country of Czechoslovakia. Paul Belinsky was one of the members of the Warsaw Pact. No, no ,no!! It can't be him! So I turned my head, and to my utter surprise, I was looking at a woman who looked exactly like me. I was speechless. I kept staring at her not believing my own eyes!
" Won't you ask me in?" , the woman said with a fixed, abstract expression on her thin face.My heart was still racing as I finally managed to mutter:"Who are you?" The woman smiled at me and said:
" Belinsky...Francesca Belinsky."
" I am a woman, she added, who has, for some years contended against the pressure of pecuniary difficulties. Sometimes I have risen superior to my difficulties, sometimes my difficulties have...floored me."
I didn't know what to think. Seeing that I couldn't understand, she went on with her narrative: August 21 1968. Soviet Union and members of the Warsaw Pact allies invaded my country...our country, Czechoslovakia, to stop the reformers of the Prague Spring. OUR father, Paul Belinsky, was the leader of the Pact. We were born in September 25 1968. I was sent to France in a foster family who abused me. You were sent to America. You were much luckier than me. You were received by a wealthy foster family that loved you and spoilt you. See...sis? All my life, I had to cope with money problems to make ends meet.
Words were failing me. "I.... I.... I.... have a sister? A... a... a twin sister? ... And our father.... is..... I.... I..... I have to sit down" ..
I sat down feeling as if I was in a dream. I plucked up the courage and asked angrily: " How the heck did you get in?"
She laughed her head off and said : "Oh ma cherie, your housekeeper let me in. I said I'd lost my keys...See? She thought I was you!!!"
"Right... of course..." I said. "So... your name is Francesca, right?"
"Right Vicky or should I say Victoria? After all, you are Victoria Belinsky - my twin sister!"
"Apparently so..." I mumbled, still in disbelief.
I was silent for a moment. Then our eyes met - the same deep green - and locked.
"There's something else you should know." she said, maintaining eye contact.
"Really?" I said concentrating on my cup of coffee. "But you should listen to me first. When my housekeeper said I had a visitor from Europe, I wished it was Paul Belinsky. I wanted to find out who my biological father was - that's all. Instead, it's you - my twin sister. So, Francesca, what else should I know?"
"You're in danger Victoria" she said matter-of-factly." Oh, by the way,Paul Belinsky is dead!" He died in an accident five years ago. So...I'm the next of kin, dear sis."
"In danger?" I was at a loss what to say.
"Yes, my dear Victoria. You're in danger because I can destroy everything and everyone you love, unless....you do exactly as I say."
"I'm not taking orders from you, Francesca!"
"I thought you were pleased to see me," Francesca replied softly.
She paused for a while and then added:"I know you have a lovely family and I'm sure you wouldn't like any of them to get hurt....not for $500,000. Once I get the money, you'll never hear of me again, dear sis."
"I'm afraid it's too late, Miss Belinsky." Surprised, I turned round and saw a police officer standing at the door next to Mrs Gibbs-the housekeeper. "The French police have been looking for you since you left the country. You are under arrest."
Petrified, I stood there looking out the window. The sun was now bright and warm and the air was filled with the children's happy laughter playing by the pond. Teddy was sailing a model boat and Linda was playing with her dolls on the grass. My heart leapt as I watched them play knowing that no one would ever harm them. Yet deep down I knew that I would probably never see Francesca again and felt so sorry for her - my twin sister I had known for a while and had only just lost.
Written By ( in alphabetical order):
Agnes
Alexia
Anastasia
Christina
Constantinos
John
Karolina
Lakis
LauraLisa
I would like to thank you all for your great contribution to this story. As promised, I'd love to send you a small thank-you gift from Cyprus if I could have your address.
This story is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the authors' imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this post may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the blog owner.
Recent Comments