Katrina began to fume again.
Paul.
Katrina was feeling a sudden urge to give him a
piece of her mind. Then she remembered her office. It was not too far from the scene of the accident. She picked up her bag, laptop, and the mirror.
Nicolas came over to her. “I just called the towing vans. They will soon be here, with some mechanics also.”
“That will be fine. I need to rush back to my office,” Katrina said.
“Really? You work around here?” Nicolas asked.
“Yes. Just a couple of blocks from here.”
“Okay. How do I get in touch with you, Katrina?”
Katrina opened her bag and handed him her card. “Unfortunately, my smartphone is dead. I should have it back up tomorrow. In the meantime, you can reach me on any of the office numbers.”
Nicolas nodded. “I see. But that would only be during office hours, Katrina.”
“Office hours?”
“Yes. The office numbers. I believe that I can only reach you on them during working hours. Or do you work in the evenings and at night?”
Katrina frowned. “Why would you want to reach me during the evenings and at night?”
“Just to give you any feedbacks and updates on your car, of course.”
“You can do that during the day, Nicolas. I really need my evenings to myself.”
Nicolas raised his hands. “It’s okay, Katrina. I am not trying to be pushy. If that is what you want, then it is all right with me. I’ll contact you only in the daytime then.”
“Thank you, Nicolas. So I’ll look forward to your feedback by tomorrow then.”
“Sure. Tomorrow,” Nicolas replied.
As she walked away, she could feel Nicolas watching her closely.
It was not long before Katrina was stepping in through her company’s office doors into the lobby. It was Martin who first saw her and waved. “Katrina. Finally you are back.”
Katrina looked at him. “Finally?”
Martin nodded. “We have been trying to reach you for a while now. But your phone was off.”
Katrina held up her dead smartphone. “Yes. My phone’s been dead all this while. And if you must know, I was involved in an accident.”
Martin gasped. “An accident? How? Where?”
“Not too far from the office. My car just went dead in the middle of the road. And then I got rammed from behind.”
“My goodness. Are you all right?” Martin asked.
Katrina nodded. “Yes, I am fine. But my car’s a complete wreck. I am lucky that I was not in it when the accident occurred.”
“That is serious. You should be trying to get some rest, not coming back to the office.”
Katrina nodded. “I know, Martin. I will. Maybe much later. I need to make some calls, which is why I came back to the office.”
“I see. Well, then it’s a real coincidence that you are here because the office has been trying to reach you all this while.”
“So you said before, Martin. Why were they trying to reach me?”
Martin looked at her closely. “No one told you anything yet?”
Katrina shook her head. “I haven’t spoken to anyone else since I left the office. What is going on?”
“That means you have not heard?” Martin said.
“Heard? Heard what?”
“Not long after you left, a memo was sent by headquarters, Katrina.”
Katrina nodded. “Yes. What did the memo say?”
Martin looked into her face, hesitating. “Katrina, maybe you need to sit down first. I mean, you just survived an accident not long ago. I really shouldn’t be putting you under more stress like this.”
“What stress? I am perfectly okay, Martin. Tell me what it is please,” Katrina insisted.
“Those of us who saw the memo were very shocked. We still don’t know what to make of it, Katrina.”
Katrina sighed. “Martin, would you stop beating around the bush and tell me what is going on?”
“They suspended you, Katrina.”
The bag, laptop, and mirror that she had been holding dropped, clattering noisily on the granite floor as they fell from her hands.
As Martin rushed to pick up her belongings, Katrina fell into one of the nearby office chairs. “Suspended?”
Martin stood up with her belongings and nodded. “Yes, Katrina. As soon as the memo arrived, I tried to reach you. But it was not possible.”
Katrina nodded. “Like I said, my phone’s been dead for a while. But why was I suspended?”
Martin shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know why. Everyone else is confused also.”
“And management did not say why?”
Martin shook his head. “No. They did not specify any reason.”
Katrina shook her head. “That is a bit unreasonable and rash of them. Surely, there must be something I did. They just cannot throw me on suspension without a cause.”
“Yes, Katrina. They cannot do such a thing without a reason. Many of us think that it is a mistake, a kind of administrative error.”
Katrina chuckled. “An administrative error?”
“We cannot think of any other explanation, Katrina,” Martin said, placing her belongings on the desk close to her.
Katrina picked up the mirror. “What a day it has been for me today. First I get involved in a car crash, and now I am suspended from my job.”
“I am so sorry, Katrina.”
Katrina nodded. “Yeah. Thanks, Martin. I guess some days can be like that, right?”
“Sorry about your mirror, Katrina. It must have broken when you dropped it earlier.”
Katrina shook her head as she looked into the broken mirror. “No, it was already broken even before I arrived here.”
“It was already broken?”
Katrina nodded. “Yes, it was. That is how it has been since I opened up the gift package.”
Martin pulled another chair and sat close to Katrina. “Wait. You mean this is the gift that you got in that package?”
Katrina nodded. “Yes. The one that the courier man delivered to me.”
Martin stretched out his hand. “Wait. Let me take a look at it.”
After Katrina handed it over to him, she watched as he carefully began to examine it.
“You seem to like it, Martin,” Katrina said after a prolonged silence.
“Not exactly, Katrina. There is something wrong about it.”
“Wrong? It’s just a mirror, Martin. A broken mirror, for that matter.”
Martin shook his head. “No, it’s not just a broken mirror, Katrina. Did you displease anyone lately?”
“Displease anyone? Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it? I just got suspended, didn’t I? So, yes. Maybe I must have displeased someone in management to deserve the suspension.”
“No, it was not management, Katrina.”
“What? What do you mean it was not management? Who suspended me?”
“I am not talking of your suspension, Katrina. I am talking of this. The mirror. Who sent it to you?” Katrina sighed. “It was some loser.”
“A loser?” Martin repeated.
“My ex-boyfriend. Paul was his name.”
“You broke up with him? And he has been angry with you since?”
Katrina shrugged. “Well, that is his business. I wish I could tell him just what I think about his stupid gift. That is why I came back to the office. I needed to call him on the phone and give him a piece of my mind, not return and get such devastating news of my suspension.”
“Well, that explains everything then.”
“That explains everything? What are you talking about, Martin?”
Martin glanced around, making sure that there was no one close to them. “Look, Katrina. I don’t know how to explain this to you, but do you believe in curses, enchantments, and black magic?”
Katrina suddenly burst out laughing. This seemed to annoy Martin because she saw that the expression on his face had
suddenly changed. As she tried to calm herself down, she patted his arm. “I’m sorry, Martin. Honestly, today has been a very hectic and stressful day for me. I mean, you know all that I have been through already. You can’t imagine how angry I am at Paul for his stupid sense of humour. But now your idea of spells and magic is just a welcome, comic relief for me. I never knew you had such a wonderful sense of humour, Martin. Honestly, I never knew.”
Martin remained stone-faced as he regarded Katrina. “Katrina, I am not in any way trying to humour you. I am dead serious about what I am saying.”
Katrina looked into his face and studied him. She could see the seriousness in his face. “You are serious about this, Martin? For real?”
Martin nodded. “Yes. For real, Katrina. You have been the victim of something diabolical. And it was sent to you by someone who was close to you, someone whom you must have hurt.”
“You mean Paul?”
Martin nodded again. “For now, it is safe to assume that it is Paul. He is the one you have hurt. He is the one with the motive to do such a thing.”
“But how could he do such a thing to me? I only walked out of the relationship. I did not harm him in any way?”
Martin shrugged. “That is what you think, Katrina. But not everyone has such a simple view of things. Interpretation and misinterpretation on other people’s actions is always a precursor to their committing violent acts to those same people that they once claimed to love and care for.”
Katrina shook her head. “I am sorry, Martin. But right now, I just feel that all of this does not make sense. And right now, I need to make some sense out of all that has been happening to me. Please give me the mirror and let me get out of here.”
Martin nodded and handed the mirror back to her. “I see. You know that you are making a grave mistake, Katrina?”
“Am I? How can you be so sure? I mean, you have spoken about black magic and spells like it’s something you know so much about. What do you know about all this, Martin?”
“Katrina, I know because I have been exposed to them before. But that was a long time ago, before I joined this company. While I was growing up, I stayed most of the time with my aunt. She was fond of utilizing some of this stuff. And that was where I got to learn about it.”
Katrina looked at the mirror. “So you are saying that this piece of broken mirror is not just ordinary?”
Martin shook his head. “Exactly, Katrina. It is not ordinary.”
“So how does it work?”
“Well, if I can remember well, such a mirror induces a spell to break up the victim’s life.”
“Break up a victim’s life?”
Martin nodded. “Yes, Katrina. And it can happen in several ways.”
Katrina was silent for a moment as she thought about the events of her day. “But I can explain why all those things happened to me today.”
“Are you sure you have explanations for them, Katrina?”
She nodded. “Of course I do. The accident was simply because my car was stuck in the middle of the road. Any oncoming car would have equally rammed into it without warning.”
“I see. But why did your car stop in the middle of the road?”
“It must have been some electrical fault or something. The car just refused to start.”
“So you feel that it is just some mechanical or electrical fault that is the reason why a car you bought just a few months ago refused to start on the same day that you got this mirror?”
Katrina nodded. “Of course, yes.”
“And your suspension? How do you explain that?”
Katrina looked away briefly. “I think there is something that I must have done which displeased management.”
“Something you must have done? Like what, Katrina? Surely, you must have an idea of what it is.”
Katrina sighed heavily and looked at the mirror. “I really don’t know, Martin. This has really gotten me confused. Do you really think that this can be the cause of my bad luck today?”
Martin nodded. “I don’t think, Katrina. I know. And it only gets worse as time goes by.”
Katrina was alarmed. “What? You mean things will go on getting worse for me?”
Martin nodded. “Yes. Its purpose is to make sure that your life as you know it gets completely broken.”
“If this is true, how do I stop it, Martin? How do I reverse its effects? Surely, there must be some kind of antidote or way of reversing what is happening to me.”
Martin nodded. “Yes. Of course there is. You have to first figure out whoever is behind it.”
Katrina snapped her fingers. “That is not hard. Of course it is Paul.”
“Well, there you go. That has settled it. All you have to do is to go back to him to reverse the spell and its effects on you. It would not take him anything to do so. Once he reverses the spell, the entire effects will disappear.”
“Disappear? You mean, my life would go back to normal?”
Martin shook his head. “No, not just normal. When he reverses the spell, all that had been broken in your life would become all right again. In your case, your car would be back to its former state and you would not be under suspension anymore.”
Katrina clapped her hands with glee. “This sounds so exciting! So all I have to do is get to Paul and my life will be back to normal.”
“Yes, Katrina. But you need to do more than get to Paul. You need to convince him to reverse the spell. He has to be convinced enough to be able to undo what he has already done.”
Katrina picked up her stuff and began to walk towards the doors. “No problem, Martin. Just give me a few minutes and I’ll fix all this mess in my life.”
Martin stood up and watched her leave. “Are you going to his house right away?”
Katrina nodded. “Of course I am. I know Paul, and I know how best to get him to change his mind.”
CHAPTER 3 About an hour later, Katrina was standing in front of a door in a block of apartments somewhere in town. In one hand was a gift bag containing a box of chocolates and a bottle of red wine. In the other hand, she was clutching her bag. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
A little while later, the door opened and a young man was smiling at her in the doorway. “Hello, Katrina. This is a surprise. To what do I owe this visit?”
Katrina bent her head to one side. “Why not let me come in before I tell you why I am here, Paul?”
Paul nodded and stepped aside. “Sure. Of course. Do come in.”
Katrina walked inside and sat down on one of the settees. Paul sat down next to her. She looked around the nicely furnished apartment. “Everywhere is looking neat and orderly. How are you doing, Paul?”
Paul looked away, avoiding her eyes. “Well, Katrina, like you just observed, my apartment is orderly. But I cannot say the same about my heart.”
Katrina reached forward and touched his arm. “Paul. You know that it was not working out between us. I mean, I couldn’t continue to live such a life with you when we both knew that it was going nowhere.”
He looked up at her. “And so you just walked away?”
Katrina shook her head. “I did not just walk away. Have you forgotten how long I spoke to you about it? We could still be friends.”
“Friends? Katrina. After all we have been through, you think I would be satisfied with just being a friend to you?”
In response, Katrina reached into her bag and brought out the mirror. “So is that why you had to send me this mirror as a parting gift?”
Paul collected the mirror and held it. “I apologise, Katrina. I was angry, and do not know what came over me.”
“Angry? Is that your excuse? Do you realize that I almost got killed in an accident today? In fact, my car is a complete wreck. And I have just been suspended at work. And all you can say is that you were angry with me for walking away?”
Paul smiled. “It is all right, Katrina. At least you are now here.”
“Don’t smile about this, Paul.
You know what I am saying is serious. My gosh. How did you get into such diabolical things in the first place?”
“Don’t worry, my dear Katrina. There is nothing that cannot be fixed for good.”
She looked at him closely. “Are you sure? Can you fix everything back for me?”
Paul nodded. “Of course I can. Do you think I am that callous and insensitive to not to be able and willing to rectify things for you? I only wanted to get you to come and meet me again. And now you are here, you don’t have to worry about anything.”
“Then correct my life right away, Paul. Do it now. Reverse these evil spells on me. Let my former life come back to me.”
Paul raised his hands. “Hey, easy now, Katrina. What is the rush? Is that the only reason why you came to see me?”
Katrina passed him the bag of chocolate and red wine. “You are right. I am sorry. I almost forgot. I also got you a gift as well.”
“A gift? Red wine and chocolate? You have not forgotten my favourites.”
“How could I, Paul?”
Paul got up and walked to the table close by. “This calls for celebration, Katrina. Don’t you think so?”
Katrina saw him pick up two glasses. “What are we celebrating, Paul? I just told you that I am suspended from work and my car is a complete write-off.”
Paul sat down by her side and offered her a glass. “But you are alive.”
“Alive? So you want to celebrate my being alive?”
Paul shook his head. “No, not your being alive, Katrina. I want to celebrate the fact that you are finally here with me, after such a long time apart.”
Paul opened the wine bottle and poured some into their glasses. He then lifted his glass close to hers and smiled. “Here is a toast to new beginnings, Katrina.”
Katrina nodded and raised her glass to his. “To new beginnings.”
After the toast, Paul drank his wine and smiled as Katrina raised her glass to her lips. “So, what do you want to talk about?”
Katrina saw him refilling his glass. “What else is there to talk about, Paul? Other than my life is a terrible mess right now.”
Paul nodded. He lifted the bottle close to her glass and realized that it was still full. “You haven’t yet taken a sip from your drink?”
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