Chapter 26: Chapter 26

Maya Their arms were hanging limply by their sides, mirrored in each other. They each reached up simultaneously to see if the lock of hair dangling over the other’s forehead was dangling over his own.

“Hi,” they both said at the same time. “Erm,” they started and stopped. Then they both scratched their heads, cocking them on their sides and gazing in wonder at each other like a dog looking in a mirror for the first time.

Maya thought back to their drunken writing session the previous night, where Les and Rob demonstrated their right to left handwriting with their left hands. Maya and Ka had been pretty sure their Les and Rob’s were right handed as they always swore at their left handed scissors. This Les and Rob were just as bemused at their normal writing, left to right, apparently like their Arabic.

The new Ka was wearing one long and one short sleeved t-shirt the same as Maya’s Ka would have been wearing should he have been better prepared for the British weather. They had similar jeans on, although Maya’s Ka was notably lacking in the footwear department.

Maya didn’t know what she felt really, standing there staring at the two of them. It was almost a complete absence of emotion caused by an overwhelming presence of it. She was wondering if she loved both of them, or just hers. Did she find the identical mirror image of Ka attractive?

Maya shook her head to clear the unwarranted suggestions, to see the men continuing to mirror their actions. While her Ka was giving the other Ka the bird with his left hand then laughing, the other Ka was using his right hand.

For the first time, they moved separately. The new Ka moved forward, checking the absence of a mirror presumably set up as a practical joke. Ka shook his head at the new arrival in a half amused, half weary fashion. They both headed towards the kitchen area and sat down, facing each other silently.

Finally, the new Ka spoke, “What the fuck is going on here?” he was staring from Ka to Maya, perhaps staring a little too long at her.

“My girlfriend and I,” Ka started, emphasising the word , “Appear to have walked through a portal into this world. We have come from a parallel universe.”

The evidence was hard to dispute, but the new Ka just sat there with his hands on the table looking bemused.

“When do I get to wake up?” he asked sincerely, thumping himself on the arm. They all broke into laughter, each and every one of them knowing that feeling well.

“Not happened yet mate,” said Ka, his voice leaded with irony.

“That’s what I was hoping,” muttered Les from the end of the table. “No such luck.”

“You’re not the one who ended up in a nappy,” added Maya, as they all started laughing, the new Ka included, more out of the ridiculousness of the situation than her words.

“So there’s two of her,” the second Ka said pointedly, nodding in her direction.

“Indeed, but the other is in a coma,” Rob replied, while a black look crossed Maya’s Ka’s face. “Maya keeps waking up as her doppelgänger, actually in her body. This time not only did she take her own body with her, she took Ka’s. We understand nothing else.”

“Where is the body?” asked the new Ka, leading them into their plan for the day.

“St Luke’s Psychiatric Hospital,” replied Rob. It was interesting to watch him taking control of the situation. He usually left Les to do most of the talking, quietly advising him or steering him in the direction of home after a party. Rob was the strength behind Les’s extroversion and extravagance.

“It’s on the south side of the city, we can get a taxi,” Maya told him, as they had discussed that the previous evening. However, she suspected that a couple of their group might not remember the plan.

“Okay, let’s go,” the doppelgänger jumped up from the table.

“Hang on,” protested Ka, rising to his feet. “I haven’t got any shoes!”

“What size are you?” asked Rob, looking down at Ka’s hairy toes.

“Twelve,” said the Ka’s at the same time. What could have been a comedic moment turned awkward as Rob went off to locate footwear and clothes for Ka.

Ka took Maya’s hand, before wrapping her into a protective embrace as they waited for Rob. Maya realised why Ka was wary of his counterpart, he had often told her of his falling in love with her at first sight, so it was likely that the new Ka might feel the same way.

“How do we know it’s the right hospital in the right parallel universe? How do you know she’s there?” the new Ka asked, no sign of jealousy in his voice.

“We don’t,” replied Maya gravely.