A New Essence

Chapter 14

Charlie did not believe his eyes! It was actually him in the picture and not even his twin brother. He could differentiate between themselves, thank you very much. What was he doing hanging out with a junior who was three years younger to him? If he did meet her, then he should be remember her face! He wasn't the kind to forget beauty.

"What were you doing with me in the picture?" Charlie asked.

"Hello? Amnesia here," she shrugged. "But it is great that we were school mates too. That means we are not just connected by a doctor patient relationship, but also a family friends relationship as well as we were school mates. Wow, we go way back."

"But how could I have not known you? Do I have amnesia too? No, not possible. Wait a minute, can I borrow the picture?" he asked and before she could say yes, it was already in his phone, being transferred to one of his school mates. Charlie sure did have his connections. He asked the person about the girl in the picture and only two minutes later he got a text saying that the girl's name was Evelyn.

"He says that your name is Evelyn," Charlie frowned. "Did you perhaps go by your middle name at school? What did people call you at school?"

"Yeah, all those classmates who called me and messaged me often addressed me as Evelyn. Maybe I was popular as Evelyn rather than Cora," she shut her eyes, trying to concentrate. "Yes, that is it! People called me Evelyn. The only ones who call me Cora is my family," she paused to look him in the eyes, "and you."

It felt like a javelin successfully pierced his heart when she looked at him with such intensity. This woman was like an infinite gift box; the more you open, the more you get. It had been almost three months since she had woken up and she had managed to even shake his world too. Why she makes him feel like a school boy with teenage feelings was beyond him. He broke the gaze and looked away, trying to stabilize himself first. He didn't want to be losing his cool when he was on job.

"I think I understand why I don't know you. I remembered people by their names rather than their faces. That's okay, it is not all that important," Charlie smiled. "Now let's get back to your brain. You said that you don't think that you are smart, but you actually are."

"That's what they say."

"That's okay, it can happen. When you go through a trauma or a head injury or keep the brain in a minimal working condition for extended periods of time, it may happen. Not to worry, our brain is just like any other muscle. If it needs to be sharpened, it needs to be used a lot. We can make you work on memory building, concentration and all the other things so that you will have your results faster. And simultaneously you can even prepare to give your exams. Did you decide on what you want to do after that?"

"I wonder if I had something I wanted to become back when I was 18," she sighed. "The closer I get to the point of accident, the lesser I remember."

"That's nothing to be sad about. What you are experiencing right now is pretty common. In fact, you are progressing faster than anyone else that I have ever met. You are pretty quick with recovering your memories. Good job on that."

Charlie could not even imagine how Cora must be feeling at that time. She was 27 already, but she had to study for her high school exams again. She has issues with her head and she must be feeling disoriented about having to decide about a career at this point of her life when all her friends are either married and have babies or well settled. He tried to say things which cheered her on and encouraged her to do whatever that she wanted to do.

"Looks like it is almost your lunch time. I will take my leave then," she said and stood up. For some reason, call it impulsiveness, Charlie stood up immediately and hugged her. She was taken aback as a pair of strong hands wrapped around her petite frame and held her in a warm embrace. She could hear his heartbeat and it sounded so melodious to her.