The taxi ride was starting to become exhausting. Trenčín is a beautiful city, but traffic jams at four in the morning were enough to get on my nerves. I asked the driver to stop in front of the Laugaricio shopping center. I needed to buy spare clothes, just in case the doctor decided to send a police patrol after me. I had no interest in dealing with that kind of trouble.
While waiting for the mall to open, I sat down on a bench and tried to think about what to do next. I had left the hospital against medical advice and needed to get to my sister although something deep inside me warned me not to go there. I pushed the dark thoughts aside and fixated on the clock, watching the minutes crawl toward opening time.
Five minutes before the doors opened, people began to gather. Finally, I went inside and headed straight for a clothing store. I chose a white shirt, black jeans, and a pair of brown shoes that matched better than I had expected. I paid, and suddenly hunger hit me hard.
I left the store with the bag in my hand and headed toward a small stand selling sausages along the walkway. I ordered three to take away. The stand looked cozy, with a few tables and chairs, but I wanted to eat alone. I returned to the bench in front of the mall.
After I finished eating, I decided to return the clothes to the unconscious donor from the hospital. At the post office, I packed them into a cardboard box I'd found near the dumpsters it was clean and didn't smell, so I didn't care and sent it back to the hospital, addressed to Doctor Alexander. Then I headed to the train station, bought a ticket, and traveled toward Dubnica.
When I got off the train in Dubnica, I immediately made my way to Továrenská Street. According to everything I knew, my sister lived there. The house looked like a beautiful duplex designed for a large family, so I expected to be greeted by her husband maybe even a child. I prepared myself mentally and rang the doorbell.
I rang it a second time. No one answered. That unpleasant feeling returned. Something wasn't right. I turned to leave and was already standing on the sidewalk, wondering what to do next, when the door finally opened.
I couldn't believe my eyes. My sister had a maid.
I smiled at her. She returned the smile and asked,
"Who are you, and what do you want? You're arriving at an inconvenient time."
I smiled politely again.
"My name is Ctibor, and I came to visit my sister, Sofia Veselá."
She reacted immediately.
"Very well, sir. Please come with me."
I stepped into the foyer, which was worlds away from the modern interior I had expected. She turned to me.
"Give me a moment. I'll inform the lady of the house that you've arrived."
She went upstairs, and I took the opportunity to examine the paintings on the walls. I guessed she had a strong interest in history the artwork made that obvious. I also noticed a piano and felt an unexpected urge to play.
I opened it. It was magnificent. Not a speck of dust. I sat down and tested each key slowly. My fingers began to move on their own across the keyboard, and I focused on the music as if in a trance.
Then a woman's voice spoke.
"My brother… I didn't expect that when I saw you after so long, it would be at a piano. And playing nocturnes, no less. I feel as though I'm listening to Chopin himself."
I stopped playing and turned around.
A woman stood there in a dress. The first thing that caught my attention was her blue eyes they captivated me instantly. She had pronounced cheekbones and long raven-black hair. Her dress was blue as well, as if chosen to match her eyes.
"Stop staring at me and come with me. We have a lot to discuss."
I tore my gaze away and followed her upstairs. She led me into a spacious room dominated by more paintings, several armchairs, and a large table. Once again, I found myself thinking that her family must be quite large.
She sat down in one of the chairs and motioned for me to do the same. I complied.
"So, dear sis"
"I didn't expect that after escaping from the hospital, you'd come straight to me," she interrupted. "What do you want?"
I wasn't prepared for that. There was unmistakable hostility between us. I had to be careful. Something had happened something that had cost me my memory and now I had to make sure I didn't expose myself.
"What's so strange about visiting you?" I said calmly. "We are siblings, after all, even if things between us aren't exactly simple right now, and"
"Don't play the saint," she cut in again. "You've always taken risks. And in the past, they often paid off. But I refuse to join your side. I don't hate you like some others do, but you can't expect me to change sides."
She blurted it out, her cheeks flushing slightly. As I looked at her more closely, I noticed other expressions crossing her face ones I couldn't name. And that's when it hit me.
Sofia wasn't her real name.
That realization made everything even more complicated. I had to be careful not to address her by name until I remembered what her true name actually was