The Sunset Surprise

It turns out I have been living a lie. But I am getting ahead of myself. My name is Danielle Jones. I live in a small town in upstate New York. Some would call it a postcard town. Nothing really ever happens here. Usually you’re born here and you die here. No one usually ever leaves. Everyone knows everyone else’s business. Secrets are something that exists in books or more for the bigger towns and cities. I had none...or so I thought. I grew up thinking my life was an open book. Nothing extraordinary. Good upper middle class family, only child you know the typical boring suburbia.

I took over the family business after my dad passed. I followed in his footsteps as the town doctor. Not a very glamorous profession considering most of my patients consisted of regulars that I had known all my life. Occasionally I would get a few new faces in the fall with the tourists coming to experience the idyllic life in a small town. Mostly city slickers looking for “fresh air” or “a place they could hear themselves think.” There would continually be a food poisoning claim at the bed and breakfast. I’m surprised that place hadn’t been shut down. They were attracting unsuspecting tourists for as long as I can remember. It was a cozy place but the cook was usually drinking on the job and what went into his dishes was a mystery to everyone. I guess that was the only secret the town had. All the allegations were “alleged” but I was pretty sure of the source.

I would end work around dusk and would go for a run at my favorite park near my house. I loved to watch the sunset over the park as it glistened on the lake. I never grew tired of that spot. One evening I was going for my routine run. Getting out all the details of the day. Another day. I’d probably die not really having lived. Sure I had travelled more than most in this town. To them my life was a Hollywood drama. The reality was I was a small town doctor who lived alone with my cat named Cheshire. I was thinking about what I was going to have for dinner when out of the corner of my eye I see a black figure. It was getting dark so I couldn’t see much. Next thing I know I was grabbed from behind. I began to black out. I remember a strong smell then nothing. I awoke the next morning groggy but in my own bed. I thought the whole thing was a dream until I rolled over and there was a little black moleskin notebook on my pillow. Fear and panic started to attack me. How did it get there? Who put it there and why? I did a quick examination of myself to see if there were any signs of an attack or any injury. Other than a headache I was fine. I wondered if one of the locals was trying to scare me. I had received a few cryptic letters recently that I had ignored thinking they were a prank. Someone claiming to be a long lost relative or something. I knew my family tree well. It hung in the office. It couldn’t have been that. It was almost Halloween so maybe they were trying to give the local doc a scare. Our neighborhood was fairly safe and the house was so old the locks didn’t always work right. So entrance would have been easy. But why did someone drug me and bring me to my own bed and then leave a black notebook? This mystery was a little more than just a local messing around. Hesitantly I picked up the notebook and examined it. I opened it and there was a neatly written message. It said: “Meet me at the park at dusk. You’ll know who I am.” That was it. No name, no description. Nothing. Perplexed I scrolled through the whole notebook. There was nothing else there. A little on edge and a bit baffled I looked around the room. There was Cheshire still asleep by the window. For a moment I thought they drugged him too but as if on cue he opened his eyes and stretched. I looked at the time. It was 1p.m.. I had slept most of the day away and I was sure they were wondering where I was at the office. I looked at my phone. I had no missed calls. That was odd. I would think they would be wondering where I was. I called in. The chipper voice of our receptionist answered. She asked me how I was feeling. Surprised I asked why. She sounded a bit confused. She said because you called in early saying you weren’t coming in because you were sick. At this point I am a little unnerved. I hang up the phone now wanting to get to the bottom of this. Someone called the office impersonating me and cancelling my day. But why? I think about the night before and the mysterious notebook. Clearly they meant me no harm because I was fine and nothing was stolen. I checked. I thought back to the letters I received and wondered now if there was a connection. I decided to go to the park and get to the bottom of this. I made myself some lunch and took a shower. The next few hours were a blur but finally it was about dusk. I cautiously step outside and head to the park with the small notebook. This is absurd. How will I know? What if they do mean me harm? My steps start to falter, but I pick up the pace in resolution. I have to get to the bottom of this. I walk through the park looking for that mysterious someone. I see a figure on the bench in the distance. My heart skips a beat. I start walking toward them. I can’t quite make out the face yet. As I get closer I gasp. There is a woman sitting poised on the bench who looks exactly like me. She looks up and smiles. I blink. She starts to say something but I catch the tale end of it. She’s apologizing for doing things this way and hopes I’m alright. I shake my head for this seems like something out of a novel. She said she was my twin sister and that we had been separated at birth. Everything was so secretive because our father had wanted me to have a good home. When she said “our father” my head shot up. “My” father had been dead for a few years and I was working in his old office. She began telling her story: “Our father worked in the military and travelled a lot. Our mother died in childbirth and at the time he was heartbroken and wanted to give both of us up for adoption. He found a family but they would only take one of us. He decided to raise one in memory of his beloved wife and gave the other for adoption. Recently he was killed and had saved up a small amount he desired to give his daughters. He had made a promised that he would leave both his girls with something. He had raised about $100,000 but most of it had gone to debts. At any rate what is left is $40,000 which is to be divided in half. We each get $20,000.” Shocked and speechless I stare at her. She hands me an envelope. “There’s 20 grand in there.” I ignore the statement. I have so many questions. She looks at me knowingly as if she is filled with the same questions. But first I ask: “Why did you drug me?” She looks a little sheepish. “I wanted to keep everything a secret. You can go back to your life and forget me if you want. I wanted to give you a chance to continue your life like nothing happened.” I look at her shocked. “Seriously?” I somehow choke out. She nods but we both know our lives will never be the same. Then her eyes begin to mischievously twinkle. “Or...” I look at her. “Or what?” She swallows. “You can come with me tonight. I am leaving to start a new life in Italy.” I blink. What a crazy idea. As the sun begins to set I look at her. Leave this little postcard town behind for a life unknown with this stranger who happens to look just like me? I look at her and then suddenly it feels like I have known her forever. I blink and shocked I find myself saying: “Can I take my cat?” She laughs and nods. We walk back together to my house and there is a taxi at the door. Shocked I looked at her. She sheepishly says: “Somehow I knew you would say yes.” I look at her and smile and say: “This certainly is a sunset surprise.” She looks at me with that mischievous twinkle that is becoming familiar and quips: “Yeah, and tomorrow is dawning a brand new day.”