Episode 18
THE UNDERCOVER
As I gazed at Judith sleeping on the bed that night, I noticed something peculiar. To satisfy my curiosity, I shone my phone’s flashlight on her. The light revealed that her chest wasn’t rising and falling with breath. Alarmed, I pulled the duvet away, but the flickering light danced across her face(the only part of her body that wasn’t covered) . That’s when I saw something unsettling, an unusual glow across her cheeks.
My eyes widened in stunned confusion as I froze by the bedside, my mind struggling to process the impossible. The figure I had thought was my wife lying motionless on the bed, wasn’t her. It was a toy, a lifelike doll dressed in her nightgown, its synthetic hair styled to mimic her curls, and its plastic skin was painted with an uncanny likeness to her complexion.
The toy’s pose, too, was calculated to deceive. Its limbs were arranged to mimic Judith’s relaxed sleeping position, with one arm draped across the pillow and the other resting on its stomach. The toy’s glassy eyes were even painted with a faint hint of sleepiness. This story belongs to Joy Ifunanya.
“What…what is this?”. I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper.
I felt as if I’d been punched in the gut, my breath knocked out of me. My training and experience melted away, leaving me a terrified husband.
I reached out a trembling hand to touch the toy’s face, hoping it was some twisted joke. But the cold, smooth plastic beneath my fingertips told me the horrifying truth… It wasn’t Judith.
Then my mind reflected on the strange message I had received a few days earlier.
“YOUR WIFE IS NOT WHO YOU THINK SHE IS. YOUR WIFE IS NOT WHO YOU THINK SHE IS”. The message echoed repeatedly in my mind.
Could it be that…does it mean that…I just couldn’t stop asking myself unanswered questions.
Judith has been the one? How? She has the Sim card?. No it just cannot be. She is playing some games. I tried to convince myself.
Maybe she is hiding in the bathroom. Judith can be silly at times. With that, I hurried to the bathroom, but there was no one there.
She is not here?? I wondered. I went back to take another look at the doll on the bed.
“Judith knows my secrets?. I thought out loud
Swiftly, I turned around and made for the door, only to have second thoughts before I even got there.
“Play it safe, Patrick. Don’t go out there and expose yourself”. A tiny voice whispered from within me.
With that, I strode back to the bed, my mind racing. I’d been so blind, so convinced that Judith was innocent, I could have sworn she was nonchalant about everything happening around her…. I felt mocked.
“Who is Judith really? What had I missed?.How was she able to pull up this trick?. I thought as I stared at the toy’s plastic face once again. The attention to detail was staggering…. even the tiny freckles on Judith’s nose were replicated on its face.
At that moment, I heard a tiny creak…like a door was opening.
“That must be Judith”. I muttered to myself.
I hastily covered the toy back the way it was and lay down on my own side of the bed with my eyes locked on it.
I waited anxiously for the door to open and for her to enter, mentally preparing myself for the revelations to come. But nothing like that happened because she didn’t come in. And that got me wondering all night long.
Who knows how many unsuspecting nights I have spent alone with a doll, thinking it was my wife.
My mind wandered back to our courtship days, and I recalled a crucial detail. Judith had explicitly told me that she hated being disturbed while sleeping, she hated the light on when she sleeps. In fact, I remembered the one time I’d made the mistake of waking her – it had sparked a heated argument that lingered for over a week. And I have learnt to keep to myself from that day onwards. …Then everything began to make sense to me.
Why is Judith of all people doing this to me?. She was supposed to be my wife, the mother of my kids?. And what have I not done right? What does she lack in this house?. How much was she paid or…. I remembered the message again.
“Who is she?”.
When she didn’t come in after about fifteen minutes of waiting, I got up, changed into my pajamas and left the room.
I walked down the dark staircase to the living room, bumping into Celina in the dining room. She was scooping milk into a cup of hot water. The teaspoon almost fell off her hand when she saw me.
“Good evening sir”. She greeted me for the second time that night.
I nodded, but didn’t take my eyes off the cup in her hand.
…I was hungry, I only came downstairs to make tea ….”. She began to explain, but I wasn’t interested in her explanation.
“Stop that!”. I shunned her.
She stopped talking instantly.
“I’m looking for something very important. Have you seen it?.” I asked, staring her in the face.
“I didn’t take anything”. She replied, abruptly.
I looked around and when it seemed there was no one in sight, I moved closer to her.
“Did my wife go anywhere today?”. I asked.
She shook her head. I didn’t want to press further because I didn’t know where the dev¡l could be hiding at that moment. I watched her quietly cover the container, lifted her cup and hurried upstairs without looking back.
I turned off the light and went after her. When I returned to the room, I noticed that the doll was no longer on the bed. Just then, I heard some sounds emanating from the bathroom. I quietly opened the door. There was Judith, standing in front of the bathroom mirror, adjusting her hair. She was wearing the same nighties the doll had been dressed in.
When the door opened, she looked up, and smiled innocently at me.
“Hi hon”. She said, her eyes sparkling with welcome..
I forced a smile, pretending everything was normal.
“Hello, sweetheart”. I muttered.
“When did you come back?”. She asked, moving closer to hug me.
I shrugged, playing along.
“You were sleeping then. Not too long ago though”
I bent over to give her a peck. My gaze lingered on her, searching for any sign of guilt or nervousness. But she seemed carefree, radiant.
What secrets lay hidden behind those beautiful eyes?. Who is she working for?. I wondered.
It was hard to believe that the woman I thought I knew too well was just an illusion. I felt like I was drowning in uncertainty, struggling to keep my head above water.
I had an urge to thr0ttle her the same way I had done with Samuel and Celina, to force the truth out of her mouth, and recover my SIM card fast before it gets late, but a voice within discouraged me.
Judith cannot be doing this alone. I’d maintain the facade, gather enough information and plan my next move.
That night, we slept together in each other’s arms like new lovers. During breakfast the next morning, I learnt that Stella was on a two weeks leave.
I think I have to start with her. She can’t be ignorant of her sister’s mysterious behavior, given their closeness.
So when I left the house that morning, I went straight to the travel agency where she (Stella) claimed to have been working for over two years now.
I alighted and walked in through the open gate. Inside, the agency bustled with activities. I walked into the reception.
“Good morning, sir, how may I help you?”. The receptionist greeted, smiling gaily.
“I urgently need to speak to your boss. please”. I requested.
“The director is not on seat, sir but…”. Before she could complete her statements, a young gentleman stepped out from within.
…. That’s the manager”. The receptionist said, pointing towards the young man as he approached me with a smile on his face.
After exchanging pleasantries, he led me into his office. I sat down and flashed my barge at him.
“Please, what can we do for you, sir?”. He asked, fear visibly written over his face.
“I’m here in respect of one Stella Williams, your worker here”. I said.
He frowned.
“Stella Williams?. Stella Williams?”. He repeated the name about three different times.
I opened my phone, and provided a photo of Stella and Judith that I had taken some time ago.
“She is the fat one” I said, flashing the phone at his face.
He took the phone from my hand to take a closer look.
…I need to see her personnel file”. I said.
After staring at the image for a while, the young man returned my phone.
“Sir, I have never seen this woman in my life. She doesn’t work here”. He said.
