September 1990
Dear Chuck,
Hope you’re okay back at home and that boarding school isn’t too boring. Thanks for being a good friend over the summer holidays. And thanks for saying I could write to you. I have something very important to tell you, something I can’t just blurt out, but something I feel deserves both of our attentions. This feels too big for me to carry by myself.
I feel so bad, for what I did, but I knew there was something going on with the Clemontes that needed further inspection. Call me a sleuth or whatever you like, but somehow – and I won’t say how – I found myself in Ava’s study on the night of Caitlin and Josephine’s party.
What I discovered, Chuck, were photos. Fourteen of them. All of a girl that looked very similar to Caitlin. Except she had a horrible deformity on her lip in the baby photos. As she grew, they must have been able to have reconstructed her face or something, because it isn’t as bad. I think they are twins. I don’t think Gabi – that is the name on every photo – and Caitlin are identical twins, as she doesn’t look exactly like Caitlin, just similar. Each photo is taken round about the same time as Caitlin’s – their – birthday, and on the back of each photo is some writing. The people who sent the photos must be Gabi’s new parents, and they wanted to keep in touch with Ava. They have obviously been writing to Ava each year to let her know how she has grown.
I know all this to be true because Ava admitted that Gabi was Caitlin’s twin when she discovered me in her study. I know! I wouldn’t make a very good spy or detective, would I? But now I know Ava gave Caitlin’s twin sister away because she was deformed and she didn’t want her any more. But I think Caitlin would have loved her, don’t you?
In the first photo, Gabi is a tiny baby, only a few months old. Her parents had written on the back that she is dealing quite well with her cleft palate and that there is an operation booked. It looked quite bad – she had huge, pretty eyes but with a gaping hole where her lip should have joined her mouth and nose. I was scared when I saw that photo. But then in the next photo, Gabi has had the operation, and she looks a lot better; her lip still looks slightly deformed, but I didn’t feel so sad when I looked at the photo. On the back, Gabi’s parents had written a note that says the operation has gone well and Gabi is recovering just fine. I could see the same cheeky look in Gabi’s eye that Caitlin gets sometimes. Gabi is smiling in every photo. The sixth photo had written on the back, Doctors have confirmed that Gabi is autistic. She will start a special school after the summer.
I feel really sad for Gabi, for her new parents and for Caitlin. I feel so crushed that I must keep this a secret from her. But you know her best, you know the Clemonte family the best, and they do things differently to how my family would. Do you think we should keep it to ourselves? I do. I couldn’t possibly tell Caitlin. I’m going to need your help. Whatever happens, you and I must always remain friends so I don’t feel I must shoulder this terrible secret all by myself. It would be good to know I have you by my side, Chuck.
I have one more thing to tell you. When I am a little bit older, I am going to look for Gabi, and when I find her, I would like to be her friend. Would you like to be her friend too? We wouldn’t need to tell Caitlin. It could be our secret.
Thanks for being a good friend, Chuck. Keep in touch.
Love from Sasha.