Chapter Five

“Doctor, Miesa Devane is here to see you.” Her secretary informed her standing in the doorway of her office.

Doctor Mirabelle Rivera looked up from the magazine she was reading in surprise. “Miesa Devane?”. She wondered what the little girl wanted and hoped everything was fine. "Is she hurt?". She asked with concern lacing her voice.

“No ma'am." Her secretary shook her head. "She said she has something important to discuss with you."

“Let her in". Mirabelle said. She dropped her magazine wondering what the little girl wanted. She hoped it wasn't something life threatening though.

Three seconds later the door opened and Miesa walked into the office and closed the door gently.

“Good morning Doctor.” She greeted.

“Morning Miesa". Mirabelle smiled at her. "Sit please.” She gestured to the chair in front of her desk.

Miesa sat down grateful she was tall enough to look at doctor Mirabelle in the eye. “Um.. you’re not busy are you?”. She asked.

“No of course not Miesa. What is it?”. Mirabelle smiled. She had been employed by the school to be the attending doctor but sometimes she also had to go to the hospital to work but it was few and far between nowadays and she always told the kids they could come to her if they had any health related problems they couldn't tell their parents about. She was available anytime she was in school.

“Um.. something’s been bothering me lately.” Miesa said. "I can’t tell my Mom.”

“Why? Is it something bad?”. She questioned.

“No." Mimi shook her head and hesitated but only briefly. "You know Cesari Sandoval right?”.

“Everyone does". Mirabelle replied. "Why do you ask?”.

“My friend Bethany told me he looks like me.. do you think it’s true?”. She asked. "It's not that I am hoping it's true but..." She paused and her shoulders slumped. "It'd be nice to have my own dad too."

Mirabelle fished out a business Magazine from her desk drawer and right on the front page was Cesar’s picture. She stared at his picture with furrowed brows then looked at Miesa. Her eyes were the exact colour as his, her nose and even her hair. It was uncanny and very very strange.

“My God! It’s as if he was cloned". Mirabelle said. "If you were a boy.. you’d be his twin brother.”

Miesa thought so too but didn’t want to get her hopes up. “Um..yes. So it's possible that we can be related.. maybe?”. She made a face. "Maybe my uncle or something?".

Mirabelle laughed. She didn't think Cesari Sandoval had a brother but maybe he did have a brother. No one knew anything about the man. She hadn't known anything about him years ago and even now, he was still a mystery.

“Of course." Mirabelle nodded. "But you’ll have to do a DNA test.”

“How does it work?”. She inquired.

“Well.. you have to get either his hair, blood or whatever else that’s his. Yours as well.”

“I can get his hair.” Miesa said. It shouldn't be too hard. She'd just have to find a way to get close enough to touch.

“It’s not that accurate. A cheek swab is better or maybe if you can get a cup he’s used. His saliva will definitely be on it.” Mirabelle continued. "Also... Are you really sure you want to do this? I don't want you to be hurt if it comes back negative."

"I won't be." She assured Mirabelle. "It'd kill me if I don't know." She sighed. "I guess I can do that too. When can I get the results?”.

“Three to five days.. if you want it urgently.” Mirabelle replied. "A week at most."

“Thank you very much doctor.” She smiled. "I'll find a way."

“You’re welcome Miesa.” Mirabelle smiled back.

“And Uh…please I don’t want anyone to find out about this.” She said as she rose to her feet. 

“Your secret is safe with me.” Mirabelle assured her.

“Thank you. I’ll leave now.”

“Bye.” Mirabelle waved.

Miesa waved back and left her office very relieved. Soon she'd know if she was related to Cesari Sandoval in anyway. She was five and most would consider her too little to be thinking of something as heavy as this but when you have something as huge as that staring at you in the face, just waiting for you to solve the puzzle, you have no choice but to solve it until you are satisfied by the result and she didn't like leaving anything unsolved.

“Smart girl.” Mirabelle smiled. One day if she ever got married, she wanted her daughter to be as smart as Miesa.

“Hey, how did it go?”. Beth asked when Miesa joined her.

“Well.” Miesa said.

“And?”. Beth prompted.

“I will have to get something from him.”

“What?”. Beth seemed impatient. She wanted to know as much as her friend because she knew how sad her friend got everytime Miesa came by her house and saw her together with her parents and brother.

They were a happy family and Miesa wanted that for herself as well so she wanted to help her friend out which was why she'd suggested that Miesa meet Doctor Mirabelle.

“A strand of his hair or his saliva.” Miesa replied.

“Yuck! Are you serious?”. Beth made a face.

Miesa chuckled. “Relax, it’s not like that. I’ll have to get the cup he’s used.”

“Okay. That’s all?”. Beth was skeptical.

“The rest is up to doctor Mirabelle.” Miesa said.

“And if it works? will you tell your mom?”.

“No. I’ll wait till she tells me herself.” She muttered. Her mother would get mad at her for going behind her back to find out who her father was after she specifically told her he'd died but she didn't care. Her mother would eventually forgive her and all would be well in the world again.

“If she doesn’t?”. Beth asked the one question that had always been on Miesa's mind. 

What if her mother never revealed the truth? She couldn't say that her mother didn't know who her father was because women knew such things and if her father was really dead as she claimed…

Miesa shrugged. “We’ll see.” She said. She just had to do her part and hope that all would be in her favor.