Chapter Nine

She stared at the screen as her fingers slowly warmed to the sensations that she was once familiar with. Caroline’s thoughts wavered as she stared at the codes that appeared on the screen. It had been years since she worked with these 0’s and 1’s. She had forgotten the knowledge that was once imprinted in her mind. There was still a barrier that stood between her and these piles of codes even though she should have recovered her memory.

It felt surreal even after she finished writing a line of code. She couldn’t help but wonder if the code she wrote was nothing more than a line of nonsense. However, her fingers continued working as if they were moving on their own, surviving on motor memory that was seared into her brain. Things became clearer as more completed code began to appear on the screen. Her confidence grew as time went on until her fingers were dancing swiftly over the keyboard. Caroline was lost in the moment.

Cole was curious about what his sister was doing. He pulled his body forward and peered at the laptop screen. When he saw the line of codes that kept appearing on screen, he almost fell to the floor in shock. How could this be? Since when did his sister learn to code and not only that, how was she so damn good at it? Cole rubbed his eyes and examined it closer to make sure she wasn’t typing random numbers.

He wasn’t imagining things, she was really writing that mini game that he intended to reject. She didn’t stop to think, refer to books, or even check for mistakes. She just kept on writing with a speed that he could barely keep up with.

Cole was dumbfounded. He had no idea how Caroline was so skilled in programming. He had the urge to ask her where her sudden proficiency came from, but her total concentration on her work stopped him from doing so. He didn’t want to break hee focus.

He stood quietly by her bedside watching her work. He found it difficult to calm down…. 45 minutes!

Caroline used less than an hour to finish writing the program. She kneaded her hands, let out a long sigh, and turned to meet Cole’s astonished eyes. Caroline passed him the laptop. “I think it’s done. Give it a try and check if there are any mistakes. If it’s usable, send it to your senior and ask for the pay.

“Huh? O…okay…” Cole stuttered and accepted his laptop dumbly, staring at her with a pair of vacant eyes. He was waiting for an explanation. Caroline was too distressed to notice his strange behavior. Her eyes were tired from continuous exposure to the screen’s harsh glare and it added to her already mounting headache. Caroline slumped back down on her bed, shut her eyes, and….fell asleep!

Cole had to use every ounce of his self discipline not to shake his sister violently awake. Sis, please explain what’s happening before retreating to your dreams! Where did you learn such impressive programming skills? He was bursting at the seams with questions, but he dared not to disturb her sleep. The only thing he could do was to suppress his curiosity and wait patiently.

The two hours it took for Caroline to wake up was torture for Cole. The moment she opened her eyes, she realized she was staring into Cole’s inquisitive and unblinking eyes.

A startled Caroline said, “what are you looking at?”

Cole replied, “Sis, do you want to eat some mangoes? I’ll go buy you some.”

“Mangoes?” Caroline frowned.

“Yup, it’s your favorite fruit, right? Do you want some?” Cole asked enthusiastically.

Caroline pulled her upper body upright using the bed frame as support and stared at Cole quizzically. Come stared right back at her anxiously, waiting for an answer. Caroline narrowed her eyes. “Cole, what are you planning? You know I’m allergic to mangoes.”

Cole lurched forward to grab her hands, his eyes red with tears. “So it is you Sis! Do you remember saving me from drowning when I was five years old??”

“Are you high? We didn’t know each other when you were five.”

“Sis, it is you!” Cole wailed with joy. “I thought you died and your body was taken over by a new consciousness like how it’s normally potrayed in reincarnation themed web novels. You have no idea how worried I’ve been for the past two hours.” Caroline stared at him curiously, “what are you talking about?”

“You know, your soul dies and your body becomes host to another person’s soul…that sort of thing.”

“You fear I am no longer the same Caroline?”

Cole nodded as he broke into a smile. “Can you blame me? You suddenly become so good at programming after a car accident. Isn’t that how the plot for these novels go? I was so afraid that you’ve become someone else. Thankfully, you’re still the original. Caroline was rendered speechless. Then again, she couldn’t really fault Caroline for thinking that way, she had never shown him her programming talent.

Actually, no one in this country knew about her past. They only knew she was a star student from the Mathematics Faculty of Harvard University. “I was a computer whiz since I was young, my technique only got better after years of learning.” Caroline shrugged it like it was no big deal. Understanding dawned on Cole. He said, “Sis, you grew up overseas so none of us were particularly clear about your history before you moved in with us. We tried to find out more from you, but obviously you couldn’t remember. Regardless sis, you’re really impressive. You finished writing the piece of software in an hour when a programming student like myself needs at least a few days to complete it, and that is after six years of amnesia…”

Cole’s head slowly lowered in shame. His results had always been top of his class, but he was easily beaten by his amateur programmer sister. “Sis, how professional exactly are you? Based on your level of proficiency, I dare say you’re at least ten times better than my senior,” Cole asked eagerly but was hesitant to hear the answer.

Caroline shook her head, “I honestly have no idea because computer science is a constantly evolving subject. If we are talking about the theoretical aspect, I believe I know less than you. Since I’ve got nothing else to do at the moment, could you please bring me some text books that were published in recent years?”

Cole laughed, “Sis, you’re too modest. I just texted your software, it was bug free. I’ve sent it to my senior and he said the same. The only comment he gave was that even though the coding method was a bit outdated, the technique was definitely superb. He realized immediately that it wasn't my handiwork. I told him it was by a friend when he asked.”

Caroline nodded affirmatively, “It’s good that you didn’t mention me because that would be very hard to explain.”

“I agree. I have no intention of going into your history and amnesia with him so I opted for a white lie.”

“Then, has he banked the money yet?” That was Caroline’s only concern.

Cole replied excitedly, “He just did! Sis, do you have anything that you want to eat? I’ll go buy some for you. I’ll stop by the library to get some of the books you want as well.”

“I don’t mind anything, why don’t you buy something that you like to eat? We can share.”

“Okay, I will be right back.” Cole shouldered his bag and left the hospital with a spring in his step.