It's Not What It Seems by Danny Ninal

APPEARANCES

IT’S NOT WHAT IT SEEMS A SHORT STORY

DANNY NINAL

Things are not always as they seem; the first appearance deceives many. Phaedrus

APPEARANCES Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Not What It Seems A Short Story By Danny Ninal

Pro logue “George, come on, make that face.” “What face?” “That face, which makes you look like a priest in front of the tabernacle,” “Come on James, all mantises know how to look like they’re praying,” grumbled George. “But nobody does it better than you do. You really make them believe that you are praying. So please, make that face. Hurry,” James said with such an urgency that it scared George. George started bobbing his head back and forth, with both front legs now ready to do the act. “But why, James? I’m only a mantis,” George whispered, really scared now. "Because I see the butt.” James’s voice was a little bit higher now, and with much more urgency. “What? Whose butt? Where?” “That butt.” James pointed at the man, sitting on the new bench at the park. George and James were right in front of a man whose eyes were wet with tears, knees shaking, and hands trembling. It was dusk, and the sun was partly hidden now behind the tall trees in front of him. He didn’t see how beautiful the sunset was. He couldn’t. His mind was not there, much less his soul. In more ways than one, he was lost In his right hand, he held a black metallic thing. And James softly said, “Yes, the butt of a gun.”

05 Photos by Jonathan Sarmiento

At the house: 15:01:38 The house was empty, except for the man who was sitting on the settee in the lounge facing the ocean. The view was spectacular, astonishing, and ordinarily, this view would have sparked romance and love and candle -lit dinners. But not today, for the man with a double scotch whiskey on his right hand, the view triggered memories of happy days gone by, and it punctuated even more the emptiness of the house. At that very moment, the man still could not figure out why his family had left him. On his left hand was the piece of paper his wife placed on the side table in the bedroom. The words were clearly written, but the last letters were smeared, with what could only be tears dropping unto the paper when it was written. “THINGS ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM” He didn’t know how long ago his family had left the house. He couldn’t remember when he arrived last night, for he apparently was unable to reach his bedroom before he passed out on his lounge. He woke up at around noontime with a serious hangover from the party his company gave him for his promotion as Vice President for Operations. “With a beautiful wife, lovely kids, a happy family,” one of his colleagues said, “and now a senior partnership in the company, what more can you ask for?” “I wish I was like you, man,” another said.

He could overhear people whispering when he passed by, “He has a very happy family” one young manager said. “You should see his wife and kids,” said another one. “Wish my wife is as beautiful. And she goes to church every Sunday.” “Hey buddy, maybe you should start going to church too.” “Is that where the beautiful women are? You made me a convert, man. Halleluiah.”

The man even recalled that it was only after he drank his coffee that he noticed the note. And it didn’t sink in to him then that they left him for good... ... until he saw the empty drawers and closets of his wife and children.

He had called his parents, her parents, her friends, her friends’ parents… he had called everybody. But nobody seemed to know where his family went, or nobody would tell him where they were.

His wife still had not called him … or would she?

At the PARK: 15:06:32

He even called her wife’s mobile and it went straight to message bank.

About a kilometre away from the man’s house was the park. It was a picture of joy, children were playing, some elderly Chinese were doing a taebo-kind of thing, a group of teenagers were doing magic with their skateboards, the birds were tweeting, and trees were swaying gracefully with the slight afternoon wind.

Nothing.

Even the animals were happy.

Photos by Danielle Angelika Photos Ninal by Jonathan Sarmiento

Strauss, the most intelligent bench in the park, was watching the two praying mantises scampering around, looking for their prey. He can overhear their discussion, and has gotten interested, so he called them to approach the bench, so much like a judge summoning the lawyers.

tion to your true self,” Strauss said. “Sometimes what is inside is revealed by what is outside. That is the level of transparency, and this differs from each one of us. Some people are very good at hiding their true feelings, and others just can’t hide it.“

“Hey Strauss,” the older mantis asked him, “If I look like a monkey, act like a monkey, am I a monkey?”

“Sounds like you’re talking about actors and actresses, or maybe politicians.”

“Not necessarily, James” said Strauss with the authority of a University professor. He asked in return, “if you look like you’re praying, are you praying?” “Not necessarily,” said George, the younger mantis. “My appearances do not make me who I am.” “Exactamente, Bravo, Bravissimo, Giorgio,” Strauss could have stretched his arms like Italians always do. But he was not Italian, he came from the boreal forests of Canada, one of the very few trees cut from that area of the world. “But guys, let me tell you something about appearances,” Strauss suddenly became serious. “We better sit down. Looks like it’s going to be a long one.” “George,” James whispered to his younger brother, with front legs ready to strike if the situation called for it. “Giorgio, you speak of appearances in rela-

“Giorgio, you’re too clever to be a mantis. You should be a monkey.” Strauss said and they all laughed. “But then again you may be right. That is why this world adores actors and actresses, because they’re good at it…. at becoming who they are not. But If you want more intelligent opinions, talk to the new bench in the park, Bob,” he said pointing at the bench which had just been installed a few days ago.

At the house: 17:11:42 Back at the empty house, the man still had no idea where his family was. He had nothing at all. And it’s getting dark. He went to his small bar near the kitchen and poured himself another scotch and saw the flower vase which his wife brought from France. The flowers on it looked so real, he could almost smell them. And he’s reminded of how beautiful she was and how she’d loved him, or did she? Everything had become so untrue and unreal he can’t distinguish one from the other. Was her wife’s love as unreal as the plastic flower on a beautiful vase?

To the public, they were a picture of a very happy and successful family. They were a model family to the church. People looked up at them, and even invited them to small groups to speak about a happy Christian family. But, why did his wife and kids leave him? Was she seeing someone? Then from the corner of his eyes, he saw something under the maple kitchen island where his wife loved to be. It was her favourite part in the house. It was her part of the house. She specifically chose the maple color to match the design of the kitchen. And right under it a shiny thing caught his eye – it was his wife’s mobile! It was not switched on. His wife never switches off her mobile. It’s with her all the time, what with her selfies and FB updates. When he pulled it out, and switched it on, he saw the unsent message. All of a sudden he felt excitement building up and his heart seemed to burst out of his chest. He ran outside the house and sprinted all the way to the park. .

Photos by Jonathan Sarmiento

At the PARK: 17:13:54 He reached the park just when everybody was leaving. He saw somebody left the bench, so he went for it. Gasping for breath, looking around, sweating like he just finished a hundred-meter dash. Well, didn’t he?

George started bobbing his head back and forth, with both front legs now ready to do the act.

He was still trying to catch his breath when he saw the bag. Nobody’s around now. The park was quiet. It was cold, but he was still sweating. When he saw what was inside the bag, the man started trembling and his knees were shaking.

“Because I see the butt.” James’s voice was a little bit higher now, with much more urgency.

It was a gun. He held the gun carefully, and the weight was so familiar he thought he was back in the field as an operative. He didn’t want to remember those days, that was why he was trembling. And then he saw the two praying mantises in front of him, bobbing their heads like they were trying to catch his attention. T

“But why, James? I’m only a mantis,” George whispered, really scared now.

“What? Whose butt? Where?” “That butt.” James pointed at the man, sitting on the new bench at the park. George and James were right in front of a man whose eyes were wet with tears, knees shaking, and hands trembling. It was dusk, and the sun was partly hidden now behind the tall trees in front of him. He didn’t see how beautiful the sunset was. He couldn’t. His mind was not there, much less his soul. In more ways than one, he was lost

hey were staring at him with those alien-looking eyes.

“George, come on, make that face. You know, that face, which makes you look like a priest in front of the tabernacle.” “Come on James, all mantises look like they’re praying,” grumbled George. “But nobody does it better than you do. You really make them believe that you are praying. So please, make that face. Hurry,” James said with such an urgency that it scared George.

In his right hand, he held a black metallic thing. And James softly said, “Yes, the butt of a gun.”

James explained, “I’ve seen those eyes before, that same desperate look, and the man shot himself right in front of me. And I don’t want that to happen again, George.” “And you want us to look like we’re begging him not to shoot himself? Maybe he would shoot us instead? Hello.” The man stared at the mantises and almost forgot his terrible situation. He was entertained. But it also made him realize…He forgot to pray at all!!! He didn’t pray to God to keep his family safe. He didn’t even think about asking people to pray for them. All that was in his mind was what he can do, which was practically nothing but wonder and worry. The man looked up and saw the tall tree in front of him with the rays of the sun filtering through her branches. It was heavenly. The sight was just magnificent. He wept.

“Daaaddy-y-y-y-y-y-y.” As he turned where the voice came from, he saw his wife and his two daughters running to him and he jumped right up and went to them, almost crushing the two mantises in front of him. He hugged his two daughters like never before. He realized how much he loved them.

“Are you all right guys?” He looked at his wife and kissed her so hard and hurriedly, like a young boy on his first kiss. His wife looked at him, and the gun. She embraced him and whispered, “Looks like you haven’t slept in days, hun.” “I haven’t. And for the record this gun is not mine.”

Then he heard it, faintly at first, but unmistakeable. Photos by Danielle Angelika Ninal

Photos by Jonathan Sarmiento

“Daddy, Daddy, you should’ve seen mommy kick those bad guys. They never saw what’s coming,” said his youngest daughter with pride, her hands poised like a little karate kid.

will make a mistake along the way. And they did. They untied me so I can punch the password and transfer the money online. It was all I needed to kick their butts… all three of them”

“Yes, Dad, mom was great. I never knew mom knows how to move like a ninja. She made the kidnappers believe they were in control, but from the start I knew mom was.”

“Dad, you told us mom was British, but you didn’t tell us she was with MI6.”

“Well, I just waited for the right moment, and then they made a mistake,” mom said. “They messed with the wrong woman,” the man said jokingly. “But you failed to send the message.” “I hid it under the kitchen table hurriedly, but obviously you got the message. We always meet here at dusk, like those bees in summer,” she winked at him, -“I knew they were amateurs, because when I told them to empty my closets and drawers to make it look like we’ve left you, they smiled and said ‘Good thinking,’ Somehow I know they

The man looked at his wife and winked. And they all laughed. “Let’s go home,” the man said, his voice almost cracked. James and George were looking at each other, with the happy thought that they had prevented a man from taking his own life. “James, were you really praying?” “No, were you?” “Yes, I was really praying that I would act like I’m praying.” “I always wanted to be an actor.”

THE END MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Photos by Danielle Angelika Ninal