All About Abbili

All About Abbili

     Norli read the Note for the millionth time. She couldn’t believe what she was reading. For the millionth and one time Norli read the Note silently to herself again.

     “I know you, and your fellow Locals, have been wondering who has been sending you Small Cakes for the last month. Don’t tell your fellow Locals about this. We, I mean I, or is it really we, maybe it is I, let’s say we, then again is it I, have your eleven-year old-daughter Abbili.”

     Just then another Local comes up to her desk – and puts some papers on her desk. Norli just barely turned over the Note before the other Local got there. As soon as the other Local leaves Norli returns to reading the Note.

     “If you don’t do as I, we, let’s not do this all over again – let’s stick with I, maybe it should be we, say Abbili will suffer. We, I, will kill her.

     Suddenly another Local appears with more papers for her. But this time Norli didn’t have time to hide the Note. “Another Small Cake I see. Have you solved the mystery of who has been sending them to you?”

     Norli looked down at the now turned over Note. “No, I haven’t - yet.”

     “You will,” said the other Local. “You’re the best Local that we got. If anyone can figure it out, it’s you.” The other Local then left. As she left she said very low to herself “At least Norli thinks she’s the best.”

     “I heard that,” Norli thought. Norli also thought as she looked down at the Note again. But this time she doesn’t pick it up. “I don’t understand you. I’m not working on a Problem at the moment. And I haven’t been ordered to any Problem Accusation Meeting lately. In fact, I have been on Desk Detail for the last four months. Why are you doing this to me?”

     Norli picked up the Note. And started reading it again. “Your daughter’s future also depends on you not telling your other Locals about this Note - or your daughter. Now for the reason why I, again it could be we, but then again it might be I, actually it could be either one – so let’s say we, am, are, sending you this Note.”

     Yet another Local arrived at her desk. But he doesn’t have any papers with him. “I have been watching you for the last three hours. And I have noticed that you didn’t toss your Small Cake away like you usually do. Also, I noticed that every time a Local has come to your desk today you have hidden that Note you got there.”

     Local Kokan takes a breath, “Did you get that Note with the Small Cake you got today? Is that Note a Note from whoever has been sending you those Small Cakes?”

     Norli didn’t say anything at first. When she did the was looking at the turned over Note. “This Note is personal. It’s none of your business who sent it to me – or why.”

     “I am worried about you,” said Kokan. “That’s why I have been sending Locals over with papers for you to work on. Which I noticed you haven’t touched. Not even one. All you have been doing is reading that Note – over and over again. Why?”

     “I’m not on any deadline with the papers on my desk. At least not yet. If I don’t get them done today, there is always tomorrow.”

     “You’re not going to tell me what in that Note are you? I could make you give that Note. After all, I am your Superior until after you get off Desk Detail,” said Kokan.

     “You can try,” said Norli. “But if you do try remember all I have to do is touch that Note and it’s gone. And as you have already noticed I have read that Note numerous times. If it’s gone no one will now what is in that Note – but me.”

     Kokan grabbed for the Note. But Norli touched it first. Once second it was there. And the next it wasn’t. No fire – no smoke. It was just gone. “Leave now. You are on Forced Leave for the next three months.”

     Norli was shocked. “You can’t do that to me.”

     “Yes, I can. I’m your Superior at the moment. You are on Desk Detail. I asked you to give me that Note. But instead of giving it to me you destroyed it. You destroyed ‘Proof of a Problem.’ That means I can put you on Forced Leave. And the minimum for Forced Leave is three months.”

     At first it looked like Norli was going to say something. But she didn’t. Norli just got up – and left.

     As Norli left The Division she recalls the last part of the Note again. “I want you to meet me at the last place you were before you got that Desk Detail. The reason why you got that Desk Detail.”

     Norli had a lot of time before she got to that ‘last place.’ “I know why someone took Abbili. It’s all about the man I killed. That’s why I got Desk Detail. That man’s brother, father, friend etc. took Abbili to get to me,” thought Norli. “I also know why you have been sending me the Small Cakes too. Whoever has been sending them to me knows I love Small Cakes.”

     Once again Norli is shocked. When she got to the ‘Last Place’ she is shocked who took Abbili. “I am here. You can let Abbili go now.

     “You know I can’t do that,” said the man with the Hand Weapon. “Both of you have to die since both of you have seen me.”

     “How are you related to the man I killed? Or was he a friends of yours?”

     “You will never know the answer to that will you Norli. Because you will be dead,” said Kokan.

The End?