The Twins
Matthew turned his car into a rather narrow street carefully. Narrow which leaves limited space to move. He started his car tripping because of the many holes in the asphalt layer. Every now and then you can hear the sound of your car tires running over a puddle. On either side of the road, tiny houses were lined up neatly and tightly, almost without any disturbance. Matthew glanced at the clock on his dashboard. It's not even nine o'clock yet, it's not too late for dinner. He smiled at the thought that Vera, his wife, must have been waiting for him to have dinner together. Matthew knew Vera couldn't eat without him.
The rain has stopped. Matthew turned off the wipers. His clothes were still soaking wet and felt sticky against his skin.
Matthew crossed an area of land with a half-worked building. The walls of the house that have not been painted and the bricks are still visible. Some have started to be coated with cement. Wood and pralon lying on the ground. Pile of sand and stones. Also the cement grinding machine is left only covered with a plastic sheet.
Suddenly he felt a suffocating air. Of course this area will be more crowded. Fitzroy, land prices in this place tend to be cheaper than in the city center. Besides, it's not too far from the Central Business District, only about twenty minutes by tram on line eleven. Land of dreams, especially for people from weak economic groups.
Matthew parked on the side of the road, halfway up the car on the sidewalk, leaving room for other vehicles to pass. In her tiny house, the lights are still dim. He passed the front yard which was only a few meters away, which Vera also used to dry clothes. The backyard has been used to share with Yuwe, his neighbour. The refugees from Vietnam managed to persuade Vera to leave enough land to plant super corn seeds, her experimental material.
The door opened from the inside. Vera, with a smile as warm as coffee, greeted him. The tiredness that was eating away at Matthew's body soon disappeared.
Vera's brows furrowed when she saw that Matthew's clothes were wet. He failed to hug her. But the husband objected to the refusal. He still spread his arms wide, though Vera was clearly showing an embarrassed expression. Not to mention Matthew to reach it, suddenly from the inside appeared two small shadows. The two shadows immediately hugged Matthew's legs. Matthew stammered. Vera couldn't help but smile.
"Carren? Cassie? You guys not asleep yet?"
Carren reached out his hand asking to be carried. He didn't care about his father's drenched clothes. Not wanting to lose to her twin sister, Cassie tugged at Matthew's pants.
"They've been waiting for you for a long time! They won't sleep until they tell them about the cricket match at school," Vera said. He took Cassie's hand. But the child still insisted on being carried by his father.
Vera glared. "Kids.... Papa is tired!"
"Come on, dear!" said Matthew, hastily interceding. He carried the twins on his shoulders at once. Cessie on the right and Carren on the left.
'Ouch.... how heavy!' Matthew took a deep breath.
He looked even more pathetic as Carren and Cessie jumped on his shoulders.
"Carren! Cassie! Don't be like that, poor Papa!" Vera said with a sharp look. "Come on, Carren, come with Mama!"
All he was offered was a shake of the head, his long, thick black hair swaying like bells. "No! Carren wants to be with Papa!"
Matthew smiled and hurriedly carried his two children to his bedroom. He lifted Carren to the top bunk, and Cassie to the bottom. Cassie suddenly asked to change her bed. He was afraid that the bed above him would collapse, because Carren was moving too much.
Matthew then persuades Carren to switch places with his twin brother, who differed only minutes after he was born.
Great. Carren complied.
"There are cockroaches in the sky!" Carren joked. Matthew glared.
Cassie's face was pale. He struggled as his father carried him.
Matthew glared at Carren. Carren smiled a little without feeling guilty.
"Cassie won't!!" Cassie screamed again.
Matthew was desperately trying to persuade Cassie to sleep upstairs. Cassie refused. He was sulking because he was allowed to sleep in his own room. Carren, who heard it, also made the same request. Poor, full of hope.
Matthew cringed at the thought of the tiny bed the four of them shared. Back when Carren and Cessie were little, there was still room to be made for them. But they are getting bigger. They are both now five years old. And look at their chubby and adorable bodies! Chubby cheeks. Matthew imagined he might fall out of bed in the middle of the night if the twins slept in the same bed later.
After all, Carren is always moving and changing positions while sleeping.
"Do not!" said Matthew ending the twins' rebellion.
Cassie was crying. Matthew started to panic.
"Cassie... look at that! There aren't any cockroaches in the sky, right? Cockroaches are afraid of cute kids like Cassie! Well... when the cockroaches come, just cover Cassie's face with a blanket. The cockroaches will be gone!" comfort Matthew.
Cassie's clear eyes met her father's face. And he shook his head again. He was really scared. His face scrunched up. His face was hidden in his father's arms.
"Cassie wants to sleep downstairs!"
Matthew sighed. Then he glanced at Cassie who was curled up on the bottom bunk. Matthew knew that his bright son must be pretending to be asleep. Half amused mixed with goiter, he saw Carren's straight jet-black hair move slightly. Matthew stroked Carren's hair. He always believed that one day Carren would become a successful woman in the future.
"Carren, would you mind moving to the top bunk?"
Carren turned around and rubbed his eyes which weren't actually bloodshot. She did not refuse when carried on the bed.
Cassie was now in the lower bunk. His hands gripped the blanket tightly.
"Good night kids!" He says. Finally Matthew could breathe a sigh of relief. He kissed Carren and Cessie's forehead one by one. After making sure the windows were closed tightly, Matthew moved towards the bedroom door. He closed the door slowly.
"Pa....?" call Carren.