My Twin, My Best Friend

By : Amanda Sachiko (X-5)

Sunlight trickles down from the cracks of the curtains covering the window. Rea stretches herself awake from bed as she felt the sun shines on her eyes. She yawns before she suddenly opens her eyes wide and sprung up from bed. She throws her blanket away from herself and makes a run to the kitchen where her mother, Allison, is. Rea is a ten year old girl who is known for her friendliness and radiating bright energy. 

“Good morning, mom!” The little girl greeted her mother happily.

“Ah, good morning Rea!” The mother greeted back.

“You’re just in time for breakfast. I was just about to wake you up from your beauty sleep.”

“Really? Wow! You were right about suggesting about me to sleeping early!” The girl said cheerfully.

Allison simply shook her head and shook her head with an endearing sigh.

“Good morning Ryan!” She greets her twin.

No response. Her twin simply smiled and sat silently.

“Come on now, eat up!” The mother suddenly chimed in with two bowls of food in her hand. She puts down a bowl for herself and another one for her daughter. The son was given nothing. Rea took notice of this.

“Hey mom, why didn’t you make anything for Ryan?” The girl asked innocently.

“Ah, your brother said he woke up too early and had his breakfast first. He also said that he just simply want to accompany us.” She took a spoonful of the breakfast before putting it into her mouth.

“Oh, really? Is that true Ryan?” She asked her brother.

No response once again. He just smiled and sat there silently.

“Hm, I’ll take that as a yes then.” The girl assumed. She too, took a spoonful of the dish and her face lit up. “Mmm! Mom! Did you use a new recipe for this breakfast stew?”

“Oh? So you’ve noticed. Yes, I did!” She answered with a satisfied smile. “I experimented with different spices this time. I’m glad it turned out great.” Her smile widens. “Buuut that experiment reeeally took out a lot of ingredients. So I’m all out of them.” She sarcastically placed her head on her hand on the table.

“Oh! Oh! Ryan and I can help you buy them!” Rea jumped from her seat and accidently bumped her knee on the dining table.

“Okay, okay Rea. Eat your breakfast first!” She giggled.

“Oh! Right!” She sat back down and continues to happily eat her breakfast.

“Alright, so here’s the list.” Allison gave the shopping list to her daughter. “You remember the way to the store, right?”

“Mhmm!” Rea nodded. “Sure do! Don’t worry mom, Ryan and I know the way.” She reassured her mother. “Come on Ryan!” She turned and began walking to the store with her brother.

“Be careful!” Allison warned them.

“Will do, mom!” Rea replied.

Allison waved goodbye to her daughter with a smile. She slowly retracts her hand back to her side and her smile turned into a frown. She sighs as she returns back into the home.

“Pepper, garlic powder, sea salt …” Rea checked her list as she and Ryan walked back home. “Yep! That’s all of them!” Rea said once she had confirmed everything had been bought. At this time, Rea has been carrying both shopping bags in booth her hands. “Uhh… Ryan, can’t you help me out abit? These bags are kinda heavy.”

No response.

“Hey come on Ryan, help me out over here!”

Ryan stopped walking and turned to her sister.

“Ah, thanks Ryan. Here’s the bag!” Rea lends the bag to her brother.

The bag was dropped on the floor. The contents of the bag spewed out.

“Ryan!” Rea exclaimed. “That wasn’t funny! Some of the containers here are made out of glass!” She exclaimed again. She huffily gathers the products and puts them back into the bag. “If you don’t wanna help me out, then fine! Be that way!” She puffs her cheeks and raise her head. She walks further forward from her brother. “Wait until mom hears about this.” She said to him keeping her attitude.

No response. He did what he did previously this morning. Just smiled and stayed silent.

“Mom! We’re home!” Rea knocked the door and yelled. The door was opened not long after.

“Ah! Rea, welcome home!”  Allison greeted. “Oh! I see that you’ve bought everything I asked.”

“Hm, yeah. And I bought them all on my own.” Rea explained proudly. “Ryan didn’t do anything at all.” She turns and glared her brother.

“Oh!” Allison, seeing that her daughter is clearly unhappy, took a moment to look behind her daughter. She clears her throat. “Ryan, what did you do?”

“He dropped one of the shopping bags! Good thing nothing shattered or spread out. But it was already worrying!” She crossed her arms, puffed her cheeks and look away from her brother.

“Now now you two, better make up sooner or later.” She carried the groceries onto the table and the twins began to clean themselves up from their shopping trip.

“Mom! Ryan and I are gonna go to the park to play with the others!” Rea yelled from the front door for her mother to hear.

“Oh! You two made up already?” Allison replied.

“Yeah! We’re cool now!” Rea replied back. “Okay mom! We’re going now! Bye!”

“Stay safe you two!”

“Hey you guys! We’re here!” Rea greeted her friends.

“Rea! You’re here!” Lilith greeted her warmly.

“Hey you guys! We’re not late are we?” Rea asked them.

“Don’t worry, you’re just in time!” Cameron reassured her.

“Wait, what do you mean- I mean, yeah! You’re just in time!” Elliot answered her hesitantly, continued with a nervous laugh.

“Hm? What was it you were gonna say El? Ryan’s here with me!” She gestures to her brother that’s beside him.

The three friends shared a concerned and sad look on their faces for a moment.

“Hey, what’s wrong you guys?” Rea asked her friends who visibly looks worried.

“Oh! Uh, nothing! We were just trying to come up with the game we were about to play!” Cameron answered.

“Y-yeah! That!” Lilith added.

“We were, we were planning on playing uhm … tag! Yeah, tag!” Elliot chimed in.

“Really? Sounds fun! So, who’s it?” Rea doesn’t seem to notice her friends’ nervousness around her, she seems more interested in the game that they were about to play and is excited about it.

“You!” Lilith pointed out to Rea.

“Huh?! Me? Already???” Rea was taken aback by her friend’s words.

“Come and get us!” Cameron exclaimed, and the three children began to spread out whilst giggling and laughing.

“Hey!” Rea starts to run after her friends in glee. Their laughter spreads across the park, sending an emanating cheery atmosphere.

“Tag! You’re it, Cameron!” Rea shouted before running away from her friend.

“What? Aw man ...” sighed Cameron, disappointed.

“Come and get us, Cameron!” Taunted Lilith.

“Tag us if you can!” Taunted Elliot also.

“You guys!” Exclaimed Cameron, annoyed by his friends’ taunts.

Rea can’t help but giggled at her friend who’s visibly not happy that he had been tagged by her. She faces to her right, and notices right away that Ryan is still standing on the same place. “Hey Cameron! Go tag Ryan! He’s not that far from you!” She purposefully targets her brother as a harmless way of teasing him.

“Huh? Uh… Hey Lilith! I’m coming to get you!” Cameron shouted. And began running straight towards his friend.

“What? Hey!” Shouted Lilith’ confused.

“Hahah! He’s going after you you!” Laughed Elliot at Lilith.

“Huh?” Rea was initially confused as to why her friend didn’t go after her brother, but she simply shook it off and didn’t pay much thought to it.

“You’re not gonna get me Cameron!” Shouted Lilith to her friend.

“Yes, I will!” Cameron shouted back in response to Lilith’s words. Though the boy would soon divert his target to his other friend, Rea. He runs to his left and began chasing after her. Eventually, he reached out his hand and tapped her shoulder. “Tag! You’re it again Rea!” Cameron lets out a victorious laugh before running towards the opposite direction.

“What? Not again!” Shouted with a huff. She looks to her brother and notices that he is still standing in the same position. Taking the chance, she sprinted towards Ryan and tags him. “Tag! You’re it, Ryan!” Rea then runs off laughing. But when she turned back to see her brother, he stayed in that same place. “Ryan! Come on! Start chasing us!” She shouted.

No response. He smiled and stayed quiet.

“Ryan, come on! Don’t leave us hanging!” She shouted again.

No response.

“Ryan! This isn’t funny!” She shouted once more.

No response.

“Ooh fine! Be that way! If you don’t wanna play, so be it!” Rea crossed her arms, puffed her cheeks, and looked away.

“Uhh … Rea?” Elliot called out.

“Elliot, don’t!” Lilith whispered to him and lightly grabbed his shoulder. Cameron then joined in with the two in grouping in. They shared the same concerned and sad look they made some moments ago with each other. That look they shared with one another would then be shifted to Rea. All of them seem to be looking for words to say.

Rea took notice again. “What’s wrong you guys?”

“Rea, maybe … maybe we should ... call it off for the day.” Cameron said, being the bravest of the three.

“What?!” Rea exclaimed. She was so annoyed because she was having such a good time. “Oooh! Ryan! This is all your fault!” Rea angrily shouted and pointed at her brother. She then angrily stomps out of the park, leaving her friends behind there.

“Rea …” whispered Lilith. “I feel so bad for her …” she added.

“I wanna help her out, but how?” Elliot asked himself in a low voice.

Cameron sighed. “… I guess … she has to be able to help herself out. We don’t wanna break her heart, right?”

“Yeah!” Whipered Elliot and Lilith in unison.

“Mom! We’re home!” Rea slammed the door to her home in frustration.

“Ah! Rea! You’re back early!” Allison greeted her surprised.

“Yeah! And it’s not without a reason!” Rea yelled. It was very visible that she was frustrated.

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

“It was Ryan! He didn’t wanna play wuth us and I got angry!” Rea explained.

“Rea …” Allison pitied her daughter. She sighed. “Come on, get into the car. I’ll get my bag and keys!”

The car then parked into a parking lot. Rea looked around curiously. “Mom, why are we here?” The girl asked innocently.

“I’ll show you!” Allison got off the car, Rea then soon followed.

They went on a walk that didn’t take more than 10 minutes. Rea looked around and notices white headstones with names carved in them. “Here we are,” said Allison.

The two were staring down a headstone with a name carved, ‘Ryan Christopher Eriam. January 23rd 20XX – March 5th 20XX’.

“No … No!” Rea shouted. “This isn’t Ryan! He’s right here! He’s beside me! Mom! Look!” Rea begged and gestures to her right. She began to breathe heavily. Everything that happened, her asking her mother to make her brother breakfast, her lending that bag of groceries, her shouting at her brother, she was just talking to thin air.

“Rea … please, your brother passed months ago …” Allison heavily revealed, chocking back tears.

“No … no he’s not! Ryan and I will grow up together and be with each other no matter what!” Rea shouted and began to sprint back to the car with tears streaming down her face.

“Rea, wait!” Allison reached out her hand to her daughter, but to no avail. “Rea … I’m so sorry …”

“Welcome back, Ms. Eriam,” greeted Dr. Fallis to Allison.

“Hey, Dr. Fallis.”

“Take a seat. So, how have you been doing?”

“Not good for these past few days …”

“What happened?”

“She’s going through it … again … this is the fourth time …”

“Hm, how did she take it this time?”

“Horribly. I think this one’s the worst so far … Rea hadn’t come out of her room in two days. She refused to eat or talk to me. But I can hear her sobbing behind the door ... What should I do ...?”

“Allison, it seems like you yourself  had not taken much rest.”

“Hah … yeah, I really haven’t, have I?”

“Allison, you yourself  had to go through the loss of your son and the divorce of your husband from that hospital visit. Don’t lose yourself for the sake of your daughter. She needs you, so please, you need to take care of yourself.”

“You’re right, I shouldn’t.”

“Rea is still in denial of his loss, huh? Please be patient with her, Allison. She is just a child, this sudden loss is a big change for her.”

“You’re right. But whenever I reveal her the truth, it’s as if her brain just pushed a reset button and she forgets everything about his death and hallucinates about him.”

“Rea will eventually overcome and accepts his death. It would be an arduous journey, but she will make it.”

END.