Over the next week, I spent every spare moment at the club. Usually I sat at the bar. I knew her name was Serafina, but she went by Sera for short. It killed me every time she went on stage. I kept my eyes focused on her face, cause in my mind I didn’t want to think I was a pervert to look at the rest of her. She never stripped down all the way, which is why she went on first, as a warm up for the other women.
Tonight he sat in the front row. He wanted her to notice him first. They did really look alike. He also did not wear a hat, which he usually did to help hide his features.
I knew the second she and I made eye contact. She hesitated in her routine for a second, then continued. I watched her until she was done, then left the club to wait outside till the club closed and the girls left for the night. I saw her say good night to the bouncer and walk off down the sidewalk. Logically he knew he should not freak out that she was walking home alone, but the brother in him wanted to protect her at all costs. This all seemed somewhat crazy to him. He hadn’t even talked to her yet.
He watched her as she got closer to him. She had a coat on over her clothes with the collar turned up trying to hide her face. She walked with her head down hoping to appear inconspicuous, but would look up furtively to make sure she was safe. I stepped out from the darkness into the light of a lone street light, stopping right in front of her.
"Serafina," I said.
She stopped short looking at me like a deer caught in the headlights. "Who are you?" She asked the fear slowly leaving her face, replaced by a look of wariness.
"I am your twin brother," I said quickly before I chickened out. "My name is Frank."
"I saw you sitting at the table," she said for a lack of something better to say.
Frank was glad she wasn’t becoming hysterical or something. He read that twins have special bonds regardless if they were separated. "Could we go somewhere and talk? If that would be OK with you?" I asked.
"Yes," she said, still staring at me.
I offered her my arm and escorted her to an all night diner.
The waitress showed us to a booth that was located along the windows that faced the street. I sat facing the door and Sera sat across from me. Ironically she looked less scared and nervous and I was getting more nervous. I had so many questions.
"What can I get you two?" asked the waitress, who looked a little like Flo from the TV show Alice, all the way down to her bobble earrings and gum popping.
"I’d like a cup of hot chocolate," Sera replied.
"Coffee. Black," I answered. The waitress left to fill our drink order.
"So, since we have never met, what makes you think I am your twin?" she asked, her green eyes alight with interest.
"The first time I saw you dance. I noticed you have the same birth mark as me, located in the same place," I said.
"Here’s your coffee and hot chocolate. Will there be anything else?" she asked, setting down the cups.
"May I have a piece of chocolate pie?" Sera asked.
"Got it. Anything for you sir?"
"No, I’m good." The waitress left to get Sera’s pie.
"When I realized that you might be my sister, I wanted to kill every man in the place for even looking at you," Frank said with brotherly concern.
"Thank you for controlling yourself. I need the money and I make good money doing that," Sera replied. "But since you have been coming in more, I have felt safer for some reason. Now that I know who you are, it makes sense." Sera took a bite of pie the waitress brought.
"And, please, don’t think I was ‘looking’ or anything," I said, waving my hands slightly for emphasis, my palms facing her. "I don’t want you to think I am a pervert or anything," I said, still feeling a bit nervous.
She smiled, making her green eyes sparkle, and said, "No, Frank, I would never think that. I feel so much relief knowing I have family. A brother no less. I always wished for one when I was little, to come and protect me."
I took her hand and said, "I am so glad you said that. I was worried you were going to hate me or something."
She squeezed his hand and said, "I am happy to have you in my life. I sometimes felt I was missing something. So Frank," she said letting go of my hand, "How did you find out about me." Sera was dying to know how Frank found out about her, and what led him here.
"A little over two months ago the woman I thought was my foster mom died. She left me nothing but the contents of a safe deposit box." Frank paused trying to control his anger.
Sera watched Frank tell his story. She could feel his pain. His anger making his eyes a dark stormy green. She thought she heard him whisper ‘fucking bitch’.
Taking a deep breath, Frank continued, "There was a letter and a picture of you." Sera, sat quietly listening, watching his hands clench and unclench. "You were about 15. I could tell we looked almost identical. I found out in that moment that my foster monster was really my aunt and that I had a twin. No offense but I am glad she is dead."
"Well, if it is any consolation, your real mom, my mom, was a bitch, too. A ‘living on the street’, drug using slut. Believe me, you didn’t miss anything."
The waitress dropped the check at the table reminding the two of them they should probably get going. Frank dropped some money on the table and said, "Let me walk you home."
"Alright," Sera said.
Frank walked her home, thinking to himself , "At least I know where she lives."
No comments:
Post a Comment