Two

She looked at her twin sister as she slept; a lot of persons until now could not differentiate between her and Jessie, because they were just too similar; she had wondered if she could one day live like Jessie; traveling the world, painting, doing exhibitions and going to exhibitions. A fun and adventurous life. Her life was equally fun; she attends conference at the head office, attend international meetings, every Saturday night; she and her friends hit the club for fun and she was back home to her dog by 11:50pm.

That was fun for her.

Jessie was beautiful and talented, she had cut her hair to reach the base of her neck and she (Amber) had refused because she felt her hair enhances her beauty.

'Jess.' She tugged her sister's arm to wake up.

The cab had stopped and the driver was bringing out her luggage from the truck of his car.

'Can't I just sleep for a whole day?' She grumbled as her eyes fluttered opened.

'You can if you are indoors.' She said opening the door.

She paid the cab man as they held on to the suitcases Jessie owned.

'Do not fall on your face, Jess.'

Jessie walked ahead of her in a straight line leading to the door. 'Amber shook her head and followed.

'Why is it, so loud, Amber?' She asked Amber as she opened the door.

Amber joined her at the doorstep and they both looked at Amber's living room filled few with boxes and groceries. 

'Mom!' She called her mother who just came from the kitchen.

'My babies!' elated Elisabeth began walking towards them with her arms opened for a hug.

Amber looked round, maybe it was high time she warned her parents about coming to her house unannounced, and look at what her living room looks like, a dumpster!

'I missed you so much.' She said kissing the both of them.

'Mom, you saw me on Friday day last week.' She reminded her.

'It's not the same thing.' She said.

'Come in.' She invited like it was her own house.

Amber rolled her eyes; of course they would come in, she lived here after all. 'Mom, why is my house like this?' She like seeing things the way she left them, but her mom had the habit of making her work much harder.

Amber frowned as she picked the groceries bag and took them to the kitchen.

'You know I have been looking for the pots, where did you keep them?'

She sighed and bent over the cupboard and brought them out before closing it back.

'This is my house, mom.' She pointed out. She knew, Mrs Pade knew that but ever since she got separated from her ex-husband, her parents had always insisted she have company and they had asked for the spare key. She kept looking forward to the day, she would be by herself, peaceful and quiet.

She sighed as she rinsed the pot. Amber headed back to the living room. Jessie had removed the newspapers putting them into a cabinet and she had rearrange the chairs. She sighed, carrying the boxes to the kitchen. She smiled; Jessie didn't like un-orderliness like her but Jessie wasn't downstairs, she had gone up with her bags, Amber moved back to the kitchen with the last step of boxes.

'Mom, we have enough food.' When her mother opened the bags on the kitchen table.

But her mother had already begun chopping and she wasn't listening. 'I wanted to cook for you.'

'Mom.' She said getting ready to stop her mother feeling nostalgic and then she would start talking about the time she missed when they were younger, they ate their aunt's meal for two years..... But Amber didn't want to hear how she missed cooking for them because of her accident.

To her delight, her mom didn't even start.

'Anthony called me, he told me, he would coming home for a few days.' Her Mom told her.

That's was great. Her brother never comes home unless he wanted a break from his girlfriends, maybe that explained why her mom was agitated, disorientated and cooking in her home. Maybe her dad had meetings he needed to attend and since she would be the only one in the house, it would be quite lonely.

'Mom, let me help.' She offered, knowing her mother was planning on making three different meal plus dissert, Jessie loved cooking but right now she was beaten down and needed rest and Amber had a lot of spare time.

'Before you begin, Jake spent you a message.' She told her as she tied the apron round her waist.

Amber dropped the knife, she was holding and left for the living room to listen to her messages.

****

'Dad, you know you keep stressing yourself out.' She said while they were sitting round her dinning table, eating dinner.

'If I don't do this, I don't think I have anything else to do and you guys know I hate being idle.' Her dad drank his glass of water. He could work forever if he had too, but she just cared about how he was. They all did.

'We are not saying; you should be idle, involved yourself in....... maybe Charity....... attend functions.' Jessie suggested, finishing her dish. It is incredibly how her sister can be extra-hungry when she wakes up from her sleep.

'Jessie, I can't stand all those Charity events or classy functions....... that's why I have you and your sister to go on my behalf, while Anthony here is always so busy.'

Jessie and Amber exchange glances with a smile.

'Dad, I am just preoccupied, I have a project that is due in a month's time, other things can wait.' He defended.

'Other things like coming down to see your family?' Her mother asked disappointed.

'No, mom..... I am here, aren't I? No matter how busy I am, I have make out a few hours or days to see you.' He said as he touched her hand and gently sneezed it.

'I am looking for a place to stay.' He immediately added, before his father reprimand him again.

'Why? What's wrong with staying here at the house?' He sucked the leg of his chicken.

Jessie and her exchanged glances, it was okay to have their parents barge in, like it was their house anytime they wanted but have their brother live here; Jessie might just leave and she just got here. Then there would be no more privacy; it was better having Jessie here than Anthony.

'Dad, I'm sure, it wouldn't be much of a good idea for Jessie and Amber.' Anthony pointed.

They were about to nod but her dad beat them to it. 'I am sure they won't mind.'

Jessie dropped her spoon and looked at her father while Amber was about to protest but it looked as if she didn't have to.

'Dad, I have an idea. The house is big.' He paused and sipped his water.

They were listening, anything that didn't include Anthony staying with them, they were all ears. He didn't like leaving the bathroom early, or being woken up early.

'You are the only ones staying there and there are so many rooms.....and I wouldn't mind if you stayed with me for the time being.....'

She saw the smirk on her twin's face as she picked her glass lazily.

Way to go, Anthony! How come he even said that without choking; their father loved that house and is he forgetting mom's handiwork on the walls of their bedroom and in the kitchen? More like he was moving in with them, not the other way around.

'Cheers to the smartest Pade.'

She heard her sister before she put the glass on her lips; they both knew their brother was going to say something out of point to ruin the dinner at one point, but they didn't think it would be so soon.

'I just thought that since the house is big, it might be pretty.....empty without the twins.'

She felt her sister's chair shiftened like Anthony who was just one year older had offended her. He called them 'The twins.' only when he was technically blaming them for something, or reprimanding them for a mistake or cautioning them, or shifting the blame. 

She usually let her sister have the argument.

'You want us to move out, Tony?'

He raised in hands in resignation. 'No, no, I'm not saying that, dad.' He looked at the ladies, expecting them to support in this argument but none of them look in his way.

This is all his; he is on his own.

Amber stood to check on her dog, who was still outside on her pouch. 'Come Skye, come in.' She said as she tried to open the door but it didn't let her. She sighed and went back to the table.

'Who are you bringing home, Anthony?' Jessie asked him, daring him, not to talk in front of his parents who he was trying to convince.

'A friend.......she is spending a few days.'

'She? That is why you want mom and dad to leave?' Amber didn't know when she fired, apparently she was sick of her brother getting his way and inconveniening others.

'Shut up! Amber! How can you be selfish and live in this house that your ex-husband left you by yourself!'

Amber forced a laugh. 'Oh! I am selfish, really? Tony are you coming at me with that crap now.' She didn't believe this guy; for years, they have tried to reach him, many long years she has tried to reach out to him and he calls her selfish.....she long stopped caring only about herself.

'Amber, calm down. Calm yourself.' She felt her sister's hand on her arm.

'You are not going to do this in front of our parents right now, Anthony is a fool, you should know that.' Jessie spoke with such ease, like he wasn't even in the room.

'Oh! I'm a fool. You think because you do not have anywhere to stay you could lodge at anywhere you like!'

Jessie sighed. They have done this more than once, one of the reasons Anthony didn't like coming home. 'I am not going to argue with you today, Tony.'

If she wasn't, then she was ready; 'I am selfish.....you are the most self-centered person I have met in my life, how can you say mom and dad should leave the house of the both of you, are you out of your mind, Tony.'

He frowned. 'Do not forget your manners, Amber.'

'Do not forget your family come first, Tony.'

Before they continue, they heard their father sighed and then the sigh turned to a chuckle. 'Sometimes, I think you guys are grown up but you have always been the same.'

When table was quiet for sometime, Jessie spoke. 

'We don't understand.'

'I love you guys.' They heard their father.

Amber's anger began to disappear and then she remembered her dad's words; when ever it came to making a decision of them, they always argue, when they were younger and even now but at the end, their contributions are only needed but their parents make the final decision after all.

'Lisa, please bring dessert.' He said smiling. 

She watched her mother stand and walked to her kitchen, like it was hers.

'So, what are you saying, dad?'

'I will sleep on it. We will sleep on it.' He said with a smile.

Jessie exchange glances with her sister and just then they heard Skype barking.

'What is wrong with her now?' She heard her mother with the dessert walking towards them.

'I don't know.' Amber said standing up.

'It's good, she guards the house well. I will get a dog, when I get married.' Jessie voiced out.

'A puppy.' Amber specified before she reached the door.

'Dogs just lick your face and that is disturbing.' They heard Anthony groaned.

'Lick you because they love you, you just have to love them back.' Amber said when she reached the door.

'They are so adorable, you can't help not loving them back. Should I get you a puppy, Tony?'

He held out his plate to his mother. 'No, thanks.'

When she opened the door, it was free but there was no Skype, she went outside, she could still hear her incessant barking down the street but she wasn't ready to go after her. Whenever Skype was ready, she would come back inside. She walked back inside, bolting the doors, the cold gave her chills.

'Did you see her?' Jessie asked her.

Amber shook her head. 'Maybe she saw a ball or something.' She took her seat.

'She will come back, she always does.' She heard her mother as put her share of dessert and for the rest of the dinner, they spoke about business, Art and life.