Garden Variety, part 1

He looked down at his shoe. It was a reference. A check made. A subtle cue. If anyone else in the room reacted, he didn't see. He couldn't see. The point was self referential though. A reflexive pronoun. A grounding action.

When he looked up, the twins had moved. The one with the birthmark on her forehead was trying to hide behind a potted plant. The other was crinkling large, brown dry leaves between her hands. That's not helping your sister hide, he said but she didn't look at him. He thought of trying to say something else but couldn't find the right words that might get her attention in the way hat he wanted to. Cleverly, he wished. Amusingly, he thought.

So that led him back to the food table. The dessert table first. He found his face holding an expression of annoyance then wondered if he was really annoyed or was feigning it for something or someone. What's wrong with dessert? This is a thing that people do. That people love. This thing. He walked to the next table. It just didn't make sense that it was the first table. That was his reason that he needed. It should be last. Should have been.

The one with the birthmark grabbed his leg from under the table cloth. Although it surprised him, he knew which one it was, even before he heard himself shout out. Someone laughed. He laughed. Both twins laughed. Then the laughter moved away into the back of the room. Disappeared. The twins did too. He wanted to say something before they did but he didn't. Again, he didn't.

So he talked to the food instead. Hello, turkey. You look delicious, cranberries. Ah, spinach salad, how are you? Mr. peas! Mrs. broccoli! So long since I've seen you. Glad you could come out tonight for the party. Someone snickered at his greetings.

As he sat down to eat, he wondered what he was supposed to say. He knew what he had said. He knew it was wrong. But what was he supposed to say? That was the thing. When the one without the birthmark come up to him chewing on a cookie, he was still thinking that.

What've you got there? As if he couldn't see what she had. As if he didn't really know what to talk about so asked an obvious question instead but maybe not obvious but tautological. Rhetorical? No. Obvious. Cookie, she said. Yes. And how is it? Good. Of course. Where's your sister? She shrugged and wandered off. Is she her sister's keeper? That must be worse for twins. You know, the one that looks just like you? Where is it? Did you lose it? Isn't that just you in the mirror? He imagined having a twin. Growing up a twin.