The Making of a Preacher's Family - Prep

Red and Blue at Play

"Betcha can't find me."

Not only did the twins look alike, but they sounded alike, too. I couldn't tell whether it was the voice of Aurora and Zenith.

The seven-year-olds had had a favorite way to spend an afternoon ever since we arrived on ZoNed4. It cost me forty-five minutes of driving one way, but the mutual look on their faces when we arrived at Primary Rocks was worth every kilometer.

"Red is better!" That was Zenith.

"Naw, it isn't. Blue's the best!" That was Aurora.

Their opinions made the difference. I still couldn't distinguish their voices.

The twins were so good at camouflage.

Aurora dressed from head to toe in blue, including her blue socks and shoes, blue face paint, and blue dye in her hair. Naturally, she chose the blue rocks for hiding.

Zenith dressed from head to toe in red, including her red socks and shoes, red face paint, and red dye in her hair. Naturally, she chose the red rocks for hiding.

If it looks like I am repeating myself, it's because I am. This is my life. I feel like the announcer at a horse race. "'Aurora Starts' and 'Zenith's Ending' are running neck-in-neck once again. The lead changes with each galloping hoof, and as they cross the finish line it's a twin, I mean tie."

Two of everything shows in the decorations of the twin's room, but it has never been the exact same thing. Aurora always chooses blue. Zenith always chooses red.

I chuckled when I enter their room because it always looks like an explosion in a crayon factory, that only makes primary colors. Their Mom and I painted their door and door frame and the window frame yellow because coming in and out and looking out on the world are really the only times they're the same.

If you want to see where each girl has been in the room, just follow the color trail. A blue sock here by the door, a blue shirt there on a blue bed, a blue pencil over yonder on the yellow window sill, and Aurora left her mark. A red book on the blue shelf there, a red shoe on a blue bed yonder, and a red undies askew in the hallway meant, that Zenith was running to her bath and pretty much anywhere else she could think of going.

My reverie was shortlived as a blue rock to my right appeared to be moving in gentle waves. "I see you, Aurora."

"No, you don't. I'm not here," came a sweet little mischievous voice, choking back a giggle.

"Then, I better adjust the fine tuning on my TV set."

"Daddy, what's 'fine tuning'?"

"Well, I uh..."

"Yeah, Daddy, what's a TV set?" Now, Zenith joined the chorus.

"My age hath betrayed me once, again, Dear Ones," I confessed. "Let me try to explain over supper, tonight. Speaking of supper, I have two girls to find, or we will most assuredly be late. You don't want to go to bed without eating, do you?"

At that, two rocks, one red and one blue, exploded, and I was knocked down by primary colors, giggling and laughing, trying to find somewhere, that I was ticklish, but I won because I saw two little colors scrunching their chins. Ticklish necks. My advantage.