Twins

wrote this a several years ago, so i'll share this short story.



Twins.


At eight, he sat watching his father making ships, eagerly taking the grown-up tools that later proved useful. At thirteen, he was determined to take the enterprise. By the time he was fifteen, he could make a fine sail, and construct a decent sized boat, enough for two to three people to sit in.

The boy was hard at work, cutting down the smaller trees that were spilling over to the other side of the hill, working till the sun drowned over the west side of the mountain. He wouldn't really need that much he consoled his mother, he had worked steadily the days before to gloss over the planks that were completed. Soon, he would be ready to show off to his brother.

Instead, he was met with the annoyance of giggling girls that flocked along the coastal areas where he was taking his work. Respectfully, as to not show annoyance, he tried to ignore them, lest his irritance trickle over, and every maid would find themselves very afraid or perhaps, cross with him.

Best to keep a low profile, he told himself. Though, it was difficult for him and his twin to find solace anywhere. The girls glanced over at him, whispering to themselves, their long dresses wet from the water, ankled deep in soft muddy sand.

Earlier, the sun burned with a vibrant yellow-red fire, heated his shirtless body. While the weather cooled by the disappearance of heat, sweat still clung to the edges of his sun-burnt skin, and where his breeches stuck to the slender waist and thighs. He reached with the back of hand, to wipe his forehead clean of stain, his eyes narrowing a little to the motion of a girl approaching—the shadow of her form lengthened along the structure of his toil.

When a young girl lacked a mother, it was difficult to understand what the game was about when it came to the more physical, less than fair sex. It was not as if mothers actually sat down and had this very long and in-depth conversation about the opposite sex; it was habitually done in an implicit gesture, by the way they warned, scolded, or even how they treated the fathers, sons, and brothers.

Or so it seemed.

Boys seem to require certain things at a young age; a girl about the same age wouldn't understand, especially if the female was unblemished and oblivious of such things.

The darker haired twin didn't turn his head as much when it came to the distraction of girls, even growing up with his

The darker haired twin didn't turn his head as much when it came to the distraction of girls, even growing up with his twin, when the delicate sex decided she would tease to get attention. It was something that was unsaid between girls their age at their village. To get the twins to notice.

Darkness was not far, but the sky kept a watercolour grey and passing clouds still charged with sparks of electricity ignored time. Jacob sat by the water??s anxious tongue, by the planks he had sewn together. He was already finished with the flooring, seaming jointly the half-moist construction. He had placed enough thickened reeds that grew along the grassy plains between the planks that nothing wet would surface through.

—What's that you??re making— The curious girl was behind him now, her bending body allowing her long hair to touch his naked back.

—A ship.?? He said, not looking, his hands were moving rapidly, pulling at the frayed ropes, wrapping them around sturdy timber.

—Looks nice.?? But she hummed, —it doesn't look very big.??

—Hmm.??

She sat down next to him. He glanced over to see that she was sitting with legs crossed.

—You??re in the way.?? He told her, gruff.

—Huh— She turned to look behind her, and saw his bag of tools, —Oh! You need this—

—It would help.??

The girl airily smiled, happy to assist by placing the gear next to him. —You??re here alone, where's your brother—

Annoyed, he took the hammer, slamming the instrument down, firmly fastened the iron peg in, —home. I suppose.??

—Your name is Jacob, right—

—Uh, yeah.?? He bit his lip in concentration, bringing his brows together, concerned about the distance and width of his ship. He calculated that this would be enough, and didn't want to concern his mother too much.

—How come you??re working on this alone— she continued, almost breathless.

—Because I don't always want to do things with my twin,?? then he looked straight into her eyes, —if you don't mind, I??d like to finish up before it gets dark.??

—I won't say a word.?? She took the que, making a gesture of zipping her mouth, lips firmly locked in place. They sat together, perhaps a couple more hours, until the greys turned to a darkened blue, lit brilliant by the white-flash of starry skies.

They didn't hear the sound of footsteps approaching.

"Jacob, suppers ready.??

Johann stood a ways, standing c

Johann stood a ways, standing close by, and was immediately greeted by the female.

—John!?? she exclaimed, shaky laughter and tired eyes in her response.

He cleared his throat, "It's Johann."

She smiled, her bold eyes sparkling and innocent, feet bare, toes stuck in the sand. As similarly dressed as the other girls, the hem just touching past her knees, edges of cotton and linen flittering past her knees.

Jacob heard his twin greet the girl hesitantly, and took the time to busily pack his tools away, took the rope that was tied to a steel pole, tugging it tight. He would have to leave it here till the morrow, checking again the sealed cord which held his ship parked.

The girl said her goodbyes, giving one last, almost too long look at Jacob, and it seemed as if she wanted to ask something. But he hadn't given her the chance, as he was already packed and heading towards the hill where home was.

The twins said nothing during their walk, but before they entered their home, after the worn boots were taken off, setting them aside by the front door??s hall. Johann breathed in, smelled the food from the kitchen, "mmmm". He then turned to his brother,

—It looks good. What you did back there.??

—I was thinking of finishing up in a couple days. Maybe on the morrow, but mother wouldn't really like us to sail out at night.??

—I like it. You should have told me, I would have helped.??

His brother shrugged, —Perhaps.??

Johann made an audible noise, then ventured, —Think you??ll see her again—

—What? No way, I don't think so.?? Then he added, —girls are weird.??

They heard their mother in the kitchen, telling them that supper was getting cold.

—Girls are a little strange.?? his twin agreed, his eyes slid away towards the window, watching, —but they smell nice.??

Jacob laughed, —better than you, brother,?? and his arms went round his twin, affectionately.

—On the morrow, I'm placing sails on my ship, would you like to see me set the sails out— beaming proudly.

They were already at the kitchen table, the smell of warm baked bread, and the decorated table of food stirring their stomachs.

—Yeah, Jake, I??d like that,?? a quiet look, head close to his brother, his smile wide.

~end.