"We are Siamese."
Millie and Christine: Born slaves, originally referred to as “The Carolina Twins” and later changed to “The Two-Headed Nightingale.”
Daisy and Violet: played themselves in the movie Freaks. Famous lines: “One of us.” Daisy died first. Violet died between two and four days later.
Lori and Dori, later Lori and George. George is a performer and charges Lori for his shows. Lori has a room she keeps her bowling trophies in.
Bab[ies] do not fit in stockpiled onesies. Call put out for twosies. Baby photos prove to be impossible due to incongruence of baby moods. Somebody is always screaming.
Grandmother (father’s side, undocumented, hospital bed and pain medication. Has to remove the oxygen from the front of her face in order to speak):
I never liked the twins. Separate they were fine, but they were never separate. When I saw the ultrasound I wanted to tell her to get an abortion. I hinted to her that it was okay because no one can really say these things. No one expected them to live when they came out. Everyone was smiling, but not because they were beautiful; they weren’t beautiful. They took after their mother’s side, all of them are two-faced anyway. I’ve got other grandchildren. At least they were able to wear the clothes I bought for them.
They take turns stacking blocks. Baby one knows letters A, C, E, G, and baby two knows B, D, F, H. Together their voices make the sound, “Mama,” and alone, if they could be alone, it’s a repetitive, “Ma ma ma ma ma.”
22 | Psychopomp Magazine