“If we want to get it right, we need to start now! You need to tell me everything, from what you eat for breakfast to what your best friend’s name is. And we need to switch places now! If they don’t notice the swap at camp, then mum and dad won’t notice it at home!”
I’m not so sure about that. You don’t know Mum, she has an eagle’s eye and a cat’s ears, she always knows when she’s being lied to, even a little bit… She spots it right away. Lotti was worried.
Leave that to me! I’m a professional at this, I even go to an acting class, didn’t I tell you? I can totally copy you! I swear!”
“Well… let’s start, but how? “
You’re not in a good position, Lotti! Let’s start with you going down to my bed and me staying up here. When Blanche comes to wake me up, you put on my clothes and I’ll put on yours. You let your hair down and I’ll…” Louisa stopped here.
“Yes, it needs to be combed! It’s not going to be an easy ride, looking at your mane,” Lotti grinned.” ““So, we have a light switch-off at 8:30 in the evening, then no noise. No tablet, no TV. We get up at 6:30 in the morning if it’s school. For breakfast, my mum makes scrambled eggs, I always drink cocoa from a kitty cup. Mum has the doggy cup, she drinks her latte, but I make it for her. Lots of milk, one capsule, lots of coffee, no sugar. Can you use a coffee machine?”
“Dad doesn’t drink coffee…”
“Bad luck”. The two girls were sitting in the apple house. The others went out to the field to paint, but they called in sick, so Jerome stayed in the camp with them. Fortunately, however, he did not disturb them much, he was mowing the grass over on the other side of the camp.
“It’s very simple, just press the button. After breakfast, my neighbour usually picks me up and takes me to school, because my mum works in the other part of town and she doesn’t have a school to go to. She picks me up in the afternoon. My best friend is one of my classmates, a girl with red hair, very nice, her name is Lara. Her parents are from Ireland, and…”
“Wait, I can’t remember that much! I think you should take notes. Louisa took out a crumpled notebook and her favourite unicorn pen. I’ll have to give this to you… I always write with it. I’ve had it for years.”” ““And you’re going to take this teddy bear with you… I don’t know how I’m going to sleep without it. I got it when I was a year old,” wailed Lotti, then quickly continued, “so Lara… and oh yes, the class teacher is terrible, very strict, you’re not allowed to talk at all in class, but really not a sound! Sometimes he even punishes me, even though I hardly say anything… And I always get an A. Always! So, you will have to study””.
“That will be the most difficult thing. I never study with dad; we go to the cinema and on trips. He says that I learn what I need to know for life better in places like that rather than at school”.
“Pfff…” Lotti pursed her lips. “Lucky you! … Well, now I’m the lucky one!” She realised.
“Well, yes… so I’ll tell you the same things. In my house, breakfast is frozen croissants that my dad bakes. For dinner we usually order Chinese or Indian, because I really like spicy food”.
“Noooo! I hate spicy food! How am I going to eat that food?”
“Well, you’ll have to! You’ll get used to it”. Louisa consoled her sister. ” “By the end of the week, the girls were getting quite comfortable in each other’s roles. There was a little disruption when Lotti tried the chillies for the first time at one of the dinners: she was in tears, they stung so much. Louisa, of course, just laughed. All the others noticed was that Lotti (aka the fake Lotti) seemed to be a little messier than usual, and Louisa (aka fake Louisa) was strangely careful with her clothes. Blanche put it down to the twins being on good terms. After lights out, they snuggled up next to each other and talked.
“We leave tomorrow. Actually, I’m quite scared. I think I’ll be spotted by Dad in two minutes”.
“Of course not! Dad is really cool, he doesn’t pay any attention to detail, you’ll see. He’s the best dad in the world!”
“Are you not afraid at all, Louisa?”
“No! I’m looking forward to meeting mum and your friends, and the neighbour who takes you to school… I’m even curious about your class teacher. It’s gonna be awesome!” She laughed.
“You take everything so lightly… But are you sure this swap is a good idea?”
“There is no turning back now. Once we’ve started, we have to do it!” Said Louisa, turning to the wall.” “Blanche drove the girls to the airport, because their flight left at almost the same time, only one was going in one direction and the other the opposite. They were waiting for the two flight attendants to take them to their boarding gate, as nine-year-olds are not allowed to wander around alone in such a huge cabin.
“I will miss you very much, Lotti!” Lotti said to Luisa. “”And I’m going to miss Mum too…”” she whispered in her ear so Blanche wouldn’t hear.
“So good to finally meet you!” Louisa said. Although I’d like to tear this skirt off right now, how can you exist in this?” She whispered.
“Here come the stewardesses, girls! Come on, come on, say goodbye!”
“I am very happy for you. And I hope to see you soon”. Lotti said softly.
“You can be sure of that. We’ll take care of it, so don’t worry,”” Louisa replied. Both of them fought back the tears as they staggered past the flight attendants towards the planes to fly to another part of the world: for what they had been living in was only one half of their little children’s world.