“Oh, Daddy, it’s so wonderful!”” Lotti’s hair was blowing in the wind, and she could barely hear her own voice in the noise.
“So, what kind of father do you have?”
“The best! they were speeding along a road around London on a sidecar motorbike that Dad had bought while still in camp. He braked it outside a restaurant just like they do in the movies.
“Ready for India?” Dad asked as he took the helmet off Lottie. Lotti was scared to death, but there was nothing she could do.
“Two chicken curries, extra curry for the little girl, and lots of rice!” Lotti was already sweating when they brought the food out. Slowly, she raised the fork to her mouth and almost immediately a tear fell. It’s not easy being one’s own sister!
“You’re suspicious my girl. You’ve been eating curried chicken since you were two and now, you’re crying?” Lotti saw that Dad was joking again, because there was a mischievous smile glinting in the corner of his eye.
“You could say that… It’s a bit strong after French cuisine. My stomach needs to get used to it again!”” “As soon as Mum dropped her off outside Lara’s house, Louisa climbed the steps to the bell in twos. She almost didn’t wait for Lara’s mother to open the door before she trotted inside.
“Oh, Lara, I have so much to tell you! Oh, a kitten!” A snow-white Persian kitten purred and rubbed against Louisa’s leg.
What? This is Muri, you know! He’s the reason you come over even when we’re at our wits’ end”. Lara said in amazement, shaking her red curls. Oops! Lotti had forgotten to mention the cat. Meanwhile, Lara’s mother had already disappeared into the kitchen to prepare the famous Irish casserole for lunch.
“Yeah, I am just crazy about it, but there were no cats at the camp, and…”
“Stop. You are very strange, Lotti. Your left pigtail is braided all wrong. You don’t recognize Muri. I am suspicious”.
“”Come, let’s go to your room, I’ll tell you everything…”” surrendered Louisa. And indeed, she told her everything, about her twin sister, about meeting her, about swapping places. Lara was fascinated.
“So now Lotti is at her father’s in London and I’m here…””, Louisa was about to finish the story, but Lara suddenly blinked.
Lara’s mother was standing in the doorway of the room, a look of genuine shock on her face.
“I’m calling your Mum right away”.” “They had already got over the row. They were through crying. And the hugging. Now there was only one thing left.
“We need to call your father on skype. We have to tell him that Lotti is at his place and you are here. If he hasn’t figured it out for himself”.
“Um, I doubt he has, he doesn’t even notice what’s right under his nose”.
“Then he hasn’t changed much”. Mum had already pressed the call button on the computer. The phone rang for a long time, it was night time in London, so it was a while before Dad’s sleepy face appeared on the screen. Then, as soon as he saw who was on the other end, he woke up.
“I will be brief. The girls met each other at the camp and swapped roles. You don’t have Louisa; Louisa is here with me”.
“Dad, I’m sorry, please! I had to, I wanted to meet Mum so much! And I know a lot of kids have parents who are divorced, but it’s not fair that I never met my sister or my Mum! Forgive me, please, and let it be different”. Louisa burst into tears. Daddy cried too. Mum started crying too. And if Lotti had been awake, she would have cried too.
“I’ve already bought the plane ticket,” Mum said finally, jumping up and down, “we’ll be in London tomorrow night… both of us”.” “The girls hugged for a long time at the airport, but Mum and Dad just stood there staring at each other as if they had never met.
“”This is the second time in two weeks that I have been unable to speak,”” Louisa sniffled.
“But you spoke…” Lotti said. The four of them laughed.
“Let’s go out for dinner. There is a good Indian restaurant around the corner. We can talk about everything there. Relax, you won’t have to eat spicy food. Dad reassured Lottie, who almost burst into tears at the word ‘Indian’”.
“We made a very serious mistake, but it seemed the best solution at the time,”” she said as they waited for dinner. “We should never have separated you”.
“I also felt that half of my life was missing,” Dad said. For once, he wasn’t joking. “But since you’ve arranged it, there’s no one happier than me to finally meet and hug my other little girl”.” ““Now, don’t cry. We promise that everything will be different from now on… You’ll spend the holidays together, alternate between Dad and me. And for the rest of the year, we’ll work something out! Come here!” Mum hugged the two sniffling girls simultaneously. “Mother is a medicine you can’t buy at the pharmacy…”
That night, they all slept at their fathers’: the girls in Louisa’s bed, and daddy made their mum’s bed on the sofa. Mum was finishing her story on the edge of the bed when suddenly Lotti spoke.
“Mum… can I ask you one more thing?”
“Sure, sweetie”.
“See that cage in the corner? Louisa’s bunny lives in it, Chubs”.
“I see, very cute”.
“Mum… can I have a bunny too? Just a little one? It’s not dirty, and if Louisa can take care of one herself. I could do it, too… I-I-I-I-I love you!”
“Let’s have goldfish instead”.
“Bunny!”
“Hamster…”
“Then a cat!”
“Fine, but let’s make it a bunny then”. Mum surrendered.
“I’m going to name it Tubs… Because it rhymes with Chubs!”