Page 51 - San Diego Woman Magazine

WRITER ' S SPO TLIGHT

and pulled out a knife. They cut a line diagonally from one
both looked at each other and end to the other. Blood rapidly
smirked. He also retrieved a formed a small puddle in the
folded piece of paper. “You wan- center of his hand. Surpris-
na read?” He asked his brother ingly, Robert didn’t make a
and handed it to him with care peep. “Your turn,” he handed
as if he was presenting him with him the knife. “Cut it the same
a trophy. “Remember, this is a way.” This part of the ceremony
sacred ceremony, so read every was unexpectedly easier than
word very carefully.” Thin lines reading the words they both
formed on Richard’s forehead contrived the day prior. When it
as he hoped nothing was being was done, he dropped the knife
forgotten. His brother returned making the dirt around it puff
an obedient nod, cleared his up into smoke. They held up
throat, and proceeded to recite, their hands, both bloody palms
his voice quivering. “We, Robert firmly squeezed together. Their
and Richard Leski, born on July blood was running down their
5th, 1931 in Daring, hereby forearms tickling their skin and
swear that we are forever joined dripping on the ground darken-
~Daring, 1943~ as brothers in good times and ing the gray soil beneath them.
in bad times.” He paused and
“It is done!” Richard exclaimed;
looked at Richard for approval.
his eyes were wild with excite-
Richard’s eyes were closed. He, ment.
By Eva Redding then, continued, “If one of us As young boys, they didn’t
is ever in trouble, the other one realize how profound this
With the parting sun, the reality that there was nothing will swiftly come to the rescue covenant would become in their
otherwise dull landscape slowly else left to do in a town whose even if that means taking drastic later years, shaping not only
transformed into a dreamy population during its peak brief- measures, such as…,” he paused their own lives, but the lives of
concoction of tangerine and ly swelled up to about twenty and looked at his brother again. everyone around them.
crimson. The bleeding sky paved thousand people after a promise “Why you stopping?” Rich-
a way to what was about to be of making it rich quickly, as did ard snarled. “Read it! Every If you enjoyed this passage,
their official pledge. The sil- many mining towns of their word!” Robert returned to you will absolutely love Eva’s
houette of two young boys was time. Or maybe the level of uni- the paper, “even if that means upcoming book entitled Sandy.
often seen at this hour in the son between them was formed taking drastic measures, such E-mail Eva at eva1044@yahoo.
open space behind their family’s by the mere fact that they were as disobeying our parents, com. And ask to be notified
house. The desert dusk was, identical twins—quite rare in deceiving our friends, stealing, when her book is available
for many, the favorite season of their time and place. Twelve or…” He swallowed, feeling his
the day providing much-need- years ago today, their birth was tongue stick to the roof of his
ed relief from the relentless announced on the front page mouth and finally squeezed
heat of the dreaded summer of the local paper: The Town out, “killing someone.” Hear-
months. The evenings awoke the of Daring Welcomes its First ing himself say it out loud felt
dormant energy into a powerful Twins! downright terrifying and much
force. For them, it represented Their overalls, as usual, more real than merely writing
the ultimate freedom to play and caked with a persistent layer of down the same words. He went
make-believe under the starry stale and fresh dirt, felt a size on, “We also swear that if one
nights and, in this instance, too small these days, but they of us ever betrays the other, the
deepen their brotherhood by a knew all too well that they had same measures can be applied.
genuine seal. Their bond was to wait for a pair of new ones. We hereby seal our intentions
undoubtedly shaped by loyalty As their mother explained, “Pa in blood for now and for all the
and unity in everything they was fixing to strike gold in the days to come.” “Amen!” Richard
did. Inseparable, they were each mine near Trinity Mesa.” But spewed since that was the only
other’s favorite companions by now, they were old enough appropriate word he could think
with an imagination that would to understand the patience it of. “Give me your right hand!”
often keep them entertained for took for that to happen. Richard He reached for his brother’s
hours. Perhaps it was due to the reached deep into his pocket palm and, without hesitation,

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