Gemini

On the 23rd July I posted a short story which I had written during an evening class in creative writing. It was called " Mind The Gap" I hope y'all enjoyed it. If so here is part one of my next attempt at writing, if not, cope!!

Gemini.

A short story

By

Alf Wood

“Pint of bitter, please” said Chris to the barman.

I need something to calm my nerves, he thought while waiting in The King’s Arms pub on the corner of Highgate and Swanson roads Kensington.

His mind was racing. I’m a man. Men don’t cry. I must not cry. What do I say? What will he think of me?

“That’ll be two quid please mate,” said the barman sliding the pint of beer across the bar counter to him.

“Tah” he handed over the two pounds shakily.

What does he look like? So many questions. All these thoughts were beginning to make him dizzy with emotion; a huge lump had developed in his throat. Twenty years was a long time. Will I know him, will he recognise me? I have never even met him, so why am I feeling so emotional? Questions…thoughts… emotions…excitement…

Then he saw him walk into the pub…

u

What was the name of that pub again? The King’s Arms? Ah, there it is on the corner of Highgate and Swanson roads. Ken’s thoughts were running wild too, while walking from the Highgate tube station his mind was like a cauldron of bubbling thoughts. How did this happen, when did it all begin? Is it really happening? Will I burst into tears, making a real ass of myself? He had always been an emotional person. He‘d often get tears in his eyes while watching movies. Janet, his fiancée, loved that the most about him, the fact that he could ‘get in touch with his feminine side’. He wished she was with him now, she was always able to comfort him and make him relax, but she had said that this was something that he had to do by himself. His roommate, Jim had agreed with her. So he had taken the early train from Oxford to London and here he was, outside the entrance to The King’s Arms.

With a deep breath of nervous anticipation, he pushed the swing door open and stepped inside. The pub wasn’t full, just a smattering of people sitting around smoking and drinking, doing the things that pub goers usually do in pubs. He looked around slowly, thinking, will I recognise him? What do I say to him? And then their eyes met …

u

How did this happen, when did it all begin?

It all began when Christopher Fowler had been accepted by the London School of Music to complete a Masters degree in Music. He had completed his Bachelor of Music at Auckland University the previous year and had decided to try his luck in London. He had packed, sold off all his meagre student belongings and said an emotional farewell to his parents and set off for the UK and London.

He fell in love with London the moment he stepped out of Heathrow Airport; it felt as if he had come home. He had arranged accommodation before leaving New Zealand, a neat little bed-sit in Hampstead. It was January and the weather was not exactly a Kiwi summer, however, no bad weather could dampen his enthusiasm and he couldn’t get enough of the London culture. While travelling around and absorbing all the wonderful sights and sounds of London, he kept thinking what a wise man that Dr. Samuel Johnston was when he said those now famous words: "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."

The morning of his first lecture had arrived, he had got to the campus early and on entering the lecture theatre found that there were already a few students sitting there. He had only just sat down when a pretty red head girl came over and smiled at him.

“Hi, Ken, isn’t it?”

“No” he smiled, rather puzzled. “Chris... Chris Fowler, do I know you?”

“Oh, sorry, you look very much like someone I met at a party last week in Oxford, my name’s Karen.” she replied apologetically. “I detect a slight accent, it’s familiar but I can’t put my finger on it.”

“I’m a Kiwi,” he said proudly. “I’m from Auckland; I’m here to do my masters.”

“Cool, there are a lot of your compatriots studying music here so I’m sure you won’t be too homesick. I’m also doing my masters so we should be seeing a lot more of each other. Anyway, I have to run, enjoy your first day and sorry again for the mistake, see you later.” And with that she rushed off to the back of the lecture theatre leaving him gaping after her. He had a feeling that he would be seeing a lot more of this girl.

A few weeks after his first meeting with Karen, Chris was sitting in the student’s cafeteria having lunch when she and another student, approached.

“Hi Chris,” she greeted him warmly. “I would like you to meet my friend Jim, Jim is studying science at Oxford and is in London for a few days’ break, Jim, this is Chris, the guy I was telling you about.”

“Hi, pleased to meet you,” said Chris standing up and extending his hand in greeting.

“Incredible!” remarked Jim, grasping Chris’s hand warmly. “You were right, Karry, there is quite a resemblance, I can hardly believe my eyes.”

“Resemblance, what are you two talking about? Who do I resemble?” Chris asked with a puzzled look on his face.

“You, mate, are a carbon copy of my roommate in Oxford, Ken…Ken Wilson, it is quite uncanny you could be twins” explained Jim. “Eerie, very eerie.”

“Well my star sign is Gemini, the twins that might explain it.” He said smiling facetiously

Chris knew he had been adopted. His parents had been very open with him and had told him everything they knew but nothing had been said about brothers or sisters let alone twins. They had told him that he had been born in the UK and that they had adopted him while they were there on their OE. He was two years old when they got him and had returned to New Zealand almost immediately. He had grown up in a very happy, upper middle class home and had had plenty of love and affection from his adoptive parents. Even with the knowledge of his adoption he never had any desire to find out anything about his biological parents and it never even occurred to him to ask whether he had any siblings… until now.

“Well, I will have to meet this mysterious twin some time, won’t I?” Chris tried to sound flippant and disinterested. “Sorry, I have a class in 5 minutes. Gotta rush. Catch you later, Karry. Nice meeting you, Jim.”

He could not concentrate on his lecture, all day long he kept thinking: Twins, twins the words kept repeating themselves in his brain. His stomach was knotted. Could it be true, could he have a twin brother? No, surely not, was it possible…?

When he arrived back in his room that evening he immediately sent an e-mail to his parents, telling them what had happened and asking them if there was any chance that he had a twin brother in the UK. Their reply came a few hours later saying that they did not think he had a twin brother but it was possible as it was a long time ago and the agencies were not as thorough then as they were now and that they would try to find the adoption papers and the address of the agency in London and send them off to him. This would take a week or two so he would have to be patient. He was sure that there was little chance of him having a twin brother. He would just put the whole episode out of his mind and get on with his studies…although he had to admit he was intrigued.

to be continued..........