Precious sat down to drink her morning tea as was her routine. Her laptop computer opened in front of her as she went over the latest draft of the story she was working on, it was not coming on well, she’d been stuck on a particular chapter, unsure of how best to kill off a minor character in the story.

As she took a sip, a knock was heard at the door. She frowned, she was not expecting anyone today. Everyone knew not to visit her unannounced. She’d made that very clear to all who may ever have the need to visit. She’d once left her own mother outside for close to thirty minutes, the woman had wrongly assumed that she was the exception to her daughter’s silly rule. She had thought to surprise her daughter, but instead had herself been surprised when said daughter refused her entry.

Precious had had to apologize to her mother  the next day, it was not a very daughterly thing to do,  but she’d made clear her point, and everyone knew not to visit unannounced. Everyone except Tina. Her sister was a special case, and not for good reasons. Tina had always had an unhealthy disregard for laid down rules, in her mind they didn’t apply to her. Certainly not if the person setting the rules was her sister, when you shared a womb for nine months, such silly things as personal space did not apply. Tina just kept on knocking and shouting for the door to be opened. She did not care that Precious had neighbours or that they’d be annoyed at her antics, or that they didn’t know she had a twin, and will think her mad for knocking at her own door and shouting out her own name, she just kept on knocking. Precious had been forced to let her in or risk getting an earful from her landlord. And so Tina had come to be the only exception to her rule.

She frowned at the door, wondering what her twin could possibly want from her this early. Tina was not a morning person, for her sister to be at her door this early meant she’d woken up really early, she did not leave her home unless she was immaculately dressed. to Tina, there was no such thing as appearing casual, every minute was an opportunity to make a statement, as such she always looked like she just stepped out of the pages of a high fashion magazine. So if she was here this early, then it was really important, or she considered it so.

Precious set down her cup, already getting irked. She’d have to make another pot of tea, as the cup she was nursing would have cooled by the time she was  through with Tina. She did not like to heat cooled tea either, It never tasted like a fresh pot did. She opened the door, and in front of her stood her sister, pristinely dressed for the day, like she knew she would be. Her long hair, brown today was done up in curls falling around her oval face. She was dressed in a style that Precious had to admit was beautiful; A white peplum top, paired with penciled flower print olive trousers and nude coloured shoes. An overly bright smile  plastered on her face completed the look.

“Good morning sister mine,” she said in a sing song voice, too chirpy to be believable. She gave Precious a quick hug, before making her way into the apartment uninvited.

“Isn’t it to early for you to be this excited? its barely 8 am.” Precious called from behind, closing the door.

“No, it’s not,” she said, she’d gotten to the table and was bent forward, peering at the laptop’s screen.

“Hmm tea, I hope you made enough,” she said, drinking from the cup that was previously her sister’s. A love for Tea was one of the few things the two shared aside from their looks. They both enjoyed a cup whenever they could. Tina wasn’t as particular about hers however.

“So, what brings you here this early morning? Emphasis on early,” said Precious.

“Oh c’mon! Can’t I just want to see my only sister?”

“No you can’t, not this early.”

“Okay, yeah. I’m here to ask for a favour.”

“A favour huh? Before you do, let me just tell you how thrilled I was to meet your professor friend.”

“You were?” Tina asked, a bit surprised.

“Of course I was not,” Precious snapped.

“There was no professor. You lied to me”

“hmph!” said Tina unremorsefully. “…like you didn’t know I was lying?” 

“True,” said Precious. “What was that favour you wanted?”

Tina came to link her arm through her sister’s. Normally, the two were of near equal heights, but the shoes on Tina’s feet had given her a few extra inches, causing her to look down slightly at her sister with doe eyes as she prepared to make her request.

“You must think I’m either gullible or  your husband. As I am neither of these, this whole innocent, doe eyed act will not work. If I know you, and I do, what you’re about to say will be far from being innocent,” said Precious.

“Remember how when we were girls we promised to do anything for each other?” Tina asked, completely ignoring her sister’s words.

“No, that’s not how I remember it. I said I was willing to do anything for you, as long as it was within my power and if it was reasonable too.”

“I met Brody at the party yesterday,” she blurted.

“Yes, I saw you two. What was that all about?”

“He says he still loves me.”

“Okay. So?”

“I’m going away with him this weekend.”

“Can you say that again? Just so I’m sure I heard you correctly the first time,” said Precious.

“I’m going away with him this weekend and I want you to stand in for me”

“Stand in for you? Stand where for you?”

“My home. I want you to pretend to be me, so Michael doesn’t find out. Just for one weekend, two days.”

“I know what one weekend is, I also know that you’ve lost your mind,” she said angrily.

“Do you even hear yourself? You want me to impersonate you, to deceive your husband while you go about gallivanting with past lovers. My God, this is a whole new level of preposterousness even for you Tina,” She said, falling into a nearby chair.

“Please, Presh. Just one weekend and I’ll be back. I just need to get him out of my system.”

“Tina, what are you saying?” Precious asked, exasperatedly , rising to her feet again. “Might I remind you that you are married, happily married too. This isn’t a weekend getaway with friends we’re talking about. It’s cheating Tina, adultery. I can not bare to look at you right now.”

“Don’t you think I know? I know full well what it is. It’s cheating, and I’m not proud of it. Michael has been good to me, he’s been really good to me, but I’m losing my mind Precious, I’m not happy. I tried Precious, I tried to forget Brody, but I couldn’t. I thinking about what could have been and  wishing Michael was more like him,” she said dejectedly. “I just need this weekend to sort things out, to get closure.”

“Have you even thought this through? We may have the same face and body, but that’s where the similarities end. Michael is a smart guy, he’ll know immediately."

“You’re just as smart, you’re the smartest person I know Presh, you’ll figure something it out,” Tina said
“I may be smart but I’m no actor, n let’s even pretend for a second that I’m able to fool your husband. What happens when he wants to get intimate?”

“Sex?” she asked, letting out a chuckle. He wouldn’t ask you for that, I’m mostly the one who initiates it. But on the very off chance he does, just  tell him you’re on your period.”

“My period huh? Ten points for originality, isn’t he suppose to know by now his wife’s menstrual cycle, which was one week ago?” Precious asked, folding her hands beneath her bosom.

“I’m begging you Precious, just do this for me and I’ll never ask anything of you again,” Tina pleaded.

“You are asking for the near impossible sister, I’m sorry I can’t do it Tina.”

“Why? why can’t you do it? I’m not asking you to sleep with him or have his babies, just take my place for two days,” Tina said accusatorially.

“I will not help you cheat on your husband Tina, I won’t,” Precious declared firmly. “Michael is a good man, and he loves you. I refuse to be part of this harebrained plan. Don’t do this Tina, forget about Brody, you are not seventeen anymore. Go home to your husband,” Precious said.

“Yes, you’re right,” she sniffed. “Michael loves me, and he doesn’t deserve to be betrayed like this. I don’t know what I was thinking. Ever since I saw Brody at the party, it’s like a switch was turned off in my head,” Tina said, crying into her hands.

“I’m going to make us some more tea,” said Precious as she patted her sister on the back, as she walked away.

A little over five minutes, and she had a fresh pot of tea ready. “Here,” She said, offering a cup of the steaming liquid to Tina.

“Thank you,” said Tina, accepting the proffered cup, taking dainty sips. They sat quietly each one nursing a cup and thinking about what just happened. Tina set down her cup, it was almost empty.

“Thank you for talking some sense into me,” she said. “ I really needed that.”

“You are my sister, and I love you. Of course I’ll talk sense into you. Besides, I’ve always been your voice of reason, I’m used to it already,” Precious said, smiling. In a bid to cheer her sister up.

“Yeah, you have,” said Tina with a little smile. “Can I use your bathroom, I need to redo  my make up after all the crying.”
“Of course, I’ll get you something for the puffy eyes too,” Precious said.

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