While Darlene slept Jenny sat quietly on the couch for another hour with her eyes closed, then reminded herself of Darlene’s description of Michi. Then she spoke. “Are you there Marlene?” Silence for a time, then a pale version of Darlene in an Orphan Annie dress stood next to the table.

TWINS by Marie C., Part 17 - Jenny’s House, Day 2
by Marie C.

In the morning Darlene had restored the girl’s room to perfect order in twenty minutes. Drawers were lined with paper ready for use and the floor mopped and waxed. He went across to Jenny’s room and on second examination found it to be as spartan as her downstairs was littered. The furniture consisted of a bed, dresser, long mirror, bedside table, chair and a closet. There were a number of dresses, smocks and loose fitting trousers which he had inspected last time. He found a few skirts and dresses that were now obviously too small for Jenny, wading boots, moccasins and sensible walking shoes in good condition. The drawers yielded an assortment of serviceable and comfortable underwear of various kinds, all clean but disarrayed. In the closet were boxes of old photo albums, legal papers and clippings on plants and animals which he left alone. A pull rope opened a trapdoor in the ceiling revealing a folding staircase going up which Darlene did not attempt to climb.

The bath between the two rooms yielded a bin of dirty towels and wash cloths. The medicine cabinet was a biohazard. By noon everything in Jenny’s room had been reinstalled and the bathroom was squeaky clean.

“Darlene, I’m impressed. I don’t think my upstairs has ever been so neat. Now I want you to see some of the nice things that belonged to my grandmother and her sisters if they haven’t gone to rot. If you had all that experience in your dreams like you said we should be able to go through them pretty quick.”

Jenny pulled down the creaky stairs and flicked a jury-rigged light switch at the top. Scattered around the untouched space Darlene saw four or five old trunks, a table, mirror, chairs and other things too lost in shadow to make out. Jenny apologized as she coughed in the dust that welled up with every step. She hadn’t been up here for years. Exasperated, Darlene opened the windows at each end of the space in an attempt to expel the musty atmosphere and refused to open any trunks until he could bring up the vacuum and clear out the worst of the dust.

The odor of moth balls wafted out when they opened the first trunk. As Darlene lifted the delicate material Jenny excused herself and left him alone. One by one the garments were hung out to air. Most looked like the kind worn by Emma and the McDougals - old shirtwaists, skirts, petticoats, corsets and special occasion frocks. Most were too big for Darlene although they were in surprisingly good condition. A pair of high button shoes seemed dried out, but wearable. Another trunk yielded children’s clothing including dresses in his size. Going through them all right now would be a big job.

He especially liked one frock with a square neck line, three-quarter sleeves and lace skirt over a cotton underskirt. Its neck and sleeves were lace dotted with hand sewn rosettes and the waist trimmed with a large satin bow. He laid it out and decided he had to try it on. After a rinse in cold water and a careful pressing he held it up to the mirror. He needed a big matching hair ribbon which he found near the bottom of one trunk along with cotton drawers and a slip which needed shaking out. He found a pair of ankle high girl’s shoes with a one inch heel, cracked but serviceable. He hung the ensemble in Della’s old closet for later on. He would surprise Jenny that evening.

After a bath he put on one of Della’s play dresses after his stint in the attic, a dark blue with tiny polka dots, white collar and short sleeves. Jenny didn’t have any cosmetics to speak of but he wouldn’t need any for the lovely frock, after all it was from Emma’s time and they didn’t use things like lipstick back then.

By the time he got downstairs it was late in the day and Jenny had long since done with her day’s appointments. Right then she was talking to a latina woman and a tall, dark-haired girl who he remembered as Marlene’s friend Leticia. He hadn't seen Leticia since the birthday parties and never really met her mother so was uncertain about going in.

Jenny turned hearing Darlene’s footsteps on the stairs and called him over. “Darlene come meet some neighbors of mine, Addie and Leticia.”

Leticia was taller now, actually by several inches on Darlene, and developing into a physically attractive teen-ager. Today she had on a bright pink scoop neck T-shirt with cap sleeves, hip hugger jeans that flattered her evolving curves and open-toed wedge sandals. She stared openmouthed. “Marlene?”

Her mother was just as astonished because Marlene had been a constant presence at their house. She had seen “Darlene” only one time at the birthday party and didn’t known he was a boy until Leticia told her on the way home.

The girl tilted her head after a second doubtful look and frowning said “No, it’s not Marlene. Who are you?” Wheels in her mind began turning and she grinned. “It’s Kirk. Gosh you look and move just like Marlene. You’ve really changed.” After another pause she came over and gave Darlene a big hug with tears in her eyes, something she wouldn’t have done four years ago.

Darlene spoke in his now rather adult voice. “It’s Kirk, Leticia,” returning the hug and giving air kisses. “I live with Linda and I’m Darlene now. Remember, it’s the name you and Marlene gave me.” He smiled and made an exaggerated curtsey.

“Are you a girl now?” A thousand questions were forming in her head.

“No, but I’m kind of confused. Jenny wants to talk to me.” He didn’t say anything about the dreams.

Leticia’s mother said they had to go so there were more hugs and promises to get together. On the way home Addie and Leticia decided not to tell anyone about Darlene being a boy. During dinner the only thing Leticia’s mother let out was there was a girl at Jenny’s who looked an awful lot like Marlene.

One of Leticia’s brothers excused himself from the table and left the room looking pale.

Jenny wanted to know how Darlene knew Leticia, so he went into the details of Marlene’s party, how the girls got him into all this and how he hadn’t seen the girl since. When the dinner dishes were done he told Jenny he was going upstairs again and would be back in a minute.

The Edwardian frock almost beckoned to him like a living thing. He pulled the drawers over his corset which he had actually brought with him, lifted the slip over his head and finally the delicate dress. When he arranged his hair and pinned in a big ribbon he felt like he should be waiting for Emma to arrive and take him somewhere special. After preening at the mirror briefly he went back down.

Jenny looked up to see an appealing, angelic child. “Darlene, you look so sweet I want to hug you to death. I can’t imagine you as anybody but a girl.” Darlene lifted his skirt showing off the lace-trimmed drawers with a shy smile.

“Let me show you an old picture.” Jenny flipped pages in a crumbling old photo album and pointed to a fading sepia tone portrait. “You’re wearing my grandma’s birthday dress from 1909.” In the photo a dark haired girl with big rope curls posed in the dress with a large doll. A studio name and the year were hand lettered in the margin.

Jenny gave the boy a big squeeze with more enthusiasm than usual. She didn’t usually get involved in such “girlie” things but Darlene was so captivating. “Some day I want to fix your hair with those big curls. You’ll look just like the doll I had when I was little.”

Jenny was breaking a rule of her own: Don’t influence a client one way or the other in their life choices. But Darlene was so fetching, she thought. She brought out a small ornate box inlaid with mother of pearl. Inside were a cameo locket on a gold chain, small pearl earrings and a child’s gold bangle.

“These belonged to my great grandmother,” she said as she gently inserted the small studs and linked the cameo behind his neck. The bangle slid neatly over his hand. He looked precious.

When she was done Jenny finally realized she had been unwittingly drawn into the boy’s feminine persona. She took a breath and cleared her mind. The energy from the hill was affecting her too.

“Well now, sit here on my lap and tell me more about your dreams and especially about Marlene.” Darlene climbed on Jenny’s lap while she straightened his dress as she would have with a doll. She put her arms around his waist and he leaned on her shoulder. He felt very comfortable with Jenny and talked more about the dreams and his scary feelings.

When it seemed like he was done Jenny said “I’m going to do something that might help you feel better. First, I want you to drink a cup of tea that makes you sleepy.” She had found her notes describing an Indian ceremony much like the one Darlene described from his dreams and had decided to experiment.

She cleared off the parlor table and covered it with a white cloth. Darlene drank down a whole cup of Jenny’s special tea, climbed up on the table and lay on his back. She arranged the exquisite frock and spread the boy’s hair around his shoulders telling him to take six deep breaths and think about lying in a warm, sunny field of flowers. She lighted a candle at each point of the compass starting with north, then positioned bowls around the room which she filled with dried herbs and leaves. After each bowl was lit the room became smoky. Darlene lay there drowsy under the influence of the tea. It was fully dark outside now and there was no light in the room except for candles.

“Do you feel o.k., honey?” she asked.

“Yes, Jenny.” He seemed to answer from a distance thought Jenny. Even the occasional passing car seemed miles away.

While Darlene slept Jenny sat quietly on the couch for another hour with her eyes closed, then reminded herself of Darlene’s description of Michi. Then she spoke. “Are you there Marlene?” Silence for a time, then a pale version of Darlene in an Orphan Annie dress stood next to the table.

“You bet,” said a spunky, teasing voice though not entirely unlike Darlene’s.

“Come sit next to me.” The pale girl came over and perched next to Jenny a little uncertain but gaining solidity as she sat there. “You’ve been busy with your cousin, haven’t you. I think you’ve been kind of naughty,” Jenny said with a mock frown.

Marlene grinned “Kirk, I mean Darlene likes being a girl.” She put her hand to her mouth. “You can see me and talk to me!”

Jenny put her arm around the child.

“You can touch me!” Marlene said with some surprise and tears in her eyes.

The cats came over. Persephone rubbed against Marlene’s leg. Diablo hopped up on the back of the couch and sniffed her hair. She reached up petting him and squealed “I can play with the kitties too!”

Jenny pulled out a pocket handkerchief and Marlene blew her nose, still sniffling.

“There’s a lot of power here next to the creek when the water’s flowing. That’s why I can touch you. Plus much of your strength comes from your cousin because you’re twins, though I don’t know why that should be. Outside of that, you’ve done quite a job of turning him into a girl, you and that bunch at the house. You should all be ashamed.”

Marlene put on a big grin “It’s fun, and he likes it! He’s more of a girl now than a boy. Even you say so.” She looked Jenny in the eye.

Jenny pulled the girl closer and let her talk about everything she had been through, her new connection with Darlene and the girls in the house. Jenny could tell Marlene didn’t really know what had happened to her except in a general way. She probably knew that she was no longer alive, at least not in the way that Darlene was, but Jenny didn’t want to go there. It was better to let things come out on their own if at all. Unsurprisingly Marlene didn’t remember anything before waking up at the house.

When Marlene was done Jenny said “Darlene come over here.” Darlene woke and climbed down from the table. Jenny saw another Darlene still on the table. Incredible, she thought.

Oh, Darlene , what a scrumptious dress,” Marlene chirped and merged with Darlene without so much as a word. The single figure ran upstairs and looked in the mirror. Jenny heard Marlene say “Oh neat, awesome.” In a minute she/he clumped back down Jenny’s stairs like a herd of elephants.

When they returned Jenny was looking at one girl. She had never seen anything like this. An older woman once described something similar but Jenny never knew what to make of it.

“Come on now, I want to see both of you. Out Marlene!” One of the twins stepped to the side showing a pouty lip.

“It’s so much fun with Darlene,” she (or he?) said. They were dressed identically and Jenny could not tell who was who. The one with the slight frown was probably Marlene, she thought. She remembered Darlene’s description of the Indian ceremony. Did Michi see something like this? Jenny wondered.

“Darlene, honey, get us some of that blackberry pie.” One of the twins stepped away toward the kitchen and Jenny could hear dishes rattling. Finally he returned with three plates on a tray. They each took a dish and began eating.

At one point Jenny looked at the sleeping figure and said “Is there a boy Kirk here?” Silence. Then a pale translucent boy twin in a plaid shirt and jeans stood next to the girls. It was hard to see him at first unless he moved against one of the candles. He grew more solid as he stood there.

How much of the boy was left, she wondered. “Hello, Kirk, I’m Jenny. Look around and tell me who you see.”

He looked and said “Two Marlenes.” Something dawned “You’re me,” he said to one of the twins.

“Kirk, that’s you. You’re almost a girl.” Marlene giggled.

“Marlene, keep quiet.” Jenny glared.

Kirk and Darlene looked at each other. Kirk frowned, put a hand in his pocket and pulled out a battered wallet. He picked through the worn folds and dropped a snapshot on the coffee table - a picture of his dad, mom and himself together years ago. He took a bite of pie not looking at anything in particular or saying anything, then climbed back on the table without a word and faded into the sleeping form.

Jenny felt a lump in her throat. “Darlene, you go on get on the table too.” When he did, Jenny said “Now Marlene you do the same.” Marlene lay down and merged with her cousin. “I’m going to do something that will take a few minutes.” To herself she added, “Then we’ll wait for tomorrow.”

Jenny sprinkled more powders and leaves in the saucers, lighting them as she went and letting them burn until the room became smoky again. This time the animals yowled, sneezed and bolted out through the cat door.

Jenny inhaled deeply several times bringing on a coughing fit that required her to lean on the table for support. When the congestion passed she stood quietly over the sleeping form with arms at her sides and eyes closed. She looked like she was asleep.

When she moved she covered Darlene’s face lightly with both hands and smoothed his hair, then moved her hands lightly down his body hesitating at key points much as Michi did with the twins. Both hands stopped at his lower abdomen where she increased the pressure. A warm light glowed through her hands and receded. She stood longer without moving, then seemed to wake. Returning to the couch she rested sweating and wheezing until the smoke cleared. She felt exhausted.

“Darlene, honey, it’s time for bed.”

Darlene lifted his head looking confused. “I fell asleep and had more dreams about Marlene. This time you were in it.” He took Jenny’s hand and they went upstairs.

After Darlene was safely tucked in Jenny sat up for awhile trying to remember what just happened. There wasn’t much she could remember. Tonight was one of the most unusual experiences she had been through, much more so than walking through her daughter’s changes. She firmly believed now that she was here because of Darlene, or at least that was one reason. She had been assigned to this job by what or whom she couldn’t say. There was no one and nothing she could appeal to. She put everything away and got ready for bed.

Next she would visit Linda’s house and do what she could to help bring this curious situation to a positive conclusion.