We may have been born seconds apart 18 years ago and we may be able to finish each other's sentences but we are not much alike! And, I like it that way quite nicely, thank you. Deborah ('Deb' is the only name she'll answer to) was born on my birthday but I got to watch her birth because I wasn't late! She's been late for everything ever since and now was no exception. Despite all my begging, threats, bribes, help, encouragement and badgering, there isn't a thing in the world that can make her do anything exactly when it should be done. So, there I sat on the edge of her bed, watching her decide what clothes she would take off to reveal her swimming suit when she got to the lake! I had grabbed the first (hopefully) clean thing that I saw in my closet and I was ready to leave. She felt the need to colour coordinate, the need to maximize the sex appeal, the need to be perpetually late! It's not as if she were going to the lake with a guy she really liked on a first date; she was going with her older twin sister, who was about to strangle her!
'Deb, if you don't decide to decide on what to wear, if you find the right thing, you won't be able to do anything with it,' I said to her reasonably. I got the response I was looking for: a completely clueless frown and that seemingly small victory gave me the patience to wait a few more minutes.
'I'm leaning towards the jeans and halter top but they look too similar to the bikini, don't you think, 'D'?' Deb unintentionally shortens my name only when she's deeply distracted because she knows I hate it. I, on the other hand, would do almost anything to get her moving, including lie.
'Why do you insist on calling me something that hurts my feelings? You know I hate 'D'; my name is 'Deena.'' I got her attention with that and was about to use it to gain some points to use against her to get her moving. But, I heard Mom clear her throat and realized I'd been overheard. Now that it's just us three, we rarely shut any doors. She was now standing in the doorway of Deb's room with a half frown/smirk on her face. I could see that she saw the situation but she went through the motions of 'correcting me' for Deborah's benefit, anyway.
'Deena, don't tease your sister like that. You know how sensitive she is to teasing,' Mom said, chiding me. Deb was actually so engrossed in her non-decision, I doubt she heard either of us.
'Please help me get her out of here before summer ends,' I whispered to her. 'I can't reach her when she's like this and you know it!'
Mom smiles because she knows it all too well. Looking over Deb's choices, she touches a pair of tight jeans and a pretty white top, saying, 'I think these two would make you look the best, even if it's for just a few minutes.'
That does the trick. Deb lights up immediately and hugs Mom as she leaves the room, biting her lip and giving me a sly conspiratorial wink. And, sure enough, Deb picks a jeanskirt and t-shirt combination that she'd decided against almost 30 minutes ago.
As she assures me that she's 'hurrying', I remind myself again that being born at the same time doesn't mean that we're alike. How else could she be a teenager and I a woman, she 'Aquarius' and I a 'Taurus', she a ditz and I so normal?
I already had the trailer hitched when Deb finally came down to the garage. As she walked up to me, I noted what I always do: she looked fantastic. No matter what she wears or how she wears it, she looks spectacular but never seems to flaunt it because she doesn't seem to really take notice. At one time, I was jealous (although, I'm told that I'm very cute, myself) but I've gotten over it. I guess being born at the same time bonded us so that the differences in our looks and personalities couldn't pull us apart.
'Can I help with something?' she asked, knowing that she couldn't while knowing that I wanted to hear her ask anyway.
'No, but thanks. If you've got everything, we're ready to go.' The twin jet skis were gassed up and secured, our 'day bags' were in the back of the truck, light munchies were stashed on the console between the bucket seats, and I was 'good to go'.
Mom waved, we both waved back as we pulled away, and we were off to the lake.
Driving slowly and carefully, I wove through the residential streets and eased the big Chevy and trailer onto the freeway. Deb and I exchanged a glance and grin. We were barely 18 years old but trusted with almost anything because we proved ourselves responsible. In reality, we got in a mountain of shit but always managed to come out clean with Mom none the wiser by using our combined skills. And, though there were many close calls, Deb and I always came up with a working solution that kept us smelling like roses! So, Mom had no qualms about letting us take the watercraft out without her, and we planned to have a lot of fun, but nothing that would jeopardize our freedom. At least, that was the plan...
It's only a couple of miles to the lake's boat launching area that we prefer and, when we got there, I stopped the truck with a sigh and got out. I had to pretend not to see the look of triumph or the pumped left fist Deb couldn't resist as I walked to the launch ramp and she moved to the driver's seat. I had to smile (when she couldn't see it, of course!) because this was as bitter as her drop-dead good looks for me to take but there was no way to deny it: I cannot back the truck with the trailer but she can, and easily! If there's someone else on the launch or the nearby docks, we like to play a little game. I give her hand signals that would send the trailer into parked cars or off the edge of the dock or right over me! She always acknowledges my signals and then backs up fast (faster than most people would drive forward), her long, golden hair flying in the breeze. We've had men scream, thinking they're about to witness disaster while she places the trailer dead center in the middle of the launch. Every single time, she's perfect. (I'd tried twice, dumping the trailer off the side of the launch once and wasting almost 30 minutes trying not to the second time.)
This time, there's nobody around to 'ditz' but I still stood 10 feet to the side of the trailer and motioned her rapidly towards me. She waved back, punched the gas, and skidded to within 3 inches of my legs! I was still screaming when she got out of the cab yelling 'Ditz!' and started running for her life!
Deb rightfully feared for her life as I chased her around the truck and trailer, never stopping long enough for me to catch her, laughing her fool head off. When I got a cramp, she came to me and kissed me on the cheek.
'I love you.' No apology, no apparent guilt, no fuckin' problem. I grabbed her by the back of her hair, pulling her face close to mine. She maintained the most humble and serene look on her face and I kissed her, on the lips. That appeared to shock her more than the threat I was planning so I just shook my head, released her hair, and smiled at her, smiling at the other half of myself. She graced me with a beatific, glowing smile and all my anger dissolved in laughter.
We got the skis launched easily, parked the truck and trailer, and changed, putting our street clothes in storage compartments under the seats. After putting the life vests on, we started the jet skis and headed for the middle of the lake. There, we beached on a mostly submerged sandy hill (Folsom Lake was rather low at the time from a hot summerβs water usage) and looked for the best place to go first.