The Twin Thing by Konnie Enos

Over the last several months Bonnie and I have had several opportunities to be in each other’s company, which has given us a few more occasions to experience being twins. We experienced things like the spacy cashier who didn’t recognize there was two of us standing there, to the people I see on a regular basis who did double takes and numerous other reactions.

When we first met up it was with my husband, oldest daughter and a friend of said daughter and we were at a restaurant. While I was reading the menu, and not paying much attention, Bonnie said something about “Yes, we’re twins.” And I looked up to see a staff member at the table. I assume they did a double take.

Later Bonnie and I went to dinner without those three and the cashier didn’t seem to notice that there was two of us standing there. Bonnie paid for her food and moved away then the cashier moved to helped the next customer and saw who she thought was Bonnie standing in front of her still. At least her statement indicated she assumed I was the customer she’d just helped.

I pointed to Bonnie. “That was my twin sister.”

Only then did she do a double take, which baffled both Bonnie and I. I’d been standing right next to Bonnie while she paid for her own food and we weren’t dressed alike, not even the same colors plus her hair was down, around her face, while my hair was clearly pulled back. Perhaps if mine had been down it would have been clearer since mine is obviously longer than Bonnie’s right now. Anyway, we couldn’t figure out how the young woman hadn’t noticed there was two of us until I pointed it out.

Of course we did have another experience with a cashier, a far more intelligent one.

Bonnie again went through the line first and paid for her purchases with me right there since I was the next customer in line. When Bonnie moved to the side and I moved to where things couldn’t block me from his view he did an immediate double take.

“You’re twins aren’t you?”

“Of course.”

He said he had identical twin sons and the three of us talked about twins while he rang up my purchases.

Though the funniest was a lady I see regularly. I walked past her with Bonnie right behind me and she said something to me then noticed Bonnie and gasped. “Two Konnie’s.”

Well of course I stopped and turned around. While statements similar to that are familiar to us, I’d only heard ‘two Konnie’s’ one other time. Usually it was ‘two Bonnie’s’. Though I told her we were familiar with such comments.

Then the last time I saw this particular lady she looked at me and asked, “Are you you or are you your twin?”

I told her where my sister was at that moment.

Being a twin can have it moments.

Being a mom has its moments too. I could go on but my daughter needs me to be dressed and running out the door, now.

Smile. Make the day a brighter day.