Twin Tales Read Online Free PDF

Connie for ages.’
    â€˜You just get cross with her when the poor kid hasn’t even done anything.’
    â€˜I don’t know what you two creeps are playing at, but
I’m
Connie’s father!’ Dad shouted.
    â€˜We’re playing growly bears, eh, Connie? Grrrr!’
    â€˜And you call yourself a father, when you’re no fun at all. Grrrr!’
    â€˜Will you stop this! Get away from my Connie. Get out of this bathroom, do you hear?’ Dad bellowed, and he tried to push them out.
    It was a mistake. The twin dads were quite a bit bigger and they had much broader shoulders.
    â€˜Who are you shoving, eh?’
    â€˜Getting all hot and bothered! You need to cool down a bit.’
    They picked Dad up and tipped him in the bath.
    â€˜I’ll hold him down while you turn on the tap!’
    â€˜He could do with a swim!’
    â€˜Don’t.
Really
,’ said Connie.
    â€˜I don’t know why you’re sticking up for him. He never sticks up for you.’
    â€˜And he hasn’t taken you for a proper swim for ages, has he?’
    â€˜It’s not Dad’s fault,’ said Connie. She couldn’t bear to see Dad stuck in the bath like that. ‘Here, Dad. I’ll help you out,’ she said, and she took hold of his hands and pulled with all her might.
    Dad shot upwards so rapidly that Connie fell backwards, bowling the twin dads over.

    â€˜Connie? Are you all right?’ Dad asked, picking her up and hugging her even harder than a big ferocious growly bear.
    The twin dads went on bowling right out of the bathroom, down the stairs, out of the door, out of sight.

10. Baby Blue-Eyes
    Dad tucked Connie up in bed that night. He pretended she was still little and tucked all her old dolls and her big battered teddy in with her. He made the dolls talk in silly little twittery voices and he made the teddy growl. The growling made both of them look up and check the door, just to make sure no one else was coming to join in the game.
    â€˜It’s just us, Dad,’ said Connie. ‘And Mum downstairs.’
    â€˜And the babies,’ said Dad.
    â€˜Yep. The twins,’ said Connie.
    â€˜I suppose it’s been very weird for you, Connie. I bet it must have seemed like the twins were taking over at times,’ said Dad.
    â€˜Mmm,’ said Connie.
    â€˜I think it’ll take a while before we all get used to being a family of five. We’re all tired out at the moment because the little blighters keep us awake half the night, but once they get a bit older it should get easier. If more expensive,’ said Dad, sighing a little.
    â€˜Poor Dad. It’s not fair you’ve got to work more.’
    â€˜Oh, I’ll manage. Though I do miss our Saturday morning swim. Tell you what, Connie. How about if we go swimming on Sunday mornings instead? Just you and me. Would you like that?’
    â€˜You bet,’ said Connie.
    â€˜Night night then, poppet,’ said Dad.
    Mum tiptoed in from the twins’ room to say goodnight, too. She sat on one side of Connie’s bed, and Dad sat on the other. They had a grand family cuddle, just like they had in the old days. Before the twins.
    Perhaps Charles and Claire felt left out. There was a little snorty sound. A snuffle. And then two plaintive cries.
    â€˜Oh-oh,’ said Mum.
    â€˜Oh-oh,’ said Dad.
    â€˜Oh-oh,’ said Connie.
    They all laughed, and then Mum and Dad went off to deal with a twin each and Connie curled up and went to sleep. She’d forgotten to undo the little plait. As she turned this way and that the beads bumped her head and stuck in uncomfortably. Connie mumbled in her sleep and fiddled with her plait. One blue bead slid off. Then the other. The plait unravelled and the two beads rolled across the pillow, off the bed, over the rug and disappeared down a crack in the floorboards.

    Connie woke up early the next morning. She could hear an occasional car going by