Chapter 6

Edith

(Edith doesn’t speak English ... she speaks Cockney ... it’s something that takes a bit of getting used to. What you see is what I hear.)

“She’s your Mother ... how could you?”

“She pissed ... excuse me ... she upset my tranquility. If she hadn’t giggled things would be fine.”

“Edith ... have you looked in a mirror?”

“I look like me.”

“Now ... I have a problem with that. If you look like you always looked ... then you have to be in our line of ancestry.”

“Why do you say that?”

“You look exactly like my mother ... only younger.”

“I do not!”

The owner’s stateroom ... where mom and I sleep ... has a good sized mirror ... attached to the overhead above the bed. It wouldn’t last a second in a tropical storm, but it’s okay for a river. I had an idea ... no idea where it came from ... it was just there.

“Come with me, please.”

We went below and made our way to the stateroom.

I gestured at the bed. I laid down myself.

“Finally,” Edith said. She just took that bikini top off and hit the bed. Not exactly what I had in mind ... but...

“Look up.”

There we were ... reflections of ourselves. But I saw Edith ... she said, “Like I always look.” She didn’t look like my sister ... not in the reflection. Looking sideways at her ... Jackie ... looking up ... Edith.

Ever lost a day? Thought it was Monday, but it was Tuesday? You show up for an appointment and the scheduler. says, “Where were you Monday?” The realization I missed a day makes my head spin ... I have to sit down ... I need a ‘reset’. ‘It’s Tuesday ... and you’re an idiot.’ I reset ... and apologize. Happens to me at least twice a year.

While we were looking up ... Her reflection sort of shimmered ... mine stayed me ... she turned into Jackie. She screeched, passed out ... pissed the bed ... she did. Big puddle. Then she woke up ... as Jackie. As Jackie when she fell down the stairs. One temple was crushed from hitting the step.

“Oh my god ... you’ve murdered me.”

She’d lost her cockney accent. Just Jackie ... dead Jackie. But NOT dead.

“MOM!”