The greasy café window is ready for the show A hundred different stories drifting by Keep your eyes on the shadows lurking on the pavement Cause no-one has any faith in the sky They’re all actors on the stage Nothing appears, as it would seem I like my coffee black, no sugar I like my coffee black, no cream There’s too much make-up on the waitress So many places she’d rather be She’s a masterpiece of abject sorrow Her demons will never set her free She moves around tables taking orders She moves around a broken dream I’ll take my coffee black, no sugar I’ll take my coffee black, no cream She won’t listen to the wisdom of the young She really doesn’t care what those boys think There’s a secret buried behind her eyes Runs darker and deeper than her ink Just more soul food for the demons of this underworld Veiled behind a curtain of rising steam She pours my coffee black, no sugar She pours my coffee black, no cream I like my coffee black, no sugar I like my coffee black, no cream ‘Mirror Me’ by Carole Kelly, narrated by Sumara Meers. The Hatherley twins were well known eccentric identities in Newtown. Ethereal women with long tangled blond hair and vague pale blue eyes, Rosa-Marie and Maria-Rose were so identical that even close acquaintances frequently confused them. The twins encouraged this confusion by usually dressing alike and rarely using the word 'I' in any conversation with outsiders, it was always 'we'. They had lived together in the same small terraced house all of their lives. After their parents died in an accident when the twins were in their late teens, they were able to use the insurance money to pay off the small mortgage and invest the rest to provide enough of an income to ensure that neither of them had to work, if they so wished. And generally, they did so wish. Both of the sisters had studied various alternative therapies and occasionally offered their services as herbalists or tarot readers but most of the time, they kept to themselves. Behind the terraced house was a lush and well tended garden where the twins grew vegetables and herbs, both for their own consumption and to use in the herbal remedies they offered. The sisters lived their lives so closely entwined it appeared to others that there was no room for anyone else. Between themselves they still often conversed in Twinspeak, the language they created as small children. They continued to share one bedroom and most of their days were spent together. The paths of marriage and children weren't even discussed, as there was an unspoken agreement that the twins would remain single and stay together for all of their lives. Psychological testing would certainly have placed them on the Autism spectrum, but they preferred to say that they lived their lives on a different plane and were both generally content with their chosen direction. Maria-Rose, although younger by 10 minutes, was often the first to suggest a new project or hobby. Today she was feeling unusually restless and suggested to her sister that a trip to the new Whole Foods store recently opened on King St, would be entertaining. Rosa-Marie would normally have agreed, but today, she also felt out of sorts, and decided to meditate instead. So it happened that Maria-Rose entered the new shop alone and began to aimlessly wander around the shelves. After a while, she was approached by the manager, a good-looking man in his late 20s with the obligatory dreadlocks and ethnic pants. 'I haven't seen you here before, are you local?' He asked as he looked Maria-Rose over appreciatively. She gazed up at him in surprise as most of the shopkeepers knew to leave the sisters alone until they were ready to interact. "I haven't been in here before so you couldn’t have seen me." She replied in her logical fashion before drifting off further into the shop. Undeterred, the manager followed her and began to suggest various items he thought may be appealing. Uncomfortable with his close presence, Maria-Rose decided to leave but was barred by the manager who had taken a fancy to her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to look as though I was stalking you. Would you like to meet up for a coffee, or a herbal tea?" He hastily suggested. "I don't drink coffee and I have plenty of tea at home." She replied in some confusion. The concept of dating had largely bypassed the sisters. "I mean, would you like to spend some time with me, just chatting and getting to know each other? My name is Linc by the way, what's yours?" Maria-Rose stopped walking to look at Linc more closely. She liked the way he dressed and his smile was gentle and appealing but this was unfamiliar territory to her. Nervously toying with the tousled ends of her fair hair, she chewed her lip thoughtfully. "I suppose we could do that. When?" They arranged to meet the next day and it wasn't until she was nearly home that Maria-Rose realised that she'd not even thought about including her sister. Her forehead wrinkled in concentration, she decided to wait until after the date with Linc before mentioning it, because the relationship may not progress and Rosa-Marie became easily upset over changes. Inevitably, Rosa-Marie determined that her twin was distracted and clearly not sharing something important. Maria-Rose found herself having to lie, pretending that a stranger had been rude to her, but it was nothing to worry about. Afterwards she was riddled with shame and nearly confessed the truth, but a little bubble of excitement about her date kept her silent. The next morning Maria-Rose was especially attentive to her twin's wishes and it was easy for her to suggest that Rosa-Marie spent some time meditating again, while she went out to buy some special herbs to make her a calming tea. Gratefully Rosa-Marie agreed as she was continuing to feel unusually anxious. She had always been the more sensitive twin, in all aspects, and her guilty sister wondered if she was having premonitions about her and Linc. Nevertheless, she slipped out quietly so as not to disturb her and was only 10 minutes late meeting Linc at the agreed cafe. Linc greeted her with relief as he was worried that he'd spooked off this unworldly woman. He thought she may be a little older than him, and indeed the twins were considerably older than they appeared, but that didn't bother him. Being careful not to pry or come on too strong, Linc soon formed a fragile bond with Maria-Rose. She found him comfortable to talk to and an hour passed very quickly before she realised that Rosa-Marie would be expecting her home. Hastily leaping to her feet she began to leave. Linc also rose in surprise. "Where are you going? We could have another pot of tea." "I have to go home. Thank you for the tea." "Can I see you tomorrow? It's my day off so we could go out for a drive?" "I don't drive and I can't see you tomorrow." Linc was confused, but persevered in trying to pin her down as he followed her back to the shop where Maria-Rose purchased the herbs she had promised her sister. Eventually he persuaded her to meet him the following evening, but not until late. Maria-Rose was planning to slip out after Rosa-Marie was asleep and was already feeling guilty about her deception. As she walked home she wondered if she should share the truth with her sister, but Rosa-Marie's opinions about men were set in stone and she knew that she'd talk her out of seeing Linc again. That tiny bubble of excitement was continuing to grow and already she was anticipating their next date. The pattern had now been established and over the next few weeks Maria-Rose found multiple excuses to meet Linc for a quick pot of tea during the day but mostly, she continued to slip out at night when her sister was asleep. Their relationship had progressed to stolen kisses and hand holding but Linc was unable to persuade her to take it further or explain why she wouldn't let him come to her home. Despite the excitement of the illicit relationship Maria-Rose continued to feel guilty about deceiving her sister and a barrier grew between the twins. Rosa-Marie knew something was wrong and desperately tried to find the answers through meditation and tarot. At last she had to accept that her sister was involved with a man and had consistently been lying to her. Devastated but resolute, Rosa-Marie knew she had to rescue her twin from the path she was taking and restore the life that they had previously enjoyed. That night, Rosa-Marie pretended to be asleep and once her sister had furtively left the house, was quick to follow her. Maria-Rose met up with Linc at their usual spot outside the shop and then they quietly settled into a dark corner of their favourite cafe. Once she had identified Linc, Rosa-Marie thoughtfully returned home and spent the rest of the night sleeping peacefully. Unsuspecting of her sister's intentions, Maria-Rose made no comment when the following morning Rosa-Marie declared she was taking a walk to clear her chakras. Tired from her broken nights and stress over her deceitful behaviour, she announced that she was going back to bed. Rosa-Marie waited until her twin was softly snoring before commencing her plan. Linc had not expected to see his elusive love today so was pleasantly surprised when Rosa-Marie walked into his shop. He tried to lure her into his office for a kiss but she appeared to be having one of her vague and untouchable days, so he resigned himself to just a chat. To his amazement, she invited him home for dinner and suggested a time that evening. Linc agreed immediately but as she drifted out of the shop wondered why she'd suddenly changed her mind about keeping him distant. He hoped it meant she was ready to take their relationship more seriously. That evening Linc dressed carefully to impress and arrived at the twins' home on time and carrying a rather nice bottle of organic wine that he hoped would relax Maria-Rose enough to accept his caresses. Rosa-Marie answered the door, still in her sister's guise, and ushered him into their small cosy lounge before leaving him with a muttered apology about cooking dinner. He passed a few minutes admiring the twins' collection of crystals and delicate watercolours before deciding to join her in the kitchen. Walking into the kitchen, Linc stopped and for a moment doubted his eyes. Both sisters were engaged in preparing a meal, their movements around the kitchen as coordinated as a ballet as they worked together without words. He uttered a small sound in shock and Maria-Rose turned to look at him in surprise. 'Linc what are you doing here?' She exclaimed at the same time Linc blurted out "Why didn't you tell me you had a twin sister?" Maria-Rose turned to her twin. "You invited him, didn't you?" "Yes of course. You didn't think I wouldn't know what was going on? Maria, you have betrayed our twinship again." "I'm so sorry Rosa, I just got caught up in the excitement but you know that I'd never leave you." The sisters embraced each other tenderly and gazing into each other's eyes communicated wordlessly while Linc, recovering from his shock, began to see the possibilities of two identical lovers. Still musing on interesting scenarios, he didn't notice as the twins, moving together again in perfect harmony, reached for a ball of strong twine and a small green bottle of liquid, from a top shelf. Before he had time to question their intentions, he was unceremoniously pushed into a wooden chair, securely tied up by Maria-Rose and forced to drink the contents of the bottle by Rosa-Marie. Gagging on its foul taste he managed to huskily ask why, but was ignored by the sisters who continued their dinner preparation as if he wasn't there. As the poison began to take effect Linc realised that in their toxic twinship he was nothing but a blip, and drifting into unconsciousness he wondered how many other fools had been here before him.