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Kelley was the best friend I had ever known. As I look
back on all of the years we spent growing up in Portland, Oregon, I now realize how many things we missed out on
experiencing together. Kelley had a twin sister, whose name was Kyley.
The fact is, I never liked her sister and her sister in turn, liked me even less. Such a situation might ordinarily
have been merely an inconvenience, had it not been for the fact that they were not ordinary sisters. Kyley and
Kelley were conjoined twins.
To make matters even more challenging, Kelley was a victim of nature's most unsettling and inequitable manifestation
of conjoined physiology. She was merely an inconvenient extension, riding out her life on the back of Kyley's head
and neck. All that existed of her was her face, forever enduring a world viewed from behind. As a result, of course,
she had never directly gazed upon her host sister, so it was a relief for her to have me around to talk to. I got
used to the many challenges of our friendship from an early age.
Since Kelley had no control of Kyley's body, everything we did together required a sort of spontaneous choreography
on my part as to avoid involving Kyley. It was because they shared the same brain, that certain issues, such as
alter ego and the subconscious became problematic for them. They were constantly warring over every desire and
impulse. In addition, because their minds were an open book to each other, they experienced a distinct inability
to possess private, individual thoughts. The quality time Kelley and I enjoyed came primarily when Kyley was heavily
preoccupied with a movie, show or game so we had to be as quiet as possible.
One day I had an interesting idea to share with the two of them as well as their family. I proposed a compromise
in which Kelley and I would receive time together with Kyley's full cooperation as Kelley's body, in return for
Kelley's submission to having a long blonde wig placed over her so Kyley could finally venture out for a brief
jaunt in public unencumbered by any unwanted attention.
The idea was not received favorably at first but the more they all thought about it, the more they realized it
was a means by which the twins might make progress toward getting along with each other. The first time Kelley's
face was hidden under the wig, I went along with them to the county mall. Kyley was flustered by my presence and
Kelley was blinded, disoriented and badly in need of my support. It was very troubling indeed, to see Kyley actually
enjoying herself at her sister's expense. The way she appeared to be lost in a reverie over her freedom to blend
into the crowd was worrying me and also worrying her sister.
By the time we left and got back to the car, she was reluctant to remove the wig, but she did, much to Kelley's
relief. Kelley's skin was flushed, wet and irritated. I had to work my way over almost every part of her face,
scratching all her itches and wiping off the sweat before we started home. Not a single remark was uttered over
Kyley's apparent exuberance over her experience as I drove away from the parking lot.
I must admit, there were times I wished I could have killed Kyley's portion of their brain and liberate my only
friend from her prison. It wasn't as simple as that, though. I knew as well as they did that despite the resentment
and intolerance they openly displayed, there was an acknowledgement of a certain love for each other. Their bond
was impossibly close, yet maddeningly burdensome. How many times had I tried to make amends with Kyley only to
have my effort undermined by Kelley, of all people? Such was their relationship as polar opposites occupying the
same space.
There were many outings that followed where either Kelley would be hidden or Kyley would begrudgingly take her
turn under the wig. I must admit it was always a rather disconcerting experience when Kelley's turn would come
around and Kyley's face would be covered. Kelley suddenly appeared to have her head set on a backwards body, which
stumbled around unsteadily as she called out directions to it. I'll never forget the time we all went miniature
golfing or when we even tried bowling.
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