1. Lapis and Lazuli
Young Kate stared at an indefinite spot on the floor where she lay on all fours, pushing and screaming, her large forehead soaked in sweat.
Time never passed in that hospital room. She must have been in there for days, even if she knew it was only forty-two hours. She felt embarrassed, knowing that probably they could hear her scream and curse all the way to Central City.
She couldn't help it.
-Keep it up!-
She felt baby A moving, making its way into the birth canal. She hoped for everything to go smoothly and end quickly; she felt like a scared little girl even if by now, twenty-five years old and with her twins coming, she was no longer a child.
She knew that she was dealing with a difficult birth: the doctors commented on baby A being stuck and consequently on baby B starting to suffer, trapped in the womb of its mother.
Kate grit her teeth as a doctor helped baby A to leave her body; she pushed as hard as she could, the mass of dark hair clinging fastidiously to her back.
Numbed by a nearly unbearable pain, Kate heard the doctors talk to one-another. She murmured a prayer, narrowing her eyes.
And finally the massive orb of her belly seemed to stop touching the floor; suddenly she felt lighter. Tears of joy veiled her eyes as soon as she heard her baby cry.
-Good job, mama. It's a girl.-
-My darling- tears ran down Kate's cheeks as she stretched out her arms to welcome that precious little thing. She kissed the wisp of bloody white hair.
And then, spasms shook Kate's body as more strong contractions knocked the wind out of her; she was not finished.
Still holding her newborn baby girl she wondered if the youngest twin was still all right.
Minutes, hours, days passed.
The new mother felt in agony: she couldn't lose one of the twins, she would have never forgiven herself. Overwhelmed with pain, she could not think of anything else.
Finally the doctors smiled again and Kate felt finally safe, moved when she heard another loud, high-pitched cry.
Thank goodness. Thank goodness.
Kate repeated her gestures, cooing as she soothed the shaking, youngest newborn, hearing his baby squeaks.
-All right, both are fine: congratulations!- the doctor winked – a boy and a girl, lively and beautiful.-
-Loves of my life.- Kate wept, holding the babies close to her chest.
/
Life as a single mother to a feisty duo was no cakewalk.
Lapis and Lazuli were perfectly synchronised: when one cried the other did too, if one wanted to play or sleep after lunch, so did the other.
They protested if Kate tried to separate them, they had even started talking together.
That time Lazuli had waved her chubby little hand while Kate was bathing her: -Hi mama!-
And Lapis, sitting nearby, focused on his toy cars, had raised his arm: -Hi mama.-
-Well hello to you, my darlings!-
Beforehand they had never spoken a word, and they were just a few months away from their second birthday.
Kate was amazed by her children: in only three years of life they had grown very attached to each other, establishing a bond that Kate was grateful for. At least they would always have each other, for support and company.
The young mother was quite familiar with jump scares too; little Lapis ate everything and whilst this was great for Kate, who was frequently frustrated with Lazuli rejecting fiercely every meal she was fed, he also had developed the bad habit of placing different non-edible stuff in his mouth, regardless of his own safety. Usually mother could handle it, but that damned time he was literally choking on a large marble Kate had had to look for help; curled up in Kate's arms, Lazuli had cried loudly when the neighbour gave her brother the Heimlich manoeuvre. It took two days for her to stop crying and hugging him.
-Kate, it's important that you help your twins develop their own personality. Otherwise the older they get, the less will they be able to do without each-other.- friends and acquaintances said.
Mother knew and was convinced that they undoubtedly had their own personality. Certainly she was already a little woman, in love with Kate's clothes and make-up. Not rarely Kate had found her drawers empty, clothes scattered about in the room while Lazuli paraded around, her face smeared with makeup. Lapis looked at her and shook his head.
Kate was happy to see them fall asleep in a hug, a little worried when they infected each other with various childhood diseases. The twins had already started kindergarten and it had taken very little for Lazuli to get sick with chicken pox.
-You shouldn't stay too close to your sister, honey, otherwise you'll get sick too- had said once Kate to the boy.
He had jumped into her arms and locked his teary eyes in hers: -Mama, I feel sad without my sister.-
-You don't have to worry. Lazuli is fine, it's nothing serious. You just have to be careful not to drink from her glass or to exchange cutlery as you usually do.-
But once Lapis had transgressed the rules and found himself happily ill, side by side to his sister in their cot.
-I'm sorry, mama told me not to do it; I just wanted to be with you- he had confessed, looking down.
Lazuli had smiled at him, eyes shining with fever ,and had given him a wet, small kiss:
-You did well, I missed you! But if I hadn't gotten sick you would be fine too! I'm sorry.-
The years passed serenely. Kate was happier and happier with her little children, even though they could be true rascals who wreaked havoc and always teamed up: never once Lapis had backed down when he thought his twin sister needed his help, and it wasn't an issue for Lazuli to bite and scratch other children to defend him.
-You two watch too much TV…-
When one day Kate had entered their room she found herself drenched in water after a bucket stacked at the top of the door had toppled over her.
The children gave each other a high five and laughed out loud.
Woe to anyone who scolded them, it was never their fault.
From early on during their school years, the two siblings had had excellent opportunities to team up. With time their bond had grown even closer, sometimes even in an exaggerated way: Kate had laughed inwardly, lovingly considering them a lost cause when she had taken Lapis for a haircut and Lazuli had insisted to have hers cut too.
-Otherwise Lapis will be sad because he misses his hair- she explained, as if it was something to be taken for granted.
It was when the twins started to get older that Kate's real worries began: they skipped school, played the teachers, always together. She feared that they would soon turn into two angsty teenagers.
Lazuli was the worst: it was always she who sent other kids home arms full of scratches, if they got her mad or annoyed her brother. He was less aggressive, but very protective of his sister.
-Do you know what we have to do?- he said once.
-I'm listening; if it's a good idea I already say yes.-
Lapis chuckled with a wink: -Indeed it is! It's something to keep bonds strong: we just make a cut, a small one, on our hand. I on yours, and you on mine. And then we drink the blood that spills out.-
-How idiotic. What gives? We already have a close bond, we were together even in our mother's belly, what more can you ask for.-
-It doesn't matter. Once upon a time, people in tribes did that.-
Well, Lazuli was no tribe girl.
Nobody wanted to give in. They stared in their identical eyes for a while, then she surrendered:
-Okay, okay ... even if I'm the eldest and I should be the one who makes the decisions.-
Lapis wrinkled his nose; she needn't be so bossy, she wasn't that older.
She looked haughtily at her little brother: -Only because it's you.-
The twins sealed the further blood pact.
-You know what, Lapis? You are my special one: I'll take care of you, I promise you.-
/
Twelve year-old Lazuli prepared to make her entrance in the shopping centre with the rest of the gang. Mum wasn't that happy that she and Lapis had started hanging out with those people, all older than they. Some were already acquainted with the cops.
-They look like jailbirds! I don't want you two to be hooligans.-
-Oh mum, save it! I would like to know how you'd feel if anything I gave you was constant disapproval.-
Lazuli used to flip her hair and leave Kate alone and bitter. She looked older; her unripe breasts peeked from the tank top that left her stomach and hips uncovered. It felt right to wear those cool-looking boots and short denim skirt. Lazuli felt beautiful and confident.
One of the guys in the merry brigade revealed a plan: -All right, folks, we'll spread out. First, we'll create a diversion: clog all the bathrooms!-
When the work was done, Lazuli holed up with her friend in the shopping centre ladies' room: she placed her great bag next to a sink and smoothed her hair:
-Look what I got you!- she enthusiastically rummaged in her purse and held out to her friend Sara brand new mascara and khol.
-Oh, Lazuli. How did you do that? I didn't even see you.-
The blonde winked mischievously and showed her the contents of the bag: clothes of all kinds, shoes, accessories, snacks, make-up, a padded bra (the first one!).
-You are so sneaky, Lazuli!- Sara whispered, surprise turning her eyes into saucers.
-Well, I'm a professional.- Lazuli snorted, starting to apply a heavy layer of mascara -mum also complains because I wear make-up. She should mind her own fucking business.-
She turned around and saw Sara gawking at her: -And put on that make-up! I stole for you!-
Sara held the mascara, then stared at her friend who was still pulling faces in the mirror: -Lazuli, I don't really like what we are doing. When we were younger it was a game, now we can get in trouble.-
Lazuli froze her with her gaze: -Do as you please, you are free. I will certainly not hold you back since you're boring like my mother; jeez, she doesn't even want me and Lapis to sleep in the same bed! She says that we are no longer children. But I do what I want.-
She responded to no one. Was there anyone any lamer than Kate out there? Who would ever call their daughter and son after a mineral?
-Your eyes- Sara murmured -you have very blue eyes, like the lapis lazuli.-
Kate was lame anyway.
-But how nice. You have a good relationship with your brother; I just quarrel with all of mine. By the way, where is he?-
-I dunno- Lazuli sighed with a shrug -maybe stealing some car parts.-
Coming home, Lazuli threw herself into Kate's arms, who held her and kissed her hair:
-Where have you been? I was feeling worried.-
The girl innocently looked up: -I was having a stroll in the shopping centre.-
-Did you buy anything?-
-No. No I did not.-
So, why was her bag full?
-Open it up a little for me, please.-
Lazuli sighed, showing her mother the contents of the bag; Kate didn't speak, letting her icy glare do the job.
-I ... I found them things.-
Kate shook her head: -My child, this isn't right: what do you think, am I too poor or too bad to you? You just have to ask, I'll get clothes for you. Why are you stealing? And why are you always hanging out with these kids? I don't want you out there, you're turning into a delinquent.-
At that moment Lapis came home too, motorcycle jacket unzipped and no helmet in sight.
-Honey, where's the helmet?-
-They stole it! See mum, real thugs steal necessary things like bike helmets!- Lazuli winked at her twin brother and immediately jumped to his side.
Later that night Lapis hugged his sister under the covers: -Sis, have we always teamed up?-
She thought about it: yes, except for that time, at birth. She couldn't come out, so that her brother had stayed stuck in there for a longer time.
Only once had they not agreed, when Lazuli had wanted by all means to dye the ends of her hair red.
-I say you are not gonna like it. Don't do it.-
-You are just a smug know-it-all, Lapis.-
-I say it because I KNOW YOU.-
Eventually Lazuli hadn't had the balls to go crying in his arms when she had had to cut more than half the length of her mane because Lapis, damn it, was right.
Then, what was the deal with that stupid mohawk? Looking at her brother's gelled hairstyle, Lazuli thought he looked much better when he let his hair down.
Bruno was a twenty year-old young man. And Lazuli, a fourteen year-old with diaphanous skin, was his girlfriend.
-Take a look- he said, handing her a brand new pack of condoms.
Her eyes shone like gemstones: -Very good!-
She had said nothing to her mother, neither about her relationship with Bruno, nor about their intentions.
Lately Kate had found herself rejecting a fair number of boys, some young men too, who came knocking on the door looking for Lazuli:
-She's just a schoolgirl. Go away.-
Kate closed the door, struggling to accept that time was passing.
Lapis went about in town -and sometimes up to Central City- using her car (without asking, and without a license) and the police knew it already, thanks to the large quantity of fines Kate had to pay because of her son.
Kate acknowledged that something was wrong: nothing had changed in the relationship between she and her children, and between the two of them. Indeed, the more they grew, the more inseparable they became.
Their relationship with the world had changed: thefts and vandalism with the rest of the gang were becoming daily bread, a very bitter morsel for Kate.
She resorted to prayers, the doubt tortured her:
-Where did I go wrong? Why are they so difficult? Lord, if you are there, please watch over them.-
Little did that loving, overwhelmed mother know.
Little did the twins know about someone watching them in the shadows when the night fell and they roamed some seedy, grim blocks in Central City; or about the extraordinary world that coexisted with their simple, quiet human dimension.
Kate, Lapis and Lazuli ignored the incredible adventure that they were about to live, only a few years in the future.
An adventure that would have changed their world forever.