I have always felt that I grew up in a world of ‘one day’s.’ I remember saying that my whole life. One day I will have a baby, one day I will get married, have a job, set up a 401k, own a house. That is all I have said to myself my whole life. It was not until a few hours ago that my one day, became today. Now, I will have everything that I have ever wanted…today. That everything is Mark Richards. He is my yesterday, today, and tomorrow for now and forever, because I just said yes to the one question I have waited to hear my whole life: Will you marry me? I have never been so excited to finally let go of my one day’s, and to start saying ‘today.’
Sitting next to him in the passenger seat, I starred at the ring he gave me. My mind swarmed with ideas of things to tell people when I want them to see it. Things like, ‘Oh, my hand is so HEAVY.’ A girl has to show off something as priceless as this, right? Well, I think at Kay Jeweler’s it was $599, but to me, it is priceless.
I looked at Mark, putting my hand on his knee, feeling excitement roll through my body, knowing one day, I will call him my husband. I felt a glow coming from within, wanting it to stay so that his mom can see it and me for the first time. It is funny, meeting my future mother in law for the first time. Mark and I started dating three years ago. I know she existed. She was loud enough to him on the phone every time he spoke to her. It is really weird that she hasn’t wanted to meet me until today, but I guess it was going to happen sooner or later.
“So, what is your mom’s condition again?” I asked Mark, breaking up our comfortable silence. I watched him swallow.
“Well, you know she is a practicing Muslim, so she will be wearing her hijab, and she does suffer from Tourette’s, so you might see some involuntary tics and hear comments,” he said, starring at the road with no emotion.
“Ok, so she just might say a bunch of random stuff, but I should just ignore it.” Mark nodded. “Why don’t you practice Islam?” I asked. Mark stayed silent.
“I just don’t,” he said quietly, ending the conversation. I shrugged off the conversation and starred at my ring. It is just so beautiful, it hypnotizes me. Mark rolled into his parent’s driveway, knocking me out of my trance. I kept on telling myself to glow and impress.
“I can’t believe I am about to meet my future mother in law!” I squealed running to Mark, grabbing his hand as he walked me to the front door. I just wanted to grab him everywhere and kiss him up and down, but I had to let common decency take over. I am about to meet his mother, so I better calm down.
“Hello?” Mark yelled as he opened the door. Out from the corner came a woman wearing a black hijab over her black dress that went down to the floor, covering her feet.
“Marky!” she yelled running up to him with open arms, hugging him. She left his embrace and looked at me, keeping her back to the wall.
“Is that who I think it is?” she asked smiling.
“Mom, this is Elizabeth, my fiancé,” he said with a pause. It was the first time I saw him smile since the car ride.
“Lizzy,” I said, shaking his moms hand.
“I am Annie, welcome to our home. Please, make yourself comfortable in the dining room. I set up some appetizers,” she said, as she put her back right up against the wall, directing me with her hands to follow Mark.
“Ok,” I said, trying to keep up my smile and glow.
“Freak!” I heard. I stopped and turned to Annie. She kept up a strong and hard smile.
“Sorry, the Tourette’s,” she said.
“Oh, yes. Mark told me about that,” I said as I followed Mark into the dining room. Annie came in, keeping her back against the wall, walking behind me and Mark. Mark kept up the same hard smile.
“I am glad you understand. I hope it does not bother you,” he said.
“No, not at all,” I said.
“Liar!” said a voice. I looked right at Annie. She just stood there smiling as she put little egg rolls on a plate, handing it to me, ignoring what we all just heard.
“Pork egg roll?” she asked, handing me a plate.
“Thank you, but what are you going to eat?” I asked her feeling really confused. She looked at me as if she did not understand the question. “You are a Muslim, right? I thought eating pork was against you religion.”
“Oh,” she laughed as she sat down in front of her own plate of pork egg rolls. “I am not that strict,” she said she took a bite of an egg roll. I felt an uncomfortable silence grow at the table. Mark starred at his plate while he ate, smiling harder than before.
“So, how did you two meet?” Annie asked, cutting the cold silence with a knife made of words.
“Well, we were in the same class together at college,” I said. Mark nodded, smiling. “And…well, to tell you the truth, I did not learn too much in that class. I think I was studying him more then the material,” I said, laughing. Annie smiled.
“That’s dumb!” I heard a voice say again.
“Excuse me?” I asked. Annie starred at me.
“You are an idiot!” It said again. I noticed Annie’s mouth did not move with the words.
“Who is saying that?” I asked. Mark and Annie looked at each other.
“I told you Lizzy, mom has Tourette’s and she cannot help it to say certain things,” he whispered to me. I stood up in frustration.
“I was looking at Annie right when I heard that comment. She did not say it. Who is saying these mean things to me?” I yelled. Annie and Mark looked at each other. Annie sighed as she stood up.
“Sit down please Lizzy. I think you need to see something,” she said quietly. I sat down and looked up to her.
“I was born with a condition, but it is not Tourette’s. I was born…different. You see, I have a twin, but I guess during development, my twin was conjoined with me in a different way. It is a condition called Craniopagus parasiticus,” she said, looking at the ground with shame.
“So, your twin is in here now? Making all of those statements?” I asked her. She nodded yes. “Where is she?” Annie looked at Mark.
“It is time mom, she is bound to find out sooner or later,” he said. Annie took a deep breath and took off her hijab. She looked straight at me. I saw her beautiful long brown hair, cascading over her narrow shoulders, realizing how beautiful she really is, but seeing sorrow consume her as well. She looked at me with a tear running down her check and slowly turned around. There, behind her head was a deformed face that looked identical to Annie, It starred at me, moving its mouth up into a smile. It suddenly started to laugh a loud piercing laugh full of evil. Within the laugh, I heard it speak clearly to me.
“Welcome to the family Lizzy!”