The Philip Twins

The Philip Twins

The war had just got over and daddy opened a Steak House on the main boulevard next to the Opera House. Business was great as everyone coming out of the Opera was nice and hungry and the thought of a juicy steak and mash potatoes was very appealing. That year Tim and I were born. Twins, squealed my grandma when she saw us first, how very wonderful.

Tim and Jim, we were two peas in a pod.

Mama was elated by us twins and made us similar looking clothes and when we pranced down the street, everyone would say, hey look at those two smart young boys, the Philip twins, are they not a handsome lot? Daddy would be very proud of us and take us in his convertible Ford T up and down the boulevard while we sat on the back seat with the hood down letting the breeze go through our hair.

We were inseparables, we would play together and all the boys and girls on the street would look at us with envy.

When we joined school, they would say, keep away from picking trouble with the Philip twins, they take care of each other. No one would dare bully us because we were two strong young boys growing up.

In the summers, we would go to grandma’s cottage in the country. We built ourselves a tree house and used to spend our days there reading comics and talking about what we wanted to be when we grew up.

Tim wanted to be a pirate and he would sail off into the ocean and return with booty of gold and precious stones. He said he would bring me whatever I wanted when he would grow up and be a pirate. I on the other hand, wanted to be a fireman. I would
rescue people from burning buildings and cats from high trees. I would drive my red fire engine up and down the streets and ring the siren as I would pass by. Those were happy summer days growing up at Grannies.

One day while running back to the cottage from our tree house, I found myself all alone, where was Tim I thought and looked back down the path. Nowhere in sight, my heart began to beat harder and I ran back down the lane. I found Timmy, lying next to the big oak tree clutching his chest and gasping for breath. Tim, Tim, what’s wrong I yelled and picked him up in my arms and ran back to Grannies.

They called the doctor and soon the ambulance came and Tim was taken away. No one told me what was wrong but that evening my dad and mum arrived and were very white in the face. I asked them what was wrong and they finally told me. The doctor would like you to come to his clinic for some tests.

Over there they took some of my blood for testing and had me run through some other tests.

The doctor then told my parents that the rare infection had only affected Tim and that I was all clear. Then I was told, Jimmy, your brother Tim has a rare blood disease that is slowly affecting his heart. They say that he needs regular blood transfusions and that I was one in a million who had a similar type of blood group. That would keep him alive but for how long they were not sure. We have to look for a new heart but to find one for Tim will be a difficult task they said with little hope.

Tim grew weak and was soon restricted to the hospital bed; I would spend hours with him there every day talking and reading stories to him.

Once a week they would take blood from me and transfuse that to Tim. Months went by like that and all we were looking for a miracle. I went on the computer every day to put out pleas looking for some solace when I discovered this website called www.iwishihad.com

When I contacted them I found that they were concerned with the terminally ill and helped to make their last few days with us better. I gave them our address and requested if they could make Tim happy in his last few days here.

That day, I had just given blood and was lying in the next bed to Tim, feeling a bit weak and drowsy when these three men in long black coats came in. No one else was around except Tim and I.

They came up to Tim and were talking with him in low tones that I could barely hear. They told him where they were from and then I heard Tim say, “I wish I had a heart as strong as…..”

And all I remembered was… chloroform does taste sweet.

- The End -