“The House Flood of 2000” by Patrick Downing

The Maestro (May – s – tro), plays. Audience, we find Trevor and Patrick poised to take a shower, together. The latter twin came out first, by two minutes. Identical, in vitro, cutting edge of science. Shoutout twins.

A twin is your sibling, but at the same time. I miss him, I feel like I am more of a twin now than I was when he was living.

I only remember snippets about the events that follow, snapshots. More details have filled themselves in through interviews and organic conversation.

Scene is set, setting, across the tracks, depending on the direction you are traveling. We lived at 27 Surrey Lane in Hatboro. Blue house on a hill, only hill in the neighborhood. We avoided the flood that one year, my Dad fondly reminisces.

Dad Michael, he is a central figure in this story. Mom, Laurie, is out at a Hen Party; I have never experienced a Hen Party, I think men are barred from entry. Michael is getting us ready, clothes off bam. Good job Mike, you did it.

Michael at this lot in life had a young business, buying and selling paper machinery. He dubbed the company Global Equipment, and while he was shoving us in the shower a business was scheduled from Australia. An important business call from Australia, one he had to take, I guess. Side note, Australians can make a good movie. Rabbit Proof Fence was one of Trevor and I’s favorites and Sam Neil I mean what a hunk.

Pops is on the phone with the Aussies, Mom, the Hen Party. We are in the shower. Hanging out. Splashing. And yea I remember clearly uh when I figured let’s make this a bath too. This water, the water feels good, it’s warm, I’m splashing in it, I’m looking at it. Trev’s doing his thing over there. I figured more water will improve our experience.

I put my washcloth, Trevor’s too, on top of the drain and then I sat on the washcloths. I had at the time and hopefully to some extent still have it, a plump butt. My bum, combined with the washcloths, created a tight fortress around the drain so that no water passed through.

Time, it is something I always remember somewhat being aware of. I think about time a lot since my brother passed.

For story purposes, a lot of time went by. I remember thinking how we had never had a shower this long. And at the same time, I realized the water was not going past a certain point in the stand-up shower. For whatever reason it stopped where the glass door met the lip of the floor.

I kept at it though. Trev helped, we were laughing, splashing around in the extra two inches of water.

Next thing I know my Dad airlifts us from the troubled waters, angrily. Probably the first time I remember Mike getting really mad, he had us by the arm, one in each hand, and through the hallway into our room, we were wailing. He threw us down in the corner.

My Mom came home, she told me recently every light in the house was on and every towel we owned was outside drying. We were asleep, I remember Trev and I planned to fake sleep to avoid more anger. My mom was sweet though, put us to bed.

The kicker is the house on Surrey Ln was under contract. The new family was moving in next week.

We moved into a bigger house in Horsham. Trev and I got separate rooms. Trevor was usually the twin that was in trouble with my parents. But a couple of times I really took the carrot cake per say. The house flood of 2000 is one of those times.

Thank you for reading, love youse guys.