The Darryls
Let me tell you what it’s like to be smack in the middle of conjoined triplets: It sucks. Me and my brothers are connected at the head. They know that I am writing this story, but luckily they are asleep right now. Our folks didn’t have the money to separate us when we were born. They are gone now, but we don’t want to go through that process and those risks at this late age. We just have to live with it. I’ve heard that triplets are uniquely wired, such as having the ability to finish each other’s sentences. I’ve never experienced this bond with my brothers. After all these years, I still don’t know what they’re going to say most of the time. Me and my brothers argue until we cross the line. We say hurtful things that hang in the air. Once we’re done, there’s no door to slam. I can’t storm away from the fight. I’m stuck right here—with them. We all acknowledge that it would be much nicer if we appreciated each other and got along. Trouble is that we’ve never been taught how to do that. We fall into bad behaviors and usually feel sad and hopeless afterwards. So far, the tabloids have left us alone. We haven’t joined a circus freak show, but it’s always a possibility if I can talk my brothers into taking the gig for a little extra cash now and then. |
Me and my brothers don’t go out much. We’re pretty hard to maneuver, and we need a lot of help. We have back problems and other chronic pain. We can’t exercise, so we’re weak, and our bones are getting more brittle every day. It’s exhausting cleaning ourselves. Wanna talk about going to the bathroom? I’ll spare you the details. We have full bodies with all of the parts. I’m a grown man with sexual urges. Darryl and my other brother Darryl could care less about sex, and neither of them ever talk about it. One day, I brought up the subject of me having sex with a woman. Their responses were underwhelming: “Do what you want,” Darryl snapped. “We don’t really have a choice, do we?” My other brother Darryl added, “What makes you think you could get someone to do that with you?” I couldn’t see their faces when they said these words, but I assume that they were meant to hurt my feelings. Takes the thrill right out of the fantasy, you know? To be honest, I’m not comfortable doing anything sexual in front of them. That reality is just a little too kinky for me. It’s unbearable to realize that there is no hope of ever having any privacy, or just going somewhere alone, for the rest of my life. So, here I am: physically connected to two people whom I don’t know very well or even like … for eternity. Shit. From Carpet Creatures: Tales from the Deep Pile To join the Carpet Creatures project, please visit our TAE Gallery website. |
