Sister, Sister

There is never a dull moment with two beautiful teenage granddaughters around.  Only 17 months apart, they wear the same size and often share clothes with one another, be it willingly or unwillingly. The other evening Rachel, 14, after having languidly lounged around all day and pleading being too tired to join me for a walk, emerged from her room full of spunk and dressed in a cute teen outfit on the way to a birthday party.

"Oh, who's party is it? " I asked, delaying her as she scurried toward the door, to which she replied, "Well, I don't really know her name, she's my friend's cousin."  What with my hearing problem and her rapid speech, a few more indiscernible syllables were lost on me.

I didn't pay much attention to her sister Corrin's muffled phone conversations throughout the evening. Then I saw her carrying an outfit on a hanger toward the door. "What's going on?" I queried.

"I'm taking these clothes to Rachel.  She's staying the night and they're going shopping at the mall tomorrow."  I asked if that wasn't her own new outfit she had worn for a special occasion. "Yes, but she promised to have it back by 4:00 o'clock," she said generously.  Turns out Rachel didn't go to the mall until 4:00, and Corrin had a date at 4:30, when she needed the ensemble.

I was lying on the sofa napping when I noticed Corrin tossing packages around by the Christmas tree, then couldn't believe my eyes when I saw her carefully peeling loose the scotch tape and sliding out the contents of three boxes.  Finally, on the third one, I heard, "Yes!!"

"Mama said I could do this!" she said grimly.  "I'm going to wear Rachel's outfit and put it back after," she said.  Later Amy told me she allowed it when her hysterical daughter had called her at work. (Rachel called later on asking her mom if she could lend her sister's sweater to her friend.)

"They drive me crazy!" Amy said, only half joking.  As a generation removed, it was funny to me. Since there are 10 years between Amy and our daughter, Julie, there was never the fierce competition and sibling rivalry between them that these granddaughters have experienced all their lives.  Of course, there is fierce loyalty, too, as one might expect in a close-knit family.

I wondered how it all came out and was told the unsuspecting party commented when she got home, "How come it looks like less presents under the tree?"  If she only knew, I'm sure she would not have been lying so peacefully next to her sister when I looked in on them.  She may have been sleeping like a log, but what explosion will be kindled if she finds out? We may have Christmas fireworks!