Twins

Catherine (Kizzy) and Carolyn (Kissy) are twins. Catherine came into the world first, at 3:15 am. Her sister Carolyn followed 8 minutes later. Kim Soo Park cried. She had 2 children already that she could not afford to feed. How would she ever be able to care for 2 more babies, born premature and facing severe medical expenses growing up?

---

"Ladies and gentlemen, most of you know me, but my name is Arthur Sanderson and I am the chairman of the Adoptive Parents Support Group here at County Memorial Hospital. It's my privilege to introduce to you our special speaker tonight, George Trent."

"Good evening. My name is George Trent, and I would like to thank you for inviting me to speak tonight. I know you are all prospective adoptive parents, and I'd like to tell you our story.

"My wife Jane and I had started dating in college and married after graduation. I had a good job as a mechanical engineer with a well known manufacturing company. Hard work and diligence in my job earned me better pay and bonuses. After 5 years, I was the youngest person ever to be head of the engineering division. Jane majored in education in college, and taught 2nd grade. She didn't make a third of the money that I made, and we really didn't need her income to maintain our lifestyle, but she loved working with children.

"After we had been married 5 years. Jane and I decided it was time to start our family. Every night since we were married, before going to sleep, Jane would whisper, "I wish we had a baby." We agreed that my income was sufficient, we had our own home and enough in savings, that Jane could stop teaching to be a stay at home Mom.

"Jane and I had always had an active sex life, making love 4 or 5 times a week on average. After making our decision, we purposefully increased our efforts. I was making the effort every night, sometimes twice, and sometimes in the morning as well. We plotted Jane's most fertile time each month, and made special efforts then.

"After three months, I was almost worn out. We decided we needed to be tested, and made separate appointments for a fertility clinic. My results came back positive; I was firing on all cylinders. Jane, on the other hand, was found to have reproductive abnormalities, and would never be able to conceive a child.

"Mrs. Anderson called us the day the twins were born. We had applied to adopt a child a year before, and had been waiting for the opportunity to present itself. Mrs. Anderson explained the situation in some detail. This was not the case of a single, healthy newborn.

"According to Mrs. Anderson, the twin's mother, Kim Soo Park, was born in South Korea. Her parents had immigrated to the United States when she was still quite young. As she grew up, she assimilated into the American culture quickly. By the time she was sixteen, she spoke English just as well as she spoke Korean. In her home, her parents spoke only Korean.

"Kim graduated from high school when she was eighteen. She had no interest in going to college, even the local junior college. Her parents insisted she get a job, and learn to support herself. With just her high school diploma, she found lots of job opportunities, all in the fast food industry.

"Michael Johnson was five years older than Kim. Because he had attended junior college for two years, he was qualified for a job as the assistant manager at the Starlight Motel. Michael's mother, Nancy Ngyun, was a housekeeper at the Starlight 24 years ago, when she met Samuel Johnson. Sam was a salesman for a company that made hair care products for African American women. He was just passing through town, and he stayed 3 nights at the Starlight. Michael was born nine months later, and Sam was never seen again.

"Michael worked the overnight shift at the seedy hotel. His regular clients would come and go through most of the night, not spending more than an hour at a time in their room. Not all of them would pay for their room with cash, offering instead to trade their services. So Michael was never at a loss for companionship. After his shift was over, he always had a convenient room available for himself with all the female amenities he desired.

"Kim was working the breakfast shift at IHOP when she saw the tall handsome man seated at one of her tables. She was immediately smitten. Michael would come for breakfast every morning when he finished his shift at the motel. After a week, Michael would wait for Kim when she finished her shift at 2 o'clock, take her to lunch at Teddy's Diner, and then back to his room at the Starlight.

---

"Shirley Anderson was Kim's case worker with Child Services. Shirley had been working with Kim since the birth of her first child, Robert Johnson. A year later, Cynthia Johnson was born. Six months later, Kim was pregnant with twins. While she was pregnant with Robert, Shirley had arranged for a subsidized apartment for Kim, and Food Stamps and WIC. She made sure Kim went to her regular appointments at the free clinic.

"Kim was in the seventh month of her third pregnancy. The first two births had been no problem with her, but something felt different. She knew by now that she was carrying twin girls. At her checkup at the clinic, the nurse felt it would be advisable for Kim to be examined by the obstetrician. The sonogram found no irregularities, but the doctor suggested bed rest as much as possible, and a better diet. Shirley arranged for child care for Robert and Cynthia, and a home health nurse visit every day.

"Catherine and Carolyn were born 4 weeks early.

"Being unable to provide the care the twins would need, she allowed them to be adopted. While still in NICU, they were placed in foster care of Jane and me.

"Two weeks later, the day shift housekeeper found Kim Soo Park in a room in the Starlight Motel. She was lying nude across the bed, with evidence of recent sexual activity clearly visible. An empty bottle of prescription sleeping pills was on the bedside table. The medical examiner ruled her death to be suicide, although the pill bottle and water glass next to it were never checked for finger prints.

"Shirley collected two year old Robert and one year old Cynthia from their baby sitter, and immediately began the process for placing them in foster care. She knew there was no reason to try to place the children with their father, as he had denied any paternal responsibility for two years, and had no ability to provide child support. Her family had disowned her after she first became pregnant with a mixed race child, so they would be no help.

"Jane and I applied to adopt the twins, and it was granted before the girls were a year old. Robert and Cynthia went to separate families.

"The twins were not identical, and began early to show their different traits. Kizzy was more active, and grew faster than her sister. Kizzy was the first to roll over, first to sit up, first to crawl, first to walk. Kissy was quiet, less vocal, always watching her sister.

"As with most twins, they had a special bond with each other, their own form of communications. Neither baby could be consoled if they were separated from each other. They slept in the same room, their cribs arranged so they could see each other. When their cribs were replaced with youth beds and then with twin beds, they kept the same arrangement. On each side of the room was their own dresser, their own mirror, their clothes hanging in their own side of the closet. There was always two of everything. They insisted on dressing alike for school every day. There was one difference. On her wall, above her bed, Kizzy kept pennants from her favorite sports teams. Above her bed, Kissy kept pictures of ponies, unicorns, fairies and butterflies.

"At the age of 12, Kizzy, always being the athletic one, started to slow down, to become tired quickly. After a week of tests, we were told Kizzy may have leukemia, and were referred to a pediatric cancer specialist. After a painful nine months of chemo and radiation treatments, the doctors said she needed a bone marrow transplant. The obvious match was her twin sister, Kissy.

"After the procedure, Kizzy seemed to get better. She was not allowed to participate in strenuous sports or to be as active as she was once. The doctors pronounced her to be cancer free by her fourteenth birthday.

"Before she was sixteen, the cancer returned. Kizzy was too weak to fight it, and she passed away, holding her sister's hand.

"Kizzy's body was cremated, and her ashes were placed in a beautiful brass urn. A memorial service was held at the church. Kissy met her brother and sister for the first time. Kissy sat on the front row, starring at the urn, tears streaming from her eyes. At the end of the service, she walked forward and took the urn. Wrapping her arms around it, she would not let anyone else take it from her."

"Two years later, Jane found Kissy lying on the sidewalk. The coroner said she had a hidden degenerative heart defect. But they couldn't explain why she died smiling.

"I've got to let you know, that while Kizzy and Kissy were in our lives for only a short time, we would never have had it any other way.

"Thank you."

---

Kissy was walking up the sidewalk to the front of the house on her way from school. She stopped, and stared at the front door of the house, dropping her books. On the front step stood her sister, Kizzy. Kizzy reached out her hand to Kissy, and said to her "It is time."

Like her sister, Kissy's body was cremated. A larger urn was procured, and the ashes of both sisters were comingled, so they could be together forever.

The End