RDP Tuesday: Match

Everyone has a double, if not on this world then it’s possible that in a Universe of alternate realities you might not have just one double.

You could have an infinite number of copies of yourself for every action that you have ever made or not made.

Imagine that, an exact double of yourself- someone who not just looks like you but thinks like you and is it possible might know what makes you tick? Maybe they even act like you and get that same funny look on their face when that song about Pina Coladas starts playing on the radio and they know they have to listen to it because it’s coming over the loudspeaker at the Market and they can’t shut it off so they go to the manager’s office and explain- rather forcefully why they need to shut that damn thing off.

I don’t handle surprises well, my reaction to surprises and uncomfortable situations has gotten me into a lot of trouble in the past and if I wasn’t as careful as I have learned to be, I’d be back at The Home right now not on a bus on my way to work, like a normal person.

Today is where my story starts- this morning on my way to work  a woman sat next to me on the bus.

I pulled to my left and jammed myself against the window- I loath touching people- it doesn’t matter if it’s on accident or on purpose. It makes my skin crawl.

I  went back to pretending to read my book and I sort of snuck a look at her without catching her eye. I don’t like talking to strangers you see. In fact, I don’t like talking to anybody at all.

People annoy me-so I do what I do best. I people watch. I’m not the type of person you would ever really look at twice- it’s because my face is less then ordinary. Plain, simple , uneventful.

I took a quick look her jaw and then I  got away with that without being noticed I went back in for a peek at her ear and just as I was about to take in her entire profile our eyes locked.

Or should I say- my eyes locked on my own reflection.

Her nose was my nose, her dark eyes were my eyes her hair was styled like mine and the way her  lip curled a little when she was forced to acknowledge another human being was my curled lip.

My double, my match, this was not good.

We stared at each other and I put my book down- I watched her eyes fall to my lap where my book was and her eyes snapped back up to my face.

Both our lips were curled up into a little snarl at this point.

I see, she was reading this book too. She probably didn’t like it but I was willing to bet she would read it to the end anyway, just like me.

” Are you my double? ” I asked because I could not think of anything else to say.

” I think you are my double.” she corrected me.

We continued to stare at each other.

” How much alike do you think we are?” it wasn’t really a question. It was more like a thought.

” We do look a lot alike.”

” Do you suppose we think alike to?” I wondered.

Her eyes went from being flat and non-descript to the exact opposite of flat and non-descript.

” I’m sure we don’t think alike or act alike or share anything other then -” I began

” an uneventful and boring face. My Dad used to say that about me and -” she continued

” so did my ex-husband” I  finished our  exchange.

” I can’t have my secrets, ” she said ” running around like an ill trained dog off of it’s leash.”

” I agree.”

I put my book into my purse.

She pulled the cord and the bus slid to the curb and we both got off at the stop.

We went down the street together and I know this- only one of us will be walking back to the stop later and  I am certain  there will only be one of us left  to finish writing this.