Twins

Pete comes up to Fred in the faculty lounge.

...

Pete: Can I have a word?

Fred: I have a class in five minutes.

Pete: It won’t take a minute. I told you before Golden Week my wife was pregnant.

Fred: You did. She was due during that week, right? Everything go OK?

Pete: Twins.

Fred: Boys? Girls? One of each?

Pete: Girls.

Fred: Hey, congratulations! Girls are always better. Boys, aah. They’re a problem.

Pete: So a friend of mine said.

Fred: Twins! Doing fine?

Pete: Doing fine. Just…

Fred: Just…?

Pete: Well, my wife had a Caesarean.

Fred: Oh no. Bit more complicated. She recovering OK? Always takes longer.

Pete: Well, she died, you see.

Fred. Died.

Pete: Just after they were born.

Fred: Pete.

Pete: It’s OK. You didn’t know.

Fred: In theater?

Pete: They don't really know why, maybe loss of blood. Anyway, suddenly, I’m a single father with two baby girls.

Fred: I - You – What are you doing?

Pete: It’s OK. My wife’s mother and father are looking after us. They live nearby. I’ve moved in there. Here, I got some pictures.

Fred: Pete, this is so, I’ve known you so long, this is such a shock…

Pete: I’m fine, I’m OK now. Things were a bit tough to begin with.

Fred: You’d just bought a house.

Pete: Yeah, well, don’t think I’ll go back.

Fred: Sell up?

Pete: Maybe rent. But Mayumi’s folks are looking after us all. Just great so far. My folks came over from Minneapolis. Friends helped out.

Fred: You need anything?

Pete: Now OK. Just tell everyone round here for me. It’s hard telling people. You do that for me?

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