Sister Switch

Annette, she was a Worthingham

And Karen, she was a Lee,

But both of them were adopted

In the war, in ’43.

They pulled them out of a rubbled house

But their folks, they couldn’t save,

And so they grew as the sisters two

With the common name, Palgrave.

 

As sisters, they were like chalk and cheese

Though the neighbours didn’t know,

They said that one was the milkman’s

And the other, Lord Mulrow’s.

For Annette, she was a saucy tart,

Was the wilder of the two,

While Karen, she had a stately mien

With a haughty, grand purview.

 

They fought like cats through their teenage years

Would curse and swear, conspire,

Annette destroyed Karen’s underwear

While Karen burned hers in the fire.

The mother was pale, and frail and ill

When she asked them both to go,

‘I don’t have to keep you anymore,

I adopted you both, you know!’

 

The news hit home like a thunderbolt,

They looked in each other’s eyes,

‘You mean, we’re not really sisters, Hell!’

It came as a great surprise.

Karen went to her room to brood

Annette was flooded with tears,

‘Why weren’t we told, it seems so cold,

We should have known that for years.’

 

So Annette got a cold water flat

While Karen lived on the Square,

Then Annette got herself pregnant, but

Nobody seemed to care.

The boyfriend didn’t appear one day

And she knew that he was gone,

She drifted into a deep despair

As time went travelling on.

 

She got so big that she couldn’t cope

And she thought to take her life,

And then there came a knock at the door

Just as she raised the knife.

She groaned and whispered to go away

As she lay flat out on the cot,

‘It’s Karen here, it’s your sister, dear,

I’m the only one you’ve got!’

 

She’d brought a parcel of food with her

And a daffodil layette,

‘I couldn’t choose between pink or blue,

Not knowing it’s gender yet.’

They hugged each other and burst in tears

For a love they hadn’t shown,

While caught in an unknown falsehood, but

Their sisterhood had grown.

 

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[Avinash]

Some bonds exist through an invisible umbilical chord. We often fight and seemingly do not appreciate at times but it comes to fore when we are really in trouble and take care of each other. I have seen some of the best friends initially behaving like foes. Many of mine in fact are those we fought as if we were angry for not recognizing each others care. Human behavior is peculiar for sure. Enjoyed every bit of it. Never knew if underwear burning rituals existed :)

[TL Boehm]

A bit of a departure in story line for you - not all blood gets along - some ties are beyond DNA. These girls - they suffered and struggled but the happy ending - oh yes. I so appreciated the happy ending.

[R Smith]

a sad tale this, not the usual humour, it has the charm of two people losing and finding again thus proving to never give up hope in the face of despair, well done :)

[TPK Stories]

In the end they couldn't deny their bond of sisterhood, no matter how bad things got. Another wonderful story.

[Thomas Fitzgerald]

A touching piece that all readers can be entwined with well done.

[Marie]

People don't have to be related to be sisters. And it's even more important to be friends.

[Jennie Baron]

Momzilla's words say it all, but I wanted to add my approval. Enjoyable and touching story as usual.

[MomzillaNC]

Yet another stunning tale you've woven here. Your meter and rhyme carry us from one theme to the next and never lets us down. And, the ending was touching and quite lovely.