Chapter 1 - Fergie's Story
March 14, 1983 - Tulsa, Oklahoma
I looked down at the little bundles of joy that lay in my lap. Both babies had, like Skipper and I had hoped, golden hair and blue eyes. They were identical in every way, except that one was a girl and one was a boy. And so we had wrapped one baby in pink and the other in blue.
My elder son Neuton cantered into the room. "Momma!" he gasped running towards me. He hoisted himself onto my lap. "Bubbies!"
I smiled down at him. Now that I had these two perfect looking angels Neuton's equine qualities didn't seem nearly as big a problem. "Neuton, meet your new brother and sister. Their names are Tweedle-Tay and Michaela."
"Pretty bubbies."
"Yes, I do believe that they are the most beautiful babies in the world."
"Momma?"
"Yes Neuton?"
"Where did they come from?"
I blushed. Sex education was not my specialty. "Where did what come from?"
"The bubbies."
"The bubbies?"
Neuton nodded and sucked his thumb. "The bubbies."
"They ah.... well..... the stork brought them."
"Momma?"
"Yes Neuton?"
"I brought you a present."
Neuton presented me with a small wilted flower. I smiled wanly. "It's lovely."
"Flowers are pretty, just like Michaela."
"And Tweddle-Tay dear, and Tweedle-Tay........"
Skipper skipped into the room, his Polaroid camera draped around his neck. "Does everyone know what time it is?"
I clapped my hands together in joy. "Photo time!!!! Oh do take some."
"That's right, it's photo time", Skipper cried, snapping one of the babies. Michaela started crying from the shock of the flash. Tweedle-Tay quickly joined her and Neuton chimed in as well. There was something unusual about that cry but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Then it hit me. My three children were singing a C major chord in perfect harmony. It was a rare occasion when the crying of babies was actually pleasant to listen to. Skipper heard it too and smiled at me, "With voices like these, imagine the money we'll make." I was taken aback.
Skipper did not notice and picked up the now developed photo. He sat down to give Neuton and I a closer look. Neuton looked at me strangely. "Momma, that baby has red eyes," he said, pointing to the picture. And sure enough, in the photo Michaela's eyes glowed red.
Skipper jumped up in shock. "Red eyes!! Red eyes?? Do you have any idea what red eyes mean? They mean that our child is the devil's spawn."
"Skipper! How could you say such an awful thing?" I cried. "I'm sure it was just the flash reacting badly with her eyes."
"No. That was no flash. Last week some nice people came by our house and I invited them in. They taught me all the signs of the devil and that was one of them. I know it sounds harsh, Fergie, but we have to get rid of Michaela."
"Please Skipper. Don't be silly. Think about it." I begged.
"We either get rid of her now or she'll murder us all."
"No. We have to keep her. For me. For you. For Neuton. And for Tweedle-Tay, who will have to grow up without his twin sister."
"We'll all be better off without the devil in our house."
"Well if you won't do it for us, do it for the money you can make out her angelic voice."
"Forget it Fergie. We'll have another child and form the band that way. We can either go home right now and leave Michaela in the hospital or you can stay here with her and I'll leave with Neuton and Tweedle-Tay." Skipper was threatening.
"I hate you for this," I said softly to Skipper as I picked up my bag and newborn son and walked out of the room. I blew a kiss to Michaela. I really did hate Skipper, for separating me from my only daughter. That's why we had so many more children, in the hope of having another baby as perfect as Michaela. And that's why I brought Tweedle-Tay up in exactly the same way I would have brought up Michaela.
March 14, 1983 - Tulsa, Oklahoma
I looked down at the little bundles of joy that lay in my lap. Both babies had, like Skipper and I had hoped, golden hair and blue eyes. They were identical in every way, except that one was a girl and one was a boy. And so we had wrapped one baby in pink and the other in blue.
My elder son Neuton cantered into the room. "Momma!" he gasped running towards me. He hoisted himself onto my lap. "Bubbies!"
I smiled down at him. Now that I had these two perfect looking angels Neuton's equine qualities didn't seem nearly as big a problem. "Neuton, meet your new brother and sister. Their names are Tweedle-Tay and Michaela."
"Pretty bubbies."
"Yes, I do believe that they are the most beautiful babies in the world."
"Momma?"
"Yes Neuton?"
"Where did they come from?"
I blushed. Sex education was not my specialty. "Where did what come from?"
"The bubbies."
"The bubbies?"
Neuton nodded and sucked his thumb. "The bubbies."
"They ah.... well..... the stork brought them."
"Momma?"
"Yes Neuton?"
"I brought you a present."
Neuton presented me with a small wilted flower. I smiled wanly. "It's lovely."
"Flowers are pretty, just like Michaela."
"And Tweddle-Tay dear, and Tweedle-Tay........"
Skipper skipped into the room, his Polaroid camera draped around his neck. "Does everyone know what time it is?"
I clapped my hands together in joy. "Photo time!!!! Oh do take some."
"That's right, it's photo time", Skipper cried, snapping one of the babies. Michaela started crying from the shock of the flash. Tweedle-Tay quickly joined her and Neuton chimed in as well. There was something unusual about that cry but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Then it hit me. My three children were singing a C major chord in perfect harmony. It was a rare occasion when the crying of babies was actually pleasant to listen to. Skipper heard it too and smiled at me, "With voices like these, imagine the money we'll make." I was taken aback.
Skipper did not notice and picked up the now developed photo. He sat down to give Neuton and I a closer look. Neuton looked at me strangely. "Momma, that baby has red eyes," he said, pointing to the picture. And sure enough, in the photo Michaela's eyes glowed red.
Skipper jumped up in shock. "Red eyes!! Red eyes?? Do you have any idea what red eyes mean? They mean that our child is the devil's spawn."
"Skipper! How could you say such an awful thing?" I cried. "I'm sure it was just the flash reacting badly with her eyes."
"No. That was no flash. Last week some nice people came by our house and I invited them in. They taught me all the signs of the devil and that was one of them. I know it sounds harsh, Fergie, but we have to get rid of Michaela."
"Please Skipper. Don't be silly. Think about it." I begged.
"We either get rid of her now or she'll murder us all."
"No. We have to keep her. For me. For you. For Neuton. And for Tweedle-Tay, who will have to grow up without his twin sister."
"We'll all be better off without the devil in our house."
"Well if you won't do it for us, do it for the money you can make out her angelic voice."
"Forget it Fergie. We'll have another child and form the band that way. We can either go home right now and leave Michaela in the hospital or you can stay here with her and I'll leave with Neuton and Tweedle-Tay." Skipper was threatening.
"I hate you for this," I said softly to Skipper as I picked up my bag and newborn son and walked out of the room. I blew a kiss to Michaela. I really did hate Skipper, for separating me from my only daughter. That's why we had so many more children, in the hope of having another baby as perfect as Michaela. And that's why I brought Tweedle-Tay up in exactly the same way I would have brought up Michaela.
