The Twinning Project by Robert Lipsyte Read Free Book Online Page B

when I travel.”
    â€œI hate him,” I said.
    â€œPlease, Tom.” She put her face so close to mine I could feel the tears on her eyelashes. “I can’t go on like this.”
    â€œLike what?”
    â€œI had to leave the conference, fly home. I’m going to lose my job if it happens again.”
    â€œSome job. Selling pills so people can get dates.”
    She leaned away from me. “Who told you that?”
    â€œDad.”
    â€œHe never said that.”
    â€œHe did. Just before he disappeared, he said it was sad that you quit being a nurse to peddle pills.”
    â€œHe never understood,” said Mom. She looked both sad and angry. “He was never around. God knows what he did.”
    â€œYou don’t know what he did?”
    She shrugged. “A private man, your dad.”
    â€œHe was a great dad.”
    â€œWhen he was around, he was a great dad. And a great husband,” she said. “I always thought he had another life, a secret life.”
    â€œLike a superhero?”
    Mom smiled. Sometimes I forgot how pretty she was. “Could be. He was very strong. And so smart. Like you. And he hated bullies.”
    She looked dreamy. She was off-guard. So I jumped in with the question I’d been waiting to ask. “What about my biological mother?”
    She jerked back as if I’d hit her. “What are you talking about?”
    â€œI heard what the Lump said.” When she opened her mouth, I said, “Tell me the truth.”
    Her mouth snapped shut. She blinked a couple of times. Finally, she took another deep breath and nodded. “Your birth mother died when you were born.”
    â€œWhy didn’t you tell me?”
    â€œYour father made me promise. He said he wanted to do it himself when the time was right.”
    â€œWhen was that going to be?” I made my face very hard so I wouldn’t cry.
    She was crying. “He was getting ready to tell you when he died.”
    â€œDisappeared.”
    â€œAll I can tell you, Tommy, is I’ve loved you as much as if you had come out of my body.” She reached out to hug me.
    I squirmed away. “Get out!” I shouted.
    â€œI know this is very hard for you . . .”
    â€œYou don’t know anything.” I jumped out of bed, pushed past her, and ran out of the house.

TWENTY-TWO
    NEARMONT, N.J.
    1957
    Â 
    E DDIE’S grandpa was silent on the ride to Scout camp, which was okay with Eddie. He felt good dozing in the front seat of the big Dodge. The radio softly played the country-western tunes Grandpa liked, “A White Sport Coat,” “I Walk the Line,” and “Hound Dog,” Eddie’s own favorite. He loved Elvis.
    Eddie came fully awake when the car turned off the highway and bumped down a dirt road into the woods. It stopped at a clearing.
    â€œWhere are we, Grandpa?”
    â€œWhere we need to be.” He turned and faced Eddie. He looked very serious. “You’re going to have to trust me, son.”
    â€œI’ve always trusted you, Grandpa.”
    Grandpa nodded. “You’re going to take a trip, Eddie. By yourself.”
    â€œTo Scout camp.”
    â€œNo. To another planet.”
    Eddie laughed. “Altair IV?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œ
The Forbidden Planet.
The movie we saw. Remember Robby the Robot?”
    Grandpa shook his head. “This is no movie, Eddie. This is real. You’re going back to the planet where you were born. You’re going to meet your twin brother, Tom.”
    Eddie just stared at him. The old man was no jokester. “Tom? My twin brother?”
    â€œThis is going to be a lot for you to take in, but try to follow me. Twelve years ago, when you and Tom were born, you were separated. For your safety. Tom stayed on EarthOne, you came here. Now it’s time.”
    Eddie’s head hurt. He was confused. “Time for what?”
    â€œTo meet each other. To switch