It was snowing. There was a freezing cold outside. However, the room was more freezing than outside although the fire was burning. Neither Henry was speaking nor was Harvey saying a word as usual. Henry was looking out of the window. Snow-covered roofs seemed like cotton to him. It had been almost a month since their beloved father Peter died. Even at funeral, he and his twin, Harvey, said nothing to each other. They only wrote they were very sad due to the father’s death onto a piece of paper and gave it to each other. They were doing the same thing nearly for twenty years.
After their father’s death, the old family house became much more silent than it had been before. At least they were hearing their father’s voice when one of them spoke with him but now they were alone and there was no voice unless any neighbours or relatives came to visit them. They weren’t married and were in their forties. Everywhere in the house was full of small notes. Their only communication was these small notes. Henry felt much lonelier himself than it had been before while watching the snow. He was always the silent one but his twin Harvey could make people laugh even under sad circumstances. “I missed his laughter” thought he.
Suddenly, Harvey remembered their old school friend and family solicitor Arnold would come that evening. He put the book he was reading on his knees and looked at Henry. He was still looking outside. “He must be thinking about father” thought Harvey. He wanted to touch his shoulder and say he was sorry too but he couldn’t do that. He took a piece of paper from the drawing of his study table and wrote “Arnold is coming this evening” then left the paper on the coffee table near his twin. Henry took the note and wrote “Why?”. Harvey wrote “I don’t know. He said he would come this evening when I was in town today.” “Ok, see you in the evening; I will walk along the river.” “Ok, see you.”
After Henry left the house, Harvey came near the window and started to watch his twin walking along the river. He thought about himself, his twin and this old big house. There was always something they missed during those years passing without speaking. This was their close relation with each other. They knew this fact but they couldn’t dare to accept it and start everything from the beginning. Their childhood was wonderful. Their father, mother and they would spend the evenings in this big garden telling jokes and stories in summers. In winters they would gather near the fireplace. It seemed to him that centuries passed over those happy days. Then he turned back to his book when he couldn’t see Henry any longer along the river.
They waited for Arnold’s coming that evening after dinner. “He is late due to the snow in my opinion” wrote Harvey, “I suppose so” answered Henry. Arnold came at about 9 o’clock. His clothes were covered with snow. He took off his hat and long black coat. His long fingers were faltering and his pale face was even paler than usual. His head had almost no hair and “his bald head must be as cold as a stone even with his hat” thought Harvey. Due to this thought, he smiled and Arnold thought it as a greeting.
“Hi, my friends! It is very cold and I’m almost freezing” said he and sat down near fireplace. They were both wondering about why he came because he didn’t usually come to their house unless there was something legal. After speaking about daily things and their father’s death, Arnold said he was here to tell them about their father’s will. “Did you know that he left a will?” asked he. “No” answered Henry and Harvey together then looked each other.
Arnold took the will out of his pocket and began to read. Their father was saying that he left ₤30,000 to one of them and they can live together in the family house as usual. But his only provision was that one of them would marry Angelica and unless either of them married Angelica all his money would go to Angelica, herself. “This is your father’s last words for you. Think about it deeply, I think. The sum of money he left is worth thinking about everything” said Arnold. “Ohh! It’s half past eleven. I should go before the snow starts again” continued he. He wore his coat and hat. “His bald was like saucer near the fireplace but now it will be stone again” thought Harvey.
“Think about it very deeply, my friends! See you soon, good night!” said Arnold and got on his car. Then drove fast and disappeared in the snow.
After Arnold’s departure, they sat and thought for a long time. Their only reason for not speaking during those years was Angelica. Beautiful and elegant Angelica. They had both been in love with her and on the other side Angelica was ready for marrying either of them. When two brothers learned that they both were in love with her, they had a bad quarrel and hadn’t said even a word to each other for nearly twenty years since that day. They stopped speaking, so neither of them learned that the other had decided not to marry Angelica. They didn’t spoke even with Angelica during those years unless necessary at such conditions as funerals, weddings or ritual ceremonies at church.
Angelica was full of rage. She didn’t marry anyone and couldn’t understand their silly behaviour to her. Their father Peter told the truth to her thinking that it can be helpful for her to understand their behaviour. However, Angelica couldn’t understand them and her love to them turned into grudge over the years. On the other side, the twins thought her not marrying anyone as she still loved either of them.
At 4 o’clock in the morning Henry spoke: “Why don’t we toss a coin for Angelica? Heads or tails?” “Tails,” said Harvey but it was heads. Henry would speak with Angelica, apologize and propose her. The next evening Henry woke up early and wore his smartest suit hoping that Angelica would say “yes’” to him. While he was looking at himself in the mirror, Harvey came near to him and said “I hope everything will be ok! See you!” “Thanks!” smiled Henry and went to Angelica’s house. He parked the car near the church and bought a bunch of red roses from the florist. Arnold was just leaving when he came to house. Arnold and Angelica was speaking and she was smiling. “Why is he here? What can he and Angelica have in common?” thought Henry. He slowly came near the garden wall and tried to hear them. Arnold was saying “See you on Wednesday, we can talk about our wedding in detail.” “Which wedding? Whose? Their? His and Angelica’s?” said Henry. He was full of rage and threw the roses near the wall and left. It was written “ to my beloved Angelica” on the card.
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