Features

The inseparable twins

george henry
Yanique and Monique Bent

By GEORGE HENRY, STAR Writer
malvern, st. elizabeth:

MONIQUE AND YANIQUE Bent, Grade 4 students at the Rose Hall All Age School in St. Elizabeth, will be celebrating their 10th birthday on February 22. They are the daughters of Marlyne Simpson and Cecil Bent of Leaf Mountain in the parish.

When THE STAR visited the twins, who are not identical, at their school during their lunch break, they appeared to be inseparable, and although they are not in the same class they spent time together in play while at their place of learning.

Yanique, the more outspoken of the two, told THE STAR that their mother, Marlyne, after giving birth to her first two daughters (as she has two other girls) was told by her doctor that one day she would give birth to twins.

Yanique, although the last to be born, is the bigger and taller of the two and she is not shy as her sister Monique who is relatively quiet.

However, when asked what her mother told them about their birth almost ten years ago, Monique said she told her the doctor had to do a caesarean section to have her delivered.

"Mummy told me that the doctor had to cut her for me to be born first. I was born in the morning and Yanique was born in the afternoon, so I am older than her by some hours," said Monique heartily.

Yanique, who tried to get Monique to talk to THE STAR more willingly throughout the interview but without much success, pointed out that although they are in different Grade 4 classes they are very close.

She said whenever Monique's teacher is absent, especially last year when they were in Grade 3, Monique would not stay in her class, but would go to her class to be taught by her teacher.

The girls said they like the same foods, especially rice and peas and chicken, fish and bammy. Whatever one is eating, Yanique said the other has to get as well, as she does not feel good knowing that she has something to eat and not share it with Monique.

Yanique said if she has an apple and she does not share it with Monique she feels badly, and so in order not to feel that way she would go in search of her at school and give her a portion.

"Anything I have I always share it with her and whatever she has she always shares, with me," said Yanique.

The two girls say if one of them gets in trouble and is spanked by their parents the other would cry just the same as if she was the one who was spanked. They pointed out that they share joy, happiness and pain with each other.