SMILING CUTE: Mathu and Merik Brown WHENEVER they are together, Mathu and Merik Brown can create quite a storm.
Maybe this is because they were born in the year of Hurricane Gilbert. The 12 year old twins were born in June 1988 and say even though they have regular fights, they are glad they are twins because they always have someone to play with.
"I think the best thing about having a twin is that you always have someone to play with and they can help you if you don't know something...that makes me feel good...I feel lucky," said Mathu the older of the two and the appointed spokesperson.
Mathu admits that he likes to talk and uses "big words" he doesn't know the meaning of but uses them anyway.
"I talk more than Merik...sometimes I use words and I don't know the meanings but because they sound good I just use them," laughed the aspiring intellectual.
Unlike most twins the boys say they do not have any extraordinary connection.
The boys are former students of the St. Richards Primary School where they were both affectionately called "Twinny". They were successful in the recent sitting of the GSAT examinations and will be moving on to the Calabar High School in September.
Mathu is the brighter of the two and is considered the intellectual while Merik, both admit, is the better sportsman.
It is a good thing they were wearing different colours the day we spoke I could not have told them apart during the interview. They say sometimes their mother cannot tell them apart when they are sleeping.
While they were in primary school they used to switch roles in class and had the teachers fooled for some time until she finally caught up with them. Merik was not able to consistently reproduce Mathu's level of work in class.
They say whenever they fight it is usually over simple things.
"We fight over simple things," said Mathu," ...like if I kick the ball and it hit Merik he would react. One time we fought over a sharpener."
Their parents, Ivan Brown and Patricia Baccas, agree that despite the trouble the boys give them, they are good kids.
"They are nice children. Ah suppose they give the same amount of trouble as the average twin, except for the time they tried to light a fire in the house and hid it under the bed," said Ms. Baccas.
"Merik is more on the sports side and he is very outgoing. Mathu, on the other hand, is a little conservative and he is charming. He would hug and kiss me as soon as he wakes up while Merik would go straight to the TV," added Miss Baccas.
For now, however, the boys say they are focused on their new life at Calabar and are assured of their parents love and continued support.
"I know my parents love us, and would sacrifice anything for us," said Mathu.
