These 81-year-old twins in Lagos hope to die together (PHOTO)

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How beautiful.

81-year-old old twins, Dr. Dora Maude Akanya and Mrs. Mary Jummai Jarma, in a recent interview with Punch newspaper, revealed that they hope to die together.

They were born just about the same time on November 8, 1933, in Zaria, Kaduna State.

They  were little when their father, the late Rev. Canon Henry Galtir Darren Miller, was posted to Lokoja, Kogi State, and he took them along. So they actually grew up in Lokoja.

And the best part, they are more than twin sisters!

Jummai: “She is not just my twin sister; she is also my best friend. We are very close.”

Maude: “It goes without saying, that she is my best friend and confidante. I can tell her anything. We discuss a lot. In those days when we are not together, we communicated with the telegram. We don’t miss each other as such but we are very close.”

Interview excerpts:

“Our parents had eight children. We were the youngest and the only surviving siblings. We grew up in an environment where discipline, self-respect and humility were hallmarks. We started our primary school at the Holy Trinity School, Lokoja. This was in the 30s. We were in Standard Five in 1943, when our father was transferred to Lagos. We relocated to Lagos and completed our Standard Six at Christ Church Cathedral School, Marina. Afterwards, we proceeded to the CMS Girls Grammar School. That was from 1945 to 1950. We took the common entrance into the secondary school despite the fact that our father was the chaplain of the cathedral. We passed the examinations successfully. From there, we went to the United Missionary College, a teacher training college owned by both the Anglican and the Methodist Missions. We spent two years there.”

How does it feel to be 82?

Maude: We thank God. We still go to the market at our age. It is something we have been doing right from childhood. It feels normal to go to the market at any age. Our late mother used to go to the market in her old age too. We buy things that we give to people too. God has been wonderful to us, and used people to give us things. Therefore, we should give back to others too.

Did you get married at the same time?

Maude: No. It would interest you to know it was 10 years apart between her marriage and mine. I got married in 1978.

Jummai: I got married in 1968.

How did you feel when she first got married?

Maude: It did not feel odd or strange. I was happy with it.

Were you her bridesmaid?

Maude: I can’t remember. I just know I was a part of it. She was also present during my wedding. The children were the ones busy organising everything.

How long were you married?

Maude: I was married to the late Chief Musa Akanya for 16 years before he died in August 1994. When you see someone who wants to marry you and you both love each other, then go ahead. She (Jummai) met her husband when she was working in the University Staff School. He was also working there. I was in Kaduna then when I met my husband. Providence brought us together.

Jummai: I was married for over 56 years. My husband, Ahmed Jarma, is now late. He died last year.

How many children do you have?

Maude: Neither of us has our own biological children. But we have adopted children. I am mother to my husband’s six children. But we lost two of them in 1992 and 2011. I have many grandchildren.

Jummai: We lost our only son, Danladi Jarma, in 2006. It was painful. But I thank God for family, nephews and nieces, and our grandchildren.

How true is the belief about twins being almost connected in thoughts and other issues?

Maude: My twin sister could be in Lagos and I would be in Kaduna, but we would be wearing the same outfit. Also, on several occasions, despite the fact that we did not discuss the outfit we would be wearing, both of us would end up wearing the same outfit to an event. It has happened on several occasions. That’s how identical we are. We share everything together. I can take a decision and she agrees with what I was thinking. I don’t have to go looking for her to ask her what she feels about it. We all agree on a decision whenever one decides on something.

Jummai: That is what people say. But I don’t know whether we do it. We just take it for granted; we view it as a normal thing.

Are you disappointed that you did not have your own biological children?

Maude: No, we don’t feel any disappointment. Our adopted children are our children. They accept us as their mothers, and we accept them as our children. I have six adopted children, two are gone now. My twin sister, Jummai, has one. We also have other people who grew up under us and we raised them as our children.

What is the secret of your longevity?

Maude: It is God’s making. God has given us the strength to live long.

Jummai: We thank God.

Do you want to live to a 100 years?

Maude: It makes no difference to us. We are grateful for life. We pray that God should grant everyone the enablement to fulfill their purpose.

Jummai: If God wants it, so be it.

Would you also want to be buried at the same place?

Maude: It depends; especially if we die the same day too. But yes, we would love to be buried in the same place.

Jummai: Of course.

Since you were born on the same day, would you like to die the same day too?

Maude: Yes, we would. But it’s only God that can determine that.

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