Life & Times : Mary and Martha, the twins of Christiana

When Mandalene Slater was informed that she was about to give birth to twin daughters, she was surprised but excited.

"I was having complications when I was about one month pregnant, and I visited a doctor in Mandeville. An ultrasound was done, and following that the doctor said, 'I am sorry for you'. I asked him if the baby was okay and he turned and then said to me, 'you are going to have twins'," shared Slater.

Slater said she was frightened and told the doctor that she did not have twin in her family but her husband had. Then she asked him if he was sure about what he was saying. She, however, said her husband's grandfather had a twin brother.

Her daughters, Samantha and Amanda, who are first-form students at Spalding High School in Clarendon, were born on August 14, 2004. Samantha was the first to be born and Amanda came 45 minutes later.

The girls' father is Lennox Slater of Mollison in Christiana, Manchester.

"Now that I have them I feel nice. I feel so excited to have them. I love them even though sometimes they give me a lot of talking. Their pet names are 'Mary' and 'Martha'. Samantha was the first to be born, but I had to be rushed to the theatre with Amanda," said Slater, who said Amanda was kept in an incubator for three days after she gave birth to her.

The mother of the twin girls stated that it is wonderful to have them both, especially because she is blessed by God to have them.

Samantha said being part of a twin is wonderful, especially because she enjoys special moments with Amanda, who shared that she, too, enjoys special moments with her sister because they both get many chances to share personal business.

Amanda and Samantha confessed that they both love school because it is where they acquire the education leading up to what they want to become in years to come. The girls said that they love track and field and they want to be professional athletes.

They also shared that they love to eat chicken, love attending church, and that they plan to work hard to make their parents proud.