Features

Far from being typical twins

By WANDEKA GAYLE, Staff Reporter

The Scott twins - Contributed

Zuri and Zaneta Scott of Greater Portmore, St. Catherine, both have exotic names with powerful meanings they are trying to live up to.

"My name is Hebrew and it means 'God's gracious gift'," Zaneta told THE WEEKEND STAR.

Zuri, born one-minute before her sister at the University Hospital on August 9, 1990, says her name is Swahili for 'Beautiful'.

Their father, Wilton Scott was responsible for choosing the unusual names. "I was looking through a book of names and those were the last two in the book," he said. "I was always fascinated with African names."

And true to their names, the 14-year-old fraternal twins are not your typical teenagers. They have already showcased to the world their musical and academic capabilities.

Zuri, who enjoys playing the clarinet, can often be found making music with her sister, who plays the piano.

"Last Christmas we played some of our arrangements of Christmas carols at the Hilton Hotel," Zaneta said.

Zuri said she got interested in music while at the Portmore Missionary Preparatory School. As she progressed academically at the Ardenne High, her interest grew to the clarinet.

However, her first love is reading. "I think sometimes I read more than I watch TV," she said with a giggle.

Both entered the National Reading Competition, Zuri taking the first place in the Parish Finals for St. Catherine and her sister coming in second.

Their mother Rose-Marie Scott, who works as a librarian, said that she nurtured this love of reading in her children from an early age. "I can remember when they were going to basic school, they were about two years at the time, and the teacher took up one of those A-B-C books and started to show them," she said, "but Zuri didn't answer her at first. Then she looked up and said to her, 'I can read you know'."

From the onset, the twins took their school lessons very seriously and constantly compete with each other to maintain high grades. "She might be better at mathematics and science and I do better at technical drawing," Zaneta told THE WEEKEND STAR.

The ninth-grader added that while one may excel at another subjects their grades are not far apart. "We both get prizes at school for getting five or more 'As'," Zaneta confided.

Zuri, the disputed 'boss' of the twosome, said that she enjoys her sister's company as they can almost finish each others sentences. Zaneta jokingly admitted that Zuri really takes her role as 'big sister' seriously.