Twins, but as different as day and night

Looking at my twins, Baraka and Gabriel, I cannot help but imagine all sorts of things. Mostly good. Plus, I am starting see their personalities. Like they say, a mother knows.

Gabriel is the kind of a person you meet in boarding school. The type that has their water buckets clearly marked. They are organised.

But Baraka is the kind of guy who might not even remember he had his bucket when he first reported. It was purely for that purpose: to report. He survives by utilising others’ buckets.

CAUTIOUS VS RECKLESS
For Gab, before he lends you his bucket, he wants to know why you do not have your own, and are you going to misplace his?

He will also demand to know when you will return it. If he is not happy with the way you treated his property, he will not lend it to you again.

For Baraka, if you lend him anything, it is up to you to find out where he left it. Besides, he does not think you did him any great favour.

Gab is the kind of student who neatly arranges his things. If you borrow his eraser, return it. Should you lose it, be prepared to pay.

Baraka is the type who borrows an eraser from his desk mate, does not look where he puts it, and takes his book for marking.

On returning, he moves to the next thing. If you ask for your eraser, he does not even remember that he borrowed it.

SHAPE UP
As a friend, Gab is loyalty personified. However, do not mess with his friendship. He selects his buddies carefully. Principles matter to him.

For instance, there is no jumping queues. If Gab is around and you are his friend trying to pull this stunt, he will rat you out to the management. Some behaviour is a definite no-no. For him, you either shape up or ship out of the friendship.

For Baraka, you can overlap or do whatever you want. Break all the rules in the book. He is not a baddie; he just does not care.

He is the type of guy who will have many friends, bad, good, and in between. Still, it will not break a bone to drop one as if they are hot, and move on.
MATTERS OF THE HEART
If you are Baraka’s girlfriend, do not take offence when he speaks to every girl. And do not think you are the one. You still hold a special place in his heart, although, that does not mean others do not count.

Gab is different. If you are his girlfriend, he will need to know in advance the kind of clothes you will wear on a date. The date he has been planning and budgeting for for the past three months.

He is the type of dude to keep a girl waiting to be asked for a date. He wants to know about your values. Warning: do not bring along other girls to the date.
GOOD MANNERS
For Gab, table manners are of the essence. For starters, no phone calls, texting, or tweeting. He is the real Nyeri man. No-nonsense. No PDAs.

After a few dates he will conclude if you are wife material. Good thing is, he is not a serial dater.

You will be the only one until you go down the aisle. However, be ready because he will be correcting you on his likes and dislikes.

For Baraka, if his date pops up with a sidekick who has an interesting topic, the attention mostly will be directed that way.

He can even go as far as giving your friend his digits. Do not count your babies until he puts a ring on it. Buying gifts is no big deal: he buys and forgets.

FIRST IMPRESSION
What is more, Baraka will date several girls simultaneously. Unpredictable is his middle name. He will surprise everyone — including me — by the one he decides to bring home.

He will not take a lot of ceremonies to take you to mama. You are neither the first nor the last.

For Gabriel the one who will be brought to me will be his first and last, and no doubt the mother of my children. From date one, you will know that if you are his woman, you act the part.

But one thing you will be assured of is this: Gab will provide for his family. If he says he was late because of traffic, you can take his word to the bank.

For Baraka, he has been late so many times it makes no sense asking him where he was. He will toss you countless times between lies and truths. But he can be really sweet. Which can make up for his rough edges.

I hope my future daughters-in-law are reading this.