Building a case out of double trouble

I was rather intrigued as half of me originates from that land of Matooke and Ankole cattle, where the piece had highlighted a few myths surrounding twins. I was even more engrossed by the fact that my people believe light skin patches referred to as vitiligo have a lot to do with twins, and angry ones at that.

In the same article it was reported that the earthquake that hit Kagera in September was a case of twins not amused and that rituals supposed to be carried out in their honour are no longer practised. So much for a long shot.

In my case, twins and vitiligo have been part and parcel of my family history of sorts. When the eldest of my young sisters was born 40 years ago, I was thrilled that I had got myself a female partner in crime after two young brothers.

I was far from bothered that she had a crop of white hair just above her forehead and a pink patch on her tummy, the fact that she was female was all that mattered for the young feminist in me.

According to our father, a doctor, the unique colouring was a trademark birth mark on his side of the family.

Not knowing any better, we elder siblings accepted her as she was and we envied the attention grabbing attributes of her white hairy patch. Being a staunch Catholic and a man of few words, our father, never told us that traditionally there were beliefs attached to twins and vitiligo. The fact that the condition did not seem to course her any discomfort either through itching or pain, we did not see anything unusual about her looks.

Growing up, I think our sister got used to people telling her that as a result of the white hair she would turn out wise, intelligent and rich. Later in her school days she acquired the nickname skunk due to the contrasting colours of her hair.

It was rather interesting to discover that a nephew of ours had inherited the distinct light skinned patches just below both of his knees and I wondered why his father, our brother, kept quiet about it. I only saw the knees with my very own eyes a couple of years back and was amazed by how the genetical wonder had made a surprise re-appearance.

For the rest of us siblings, we were informed that we were all born with a few white hairs that disappeared within a month after birth. Mine grew back in my early 20s but are rather insignificant. The next time I speak to my mother, who hails from Tanga, I must ask her how she felt having babies with grey hair.

One of my paternal aunts (shangazi) had identical twin girls whom are now in their late twenties and are married with two children each.

It was only a few years back, I learnt that our paternal grandmother had twin boys who passed away while still young. Why it had been kept a secret all this time, deludes me. Our generation of siblings and cousins has not yet done the double miracle, although a nephew of mine from one of my first cousins recently had a set of twins one of whom unfortunately did not survive.

The condition of vitiligo blamed on twins

According to myths, both among the Wahaya and a few tribes in Uganda, vitiligo is a result of twins having supernatural powers to ‘scorch’ someone’s skin, hence the patches; in retaliation to an insult or a fight. From a mystical point of view, I have wondered why twins would attack their own relatives. Or did one of my forefathers pick up a quarrel with a neighbour who was incidentally a twin?

Scientifically, vitiligo is described as a continual and long-term skin problem that produces patches of white depigmentation that may develop and enlarge in certain sections of the skin.

The exact cause of vitiligo is not known, but some researchers believe it to be an autoimmune disorder. I am certainly not surprised that my ancestors, running out of reasons, decided to blame it on angry twins. It must have been hard work back in the day keeping twins happy.

Experts state there are various forms of this skin condition that does not have a cure. Treatment for vitiligo may improve the appearance of the affected skin but does not cure the disease.

It affects people of all skin types, but it may be more noticeable in people with darker skin. The condition is not life-threatening or contagious although it can be stressful or make you feel bad about yourself.

While I am on the look-out for twins in my family, I am patiently waiting to discover who will be the next vitiligo victim from Babu Rugarabamu’s clan.