Her name was Mpho Modipa, and I’m Mpho Mokwena, a tear rolls from my eye thinking about this. I lost the opportunity to spend my time with her as a sister, I only knew her as a friend, I always think about how it happened…

I went to pre school when I was 2 years old until I reached 5 years, I remember as I was born at the month of September the 5th of 1990. My pre school was named Bohlale ba baithuti Pre school located at Bela Bela, now changed to First step in learning Pre school. When I reached 4 years I think it was 1994 I met a girl who looked like me, her mom brought her to join our pre school, not only does she look like me, she had the same name as mine and we were born in the same day. She seemed to be from wealthy family and yes she was using transport to come to creche, I was not from rich nor poor family, my parents was working and able to provide for me but they were not rich, her parents was so rich and owned businesses, she was eating out of palm of her hand.

We used to like each other, even the fact that we have so many similarities, we became friends, best friends at the age of 4 years, but our parents didn’t know that we are friends, I means they knew that we’ve got friends but not met any of us. We went to the same Primary (Albert Luthuli Primary school), fate made us classmates from Grade R to Grade 7, people used to call us pair of shoes, you can’t take one and leave one, we confuse them as we look alike, because we also liked to have same hairstyle. Mpho had no pride at all, and I wouldn’t lack anything with her around, I used to teach her where she don’t understand and she does the same to me.

We we to Bela Bela high school at the year 2003, but this time different class, we used to play people fools, she come to my class and I go to her class, no body will realise that we swapped classes, one day Mr Mautla called us and asked if we are related, we refused, he laughed and say “I bet you share a father “, we looked at each other and laughed, I imagined my mom(Sepati) telling that Thabiso is not your father, as Mpho also imagined her mom(Moiponi) that Frank is not her father. We talked about it and laughed, our parents loved each other we wouldn’t even have a pity doubt on them. We forgot about it and didn’t even mention it to our parents, whenever my parents should meet Mpho or her parents meet me something came up.

In our Grade 10 we both chose to study science, it was one class of science, so we were back to being classmates, she was my only competition in class, if she’s not the first, I am the first, if she gets sick I also get sick, that’s was the way our friendships been. We were facing the same fate every year to go to staff office to answer why we have so many similarities, how can we answer what we also doesn’t know. But fact remain that we were favored by all teachers, we were good students, neat and respectful.

Our Grade 12 was so wow, I remember it was 2007, we gave number one of all local and provincial schools, we made our Principal (Mr Molekwa) so proud, he knew from Grade 8 that we will top it, even though we are third of national schools but we made it. Distant friendship started after this, Mpho went to Cape Town as I went to Mafikeng, she studied medicine and I studied teaching, she used to tell me to come to Cape Town she will handle all my expenses, I couldn’t go, as I didn’t think it’s a good idea. We talked over the phone for three years and graduated, we also witnessed the graduations on phone, I think it was 2011 when I started working as a Maths teacher at Bathopele Secondary located at Pinasriver. She appeared at my class’s doorstep, and she was very happy to see me standing there teaching, as for her her father gifted her Pharmacy as a graduation gift, she was a business woman, and she also opened fashion store. The day she appeared at my classroom doorstep was on the 11 May 2011, three months after I was employed, she was on her way to Bela Bela to see her parents, when she was exiting the gate of Bathopele, came a huge truck out of the blue and crashed her car, I felt like my stomach is escaping my belly, I vomited and felt so much pain, by that time I didn’t know Mpho met with an accident. Some of my students came running to tell that the lady who visited me met with an accident, I immediately lost my sense as she was rushed to Bela Bela hospital, I regained my sense after three hours and went straight to hospital. When I reached there her family was already called to the hospital, you should have seen their faces when they saw me, it was like they are seeing a ghost. I was like “hi, my name is Mpho” and they were like “what?”, shocked in all ways. Everyone from her family was present excluding her father who happens to be overseas. The doctor came to tell that she will be fine she only need blood as she lost more blood due to that accident, and she has a rare blood type. Her father matches with her with blood type but he was far to donate blood urgently, I didn’t know my blood type, I had to test to save my friend.

The doctor ran the test and came with the results, saying only the DNA matched not the blood type, it happened that my blood type matched her mom’s. Everyone was stunned on how could my DNA match her’s, and this time I was also surprised. The doctor confirmed by saying they are sisters, at the same time Mr Frank called that he will reach the hospital during midnight, he is on his way. Mpho was there fighting for her life and on the other hand I called my parents to come and explain why is my DNA matching with Mpho’s DNA. 12 May 2011 around 02:40 my parents popped in the hospital the same time with Mr Frank, my mom was crying, Mr Frank was stressed and my dad was embarrassed.

Before I even asked my mom started explaining “I was walking along the street crying, thinking about the third child I lost due to miscarriage, I heard a child crying and I thought I am thinking as I was desperately looking for a child, this time people didn’t see that I had miscarriage, and the doctor warned me not to try to have a child ever again or I would die. So I follow the voice and I found a baby girl inside a bin, I took that child and went straight to my husband, we promised each other that no one will know that I had miscarriage, the baby will be ours. We went to report that we found the baby, but we also want to adopt it, when they ask the name I just said Mpho without thinking twice, I promised to love you with all I had.” It pained me to hear that, I cried and my father was still embarrassed. Mrs Moiponi stood up and said “I’m so sorry my daughter, I was not this rich when the two of you were born, Frank broke up with me by that time, he became a business man and was ready to take up the responsibility of his family, by that time it was too late, I already threw you in the bin the day you were born, I never thought you were alive, no one knew about this as I gave birth on my own, I know it’s painful but I celebrated your birthday every year I celebrate Mpho’s birthday, I didn’t know we will meet again. ” Mr Frank gave her one look and said he has to save their daughter.

Mpho woke up and requested to see me, when I got there she was in so much pain, she asked what is going on, I said to her “you are not my friend, you are my twin sister “, she cried and held my hand, I kissed her forehead, she looked at Mr Frank lying beside her with a drip transferring blood and Mrs Moiponi at a door together with my parents, she said “I spent my time with you as my friend, but I was robbed my time with you as a sister “, then she cried, I was trying to make her think of something else, but she laughed and asked why didn’t we research about it, everything was clear before our eyes, we grew up together, and this question appeared again and again, why didn’t we find more about this issue.

She asked questions for more than an hour, holding my hand tight, then her little brother came and said she should return home fast as he learned to cook her favorite chicken with spinach, she smiled and told him how she loves him, she again looked at her parents and then passed away still holding my hand tight, I cried as everyone also cried, I felt like waking her up, but there was nothing I can do, I lost my other half, my sister and my best friend in one person, we buried her and I chose my parents who gave me parental love I needed while growing.

She wasn’t my friend, she was my twin sibling, a truck of a reckless driver took her life, but a reckless mother took our bond as sisters, we then grew together but as friends, the day I found that she was my sister it is the day I lost her. This gave me a depression that I find difficult to overcome, does Mrs Moiponi see what she has done, now she lost two daughters, one is alive but not her’s but the other is no more. Don’t let anything separate you from loved ones, for you will regret after running out of time.