Mr and Mrs Williams (Henrietta and Gilbert) married for 32 years.GILBERT and Henrietta Williams got married on August 28, 1968, in the grand traditional Indian style. She was 16, he 26.
It was so grand a wedding, it lasted for three days.
It has been 32 years since that grand wedding and what some family members thought was just youthful infatuation has matured into marital bliss.
The Williams' who reside in Lakes Pen, St. Catherine, still look at each other with the warmest of emotions. They recalled the memories of their marriage, and you could tell they are cherished by the way they looked at each other.
The two met in Bernard Lodge, St. Catherine, where Mrs Williams and her family lived.
"We met in my home," begun Henrietta,"he came and stayed with us for a while. He was like a bigger brother to me at the time and showed love to the entire family."
Henrietta said at first she didn't see him as a husband but because he was so helpful and loving she grew to love him.
"..Whenever I went out as a young girl, he would offer to carry me on his bicycle as there were a lot of rapings going on at the time...he was a protector. Sometimes when my father couldn't go out to work, he would go for him...I started to admire him for that, he was very responsible."
She said when she was young she was what we would describe today as a "hot girl" and had many suitors.
"A lot of them(young men) came to my house but I didn't like any of them. There was even this Indian fellow who was a pilot, my parents wanted me to marry him but he was not the person."
She said she secretly fell in love with Gilbert and could not explain why she was so attracted to him.
"Something was there about him...I can't explain it but something was there."
He said he had been watching Mrs Williams, too, but he waited until she had,"come to the age of maturity," before attempting to start a relationship.
They soon got involved and Henrietta became pregnant. That spelled trouble.
Henrietta was a recently converted christian. She had to leave the church as a result.
"When her parents found out what had happened...we got married," said Mr Williams.
Mrs Williams said during the first few years of their marriage things were not exactly heavenly but she begun to learn more about her husband and the relationship begun mellowing into something beautiful.
"We had our problems," said Gilbert. "We get vex and keep a little malice sometimes but soon after that we talk it over, and we were back to normal."
"We never have nothing scandalous," said Henrietta," some of the times me feel like fighting him yes, but ah just hold it down," she laughed.
Mr Williams said because he was older, when they got married he was able to keep a cooler head when things got rough.
Fifteen years ago, Henrietta returned to the church and begun a new life in Christ.
"I gave back my life to God," she said, "and it has been good."
When asked about his christianity Gilbert's response had his whole household in laughter.
"Me never take my life from God so me never have to give him back," he quipped.
He says in order for a couple to have a successful marriage, they have to love and trust each other.
"You have to love and understand each other," he advised," when anything goes wrong the two of you can't blaze up at the same time...fire can't out fire. I think the man should be the one to remain calm and sort out things too, because he is the head."
The loving couple have seven children together.
Sharon Williams, one of their daughters, said from what she saw of her parents relationship, it was good. She believes her father is the best in the world as he was always working to provide for his family.
"My parents' relationship was a good one, through everything, they stick to each other and my mother is a great cook," she said laughing.
By LEOARDO BLAIR,
Staff Reporter
contributed
