Love is in the air! The bride, Ada Laurie Bryant is 97 while the lucky groom, Robert Mitchell Haire is 86. Well, just 11 years difference. A minister and a son of the bride officiated the wedding at the home of the groom, (a chemical engineer who finished from Vanderbilt University) in Delaware, USA.

The bride is keeping her name. She was a widow while the groom was a widower. Both met in 2007 when Mr. Haire and his first wife moved into a retirement community in Delaware. Mrs. Bryant had been there since 200, and her first husband died there. In a short while, the two ladies became close friends until she died in 2011 of Lou Gehrig's disease. In August 2011, Mr. Haire asked Mrs. Bryant, an artist to paint a mural of his late wife. She did and he was 'blown away' by the art work. Then he asked her to help select the perfect frame at a local shop (onibara nba ole bo....lol). Then then had lunch in the tearoom only for both to discover they had a lot to say about each other. Ogalagaju!

Then they started to go for regular lunch dates and became quite close with those in the community seeing them as a 'couple'. In January 2012, he slipped a song vowing 'friendship and affection' under her apartment door, and he said it represented how he felt about their relationship as a couple. He was afraid to give it to her personally (Bobo yii o ti e le!). Hear him:

“I was desperately trying to strike a balance between too timid or bold. I didn’t want to mess things up,” he said about the courtship. “I can attest that it doesn’t get easier even in advanced age.”

Well, the next morning, his worries disappeared. A note was on his apartment door. It was from Mrs. Bryant. She was very happy with the sonnet and said “she would heartily enter into that relationship.”

One of her daughters, Jane recalled talking to her mum on phone at that time:

“Her voice was kind of glowing. She loved having someone to talk to again. Since my father died, she just didn’t have someone to talk to in the deepest sense.”

Then came Valentine’s Day, and Mr. Haire presented her with a sapphire which would be used later as an engagement ring. She turned down the proposal at first but after a few days, she accepted it, but as a friendship ring. Kai! Women sha!

“I said, ‘I’d very much like you to accept it in whatever way you’d like,” Mr. Haire said.

The feelings went deeper and in March, he wrote her another poem and by April 2012, they confessed love for each other. The issue of marriage came up from time to time but he didn't never pushed it.

“I told her repeatedly that whatever care she needed, I’d already committed to,” Mr. Haire said. “She could rely on me no matter whether we married or not.”

Well, she finally agreed to his proposal in August 2012 and they would move later to her apartment after the wedding (close your eyes joor! No be Naija!)

On why she turned him down at first, she says: “There’s a great difference in our ages, as you can see,” she said. “I didn’t think it was the thing to do because I don’t have that many years ahead of me, but he said, ‘That’s all the more reason.’ I like him very much. I love him. So we’re going to be married.”

Credits: Margaux Laskey, New York Times

Please support Iyaniwura on Facebook, like here: https://www.facebook.com/iyaniwurablog

Dis is swt,a replica of ab old religion as luv is neva dead but grow an glow even age cant b a barrier,i wish u a happy marriage long life, protection an no divorce

this sounds like a mills and boons novel story to me
but if it true then i am very very very happy for them.no more loneliness for both of them

Love is a beautiful thing.

Companionship is what these old people crave for. It's a lovely union though, I hope they spend d remainder of their lives in bliss.

oh i wish NAIJA can skyrocket and leap to a hiGh LiFe expectancy like this

Haha! Quite a funny love tale. An average Nigerian grandpa/ma wouldn't be looking for love at that old age,they'll rather be looking for money to stash up for their unborn generation.

Could this be LOVE?

dis is what we call REAL LOVE.... cuz d punny is closed.

Well, whether she answers his name or not should be the least of their wahala.....

Congrats!

Love has no age, has no limit, has no distance... Love is love,no matter what..

They dnt luk dat age ! I guez sumtin is wrong wiv d age stuff cuz dey luk younger than d age !

Hian o.

97, Will this marriage ever be consummated?

tchidi: Well, whether she answers his name or not should be the least of their wahala.....

Congrats!

abi o!

Ada Nri1: Makes sense. Loneliness is not good for oldies. My first instinct was right. they met in a care home

You are right.Loneliness is a serious issue in any one's life.Good for them.

Impossible is nothing!

Crazy motherfùckers. Whats the point? No séx, no children, no kissing. . Whats the fuckìng point? Why can't they just co-habit till they die?

LOVE IS MAGICAL!!!

Sijo01: Love is a beautiful thing.

will theyy still be intimate

freecocoa: Hian o.

97, Will this marriage ever be consummated?

you reasoned like a nigerian, the old couple only need love so forget the se.xual intercourse

They both look quite good still...

J12: Crazy motherfùckers. Whats the point? No séx, no children, no kissing. . Whats the fuckìng point? Why can't they just co-habit till they die?

The point is,they found love in each other at an old age...it is just beautiful. And who says they can't kiss and have sèx?

J12: Crazy motherfùckers. Whats the point? No séx, no children, no kissing. . Whats the fuckìng point? Why can't they just co-habit till they die?

ignoramous...*LOVE* they need, must every relationship based on se.x? Especially for old people

Never shall wonder end, Oyibo no go kill person with laugh. Goodluck 2 d couple

well, i take this as a great message. there is a lot more beautiful thing in a relationship than SEX. something that don't care if the skin goes shrink or the hair goes bald... something that can be relished forever... something greater than anyone can ever imagine... something that i crave for