Meet the Morgans: Persistence wins again

A few months into the start of the coronavirus pandemic in Jamaica, Andra Morgan, a bus driver of Barrett Town, Montego Bay, St James, caught a mere glimpse of Stephanie-Ann Royal, a food service supervisor, and decided that this was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Both Andra and Stephanie-Ann lived in the same community, but, prior to the pandemic and owing to their busy schedules, their paths did not cross. However, with the restrictions to contain the coronavirus pandemic, their lives slowed down a bit, and they ran into each other occasionally.

The twist of the story is that Andra did not approach Stephanie-Ann directly, but sought the help of a neighbour who knew both of them. Under the guise that he wanted to do business with her company, he asked his neighbour to get her telephone number.

“He told the neighbour that he wanted to purchase some things from the company I am working with. I was hesitant because I do not give out my number just like that. But, based on the fact that he said he wanted to do business, I told the neighbour to give it to him,” Stephanie-Ann said.

An overjoyed Andra started contacting Stephanie-Ann, but his interests were certainly not about business. “I was so upset. I told him off, and told him never to contact me again,” Stephanie-Ann said.

But Andra persisted! “I saw her and I loved everything about her. I was single and I wanted to get to know her. I didn’t have any interest in any other lady, and I knew that she was the one for me,” he said.

“Every morning, he would message me, and I ignored him. For over one week, I didn’t respond to him, but he kept messaging me. At one point, we didn’t communicate any at all. However, at the end of May 2020, we started communicating again, and I was more responsive,” Stephanie-Ann said.

Andra was smitten, and Cupid’s arrow had finally found a place to Stephanie-Ann’s heart. The two went on their first lunch date, and there began a relationship that has blossomed into everything that the happy couple has hoped for.

“What attracted me to him is his sense of humour. Even when I was putting up a fight, he never got upset with me. He took it for a joke. He is always concerned about my well-being, and, even now, he will wait on me at work and take me home,” Stephanie-Ann said.

UNCONVENTIONAL

Interestingly, their engagement was not done the traditional way. Instead, the couple decided that, the path that they wanted their life to take, they would ensure that they set a good example for their children and other members of their family.

“We talk about everything, and we have dreams and aspirations that we want to achieve together. We felt that getting married was the right thing to do,” Stephanie-Ann said.

The couple opted for a purple-and-pink-themed wedding, which took place on November 19, 2021, with a few of their closest friends. “We wanted a small wedding, but that did not go well with some of our family members. My aunt convinced us to have the wedding in a church, and we invited a few friends and colleagues, the witnesses, and our two children,” Stephanie-Ann said.

“We just wanted to be ourselves. We stepped out of the box and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves,” she added.

Andra, who is a bit reserved, is happy that he has found the love of his life. “I am happy that we made the decision to get married. I feel so much more like a man, a father and a provider for my family. I get commended by my friends and colleagues for taking this step, and I feel proud of myself,” he said.

“I plan to take care of this lady for the rest of my life; that is why I put a ring on her finger,” he added.

Three months later, Stephanie-Ann is also happy that she made the decision to get married. “I feel elated. This is a big step for me and our children. I hope we have set an example for others to follow,” she said.

keisha.hill@gleanerjm.com