An enduring love built on understanding and talking
Christina, 72, and George, 76, Solomon, of Hangberg celebrated their “50-plus two” years of marriage on Monday July 10.
The couple started their “love affair” in 1968 and got married on July 10, 1971. They could not celebrate their golden wedding anniversary because of Covid, but last year, their children and friends threw them a party.
George says they were both working at Chapman’s Peak Fisheries in Hout Bay Harbour when they met for the first time, but friendship with Christina was not easy.
“On January 5, 1968 I saw her for the first time. It was love at first sight. I said hello. She said hello and asked, ‘What do you want?’ I asked to speak to her and, she said no. I did not give up. Everywhere I went I would see her and ask her if I could speak to her. She always said no.
“A month went past, and one afternoon, I was standing on the stoep and the bus pulled in and I saw her getting out of the bus. I went over, greeted her and asked if I could speak to her parents. She said no, but I went there that evening to ask her parents for permission to marry their daughter. They said yes. From there on everything went smoothly. I took her to my parents and they were satisfied with her.”
Christina says she did not want him as a boyfriend in the beginning. “But he kept on and on. The day he went to my parents, I could see that he really loved me, and so I accepted him as my boyfriend.”
George proposed to Christina in April 1971 and she said yes; her parents said yes; his parents said yes.
They went on to have a daughter, Juanita Solomon, now Gesoond, who has two sons and a daughter. They also had one son, Warren Solomon, who has one son, two daughters and a grandson.
They left Hout Bay in 1988 and went to work at Drommedaris Fisheries in St Helena Bay. They returned in 1994 and joined Weimar Fishing, which later became Sentinel Seafoods. The couple retired in 2004.
Their recipe for marriage is understanding and talking.
“Look at each other’s faults and work it out. We’re not perfect. Whenever there is a problem, we would go to our bedroom, talk it over and after sorting it out we would pray and hug each other and go on,” says George.
Christina says she is not sorry that he married her. “He’s an understanding husband, father and grandfather. He was a very hard worker and provided for all.”