Features

Winston and Joyce Graham ... Understand each other

By WANDEKA GAYLE, Staff Reporter

Mr and Mrs Graham - Wandeka Gayle

SHE WAS THE girl down the lane who had once turned up her nose at him, but 38 years and eight children later, 63-year-old Joyce Graham and her husband, Winston, 66, could not be happier.

While sitting in their cozy living room in Portmore Close, Winston unabashedly told of how his early rejection turned into a mellowing relationship because he had shown respect for his future bride's family as well as for the custom of the day.

"Me meet her one day and di next day mi talk to her," Winston said, "But mi ask (her parents) fi har, mi nuh jus' tek har so. Dem neva even want me stand up at dem fence and talk to her."

Joyce confided that her rejection had only been for show, and smiling, said she was simply playing hard to get. However, she had to show him that she was neither careless nor carefree. "My people dat I live wid tell me, 'Joyce, let him come inside an talk to you'," she said, "I wasn' gwine let him tek advantage o' me."

Winston laughed as he recalled the early days of courtship. "Dem strict man, dem strict!" he said shaking his head, "But dem live upright!"

Winston and Joyce told THE WEEKEND STAR that unlike many young couples they were glad that their parents all came together and discussed the budding relationship.

"Fi him mother come from St. Mary to talk to my father and mother at di Church of Christ church on Balcolmbe Drive, St. Andrew," Joyce said with a mischievous grin.

"I stay outside and hide and listen but I could not hear much."

She added that later her future father-in-law took her inside and told her, "Mi never mek no match so I not going to pull dung none." It would be two years before they actually marched down the aisle of that same church as husband and wife on January 6, 1966.

A good match

They were indeed a good match, though Winston was an active cricketer, his wife not inclined to sporting activities, and though they hardly ever agreed on anything.

"I understand her and she understand me," Winston explained simply. Both had tried to make ends meet, he as a factory worker at Sherwin Williams Company Limited and BH Paints Limited and she as a Grace Kennedy factory worker and later a custodial worker for the Naggo Head Infant School.

When they moved from Balcolmbe Drive in St. Andrew to their first home in Portmore Close 10 years later in a quest to own their own home, they spent much time transforming their one-room house into a three bedroom home.

"When we just come here to Portmore it was rough," Winston said leaning back into the sofa. "When we come here is pure wall and daub thatch house, crab, macka, an' mosquito."

"Yes, yuh fraid fi walk a night," Joyce supplied, "But me did hold di bottle torch fi him while him knock-knock on di house like Noah.

There were also other rough times ahead. Winston was made redundant in 1995 and there were times when they had to stand in line at a standpipe to catch water every day. Even worse, four years ago Joyce suffered a stroke.

Yet, through all the paralysis and pain, Winston was there by her side. Doing construction work anywhere he was needed, and still finding time to take care of his ailing wife, Winston held the family together.

"He is not a bad father and he always provide fah his family," Joyce reflected. Since then, she has been able to move around unaided but it is evident that Joyce and Winston still rely on each other for love, support and companionship.

"Di Bible did seh we must be together till either one go first (dies) or one time," Winston said smiling.