As the world pauses to celebrate Valentine’s Day, a day dedicated to love, devotion and companionship – one Durban couple stands as living proof that true love does not fade with time, age or circumstance.
At Mothwa Haven Retirement Home, where laughter and memories echo through the corridors, Jennie (81) and Adriaan Fourie’s love story continues to unfold — just as it began more than seven decades ago, on a quiet street in Umbilo.
It was love at first sight. The Fouries met as children between the ages of 10 and 15 on Bartle Road, where young Jennie was sent by her parents to run errands at a nearby shop. While time has gently softened some of Jennie’s memories as she now lives with dementia, Adriaan remembers that moment with remarkable clarity.
“I remember it as if it was yesterday,” he said with a smile. “Jennie was walking down Bartle Road, and I used my bicycle pump like a telescope to get a closer look at her. I fell in love instantly and decided I had to speak to her.”
For young Jennie, the attention from an older boy was initially confusing. But Cupid, it seems, never misses.
“After a few days, we became friends,” Adriaan recalled. “I then asked to meet her parents. I was living with my father and two older brothers after my mother passed away, and Jennie agreed.”
That meeting marked the beginning of a bond that would last a lifetime.
Born into a family of five, Jennie was warmly embraced by her siblings, and by her parents, who welcomed Adriaan as one of their own. Years later, when he asked her father for her hand in marriage, he feared rejection.
“I thought he wouldn’t agree,” Jennie recalled during a nostalgic moment. “But after knowing Adriaan for so many years, my father was happy for us — and from then on, he became our son.”
In July 1965, Jennie and Adriaan Fourie were married, their stars aligned for a journey that has now spanned 57 years of marriage — and counting.
Together they built a beautiful family, raising three daughters; Lee, Tanya and Nicole, and today they are proud grandparents to Bodi, Challan, Kade and Chad.
“I am incredibly proud of my daughters,” Adriaan said. “Meeting my wife at such a young age and walking through life with her never changed how I felt from the very first day.”
The couple attended the same primary and high school, and for most of their married life, only spent hours apart when Adriaan went off to work.
“I always knew that when I came home, Jennie would be waiting for me,” he said. “I love everything about my wife.”
Jennie, smiling softly, added with humour, “Despite my husband’s pink toes and green eyes, nothing has changed. I still love and care for him.”
Asked if there is a secret to loving the same person you fell in love with at first sight, even decades later, the couple answered simply: “Just love them the same way every day.”
This Valentine’s Day, Jennie and Adriaan are looking forward to celebrating with their daughters and grandchildren, enjoying music with fellow residents and taking part in the Valentine’s Bingo event at the retirement home.
Their message to couples young and old is heartfelt and timeless: “Be steadfast. Be happy. Be in love. Have fun and enjoy life, no matter what age you are. Happy Valentine’s Day.”cc
