Michael's persistence finally paid off. Karlene became his wife on April 14. - Contributed

Nashauna Drummond, Lifestyle Coordinator

March 26, 2003, is a date Karlene Thompson will never forget. After two years of saying no, she finally decided to go out with Michael Williams. That date changed everything. "We talked for hours and hours from about 6:30 until 11:30 p.m. When he dropped me home, he was the prefect gentleman. He asked if he could call me when he got home. He did and we talked until I began yawning. He called me in the morning, in the afternoon and night the next day. He was very persistent." That was the beginning to a three-year relationship that ended in marriage for Karlene and Michael.

PERSISTENT

Karlene met Michael when she began working at Power and Tractors Ltd. (Powertrac), on Spanish Town Road in March of 2000. As a personal rule, she never dates persons whom she works with. That June, he called her and said, "I don't work there anymore."

He then began calling her every day. He constantly asked her out but she said no. For one, she was dating someone else, and she found him very pushy. At first she was flattered then annoyed. After two years he stopped calling her. This prompted her to pick up the telephone. The first thing he did was ask her out and she accepted. "I called him just to say 'hi, how are you?' He asked to see me that Saturday and I said OK. We went out with open minds at first because by then we had become very good friends."

FAMILY BOND

As the relationship progressed, she knew Michael could be the one. "I knewhe was different and could be the one. He's warm and sweet and he doesn't get upset," gushes Karlene. She also fell in love with his family. "He introduced me to his family and the closeness of his family was different. They have this bond like a family you wanted to be a part of."

That materialised in November 2006 when he proposed. The couple got married on April 14, at Portmore Missionary Church. The ceremony was officiated by Rev. Garnet Roper.