‘I knew he was gonna be a great dad to our children’

For Precilla Reijke and Rainel Woerdings, family is everything. Being a part of each other’s lives for the past 30 years, the pair have lived through births, loss and a myriad of major milestones. Now the pair are taking on another challenge: marriage.

Though based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, the couple decided to come back to the site of their healing after the loss of their son Zosar to tie the knot in a most unconventional way. Precilla and Rainel were one of 19 couples that got married at the MSW Mass Wedding at the Hope Botanical Gardens on Friday.

Unlike many of the other couples, this cross-continental has a storied past spanning three decades and two countries.

First meeting in 1992, Precilla said he was the first boy that she had to look at twice. While he enticed all her youthful sensibilities, Rainel said at 14 years old he thought she was the most beautiful girl in all of Suriname.

Quickly becoming pen pals the two sent letters from Suriname to The Netherlands, keeping each other updated on their lives. Rainel kept Precilla updated when he became a father in his late teens, career moves he was making and everything she would need to feel close to him with an ocean between them. Seven years after their initial meeting Rainel returned to Suriname and laid eyes on her once again.

“That was the first time we saw each other again but we were both in a relationship so we were respectful of it,” Precilla recalled.

‘The time of my life’

Three years later the pair met up in Curaçao. “We spent the whole summer together,” Precilla said beaming. Rainel chimed in, “I even extended my trip. I went for two weeks but when she came I said no, I need to extend [it]. I put my self in debt but I said no, this is the time of my life.”

Soon meeting each other families and spending all day on the phone together, Rainel said they quickly became inseparable. In a mere matter of months Precilla packed up her life and moved to Amsterdam to be with the man of her dreams.

Now looking back, Precilla says she fell in love because of just how good of a man he is.

“When he became a dad I saw that he’s so responsible and I became a permanent bonus mom, so that’s what made me fall even more in love with him. His son came and lived with us and he took the responsibility and I knew that he was gonna be a great dad to our children.”

The pair now have three living sons between them, after the loss of their son Zosar in 2018.

“It was difficult for us both. But like I said, we grew together and we became stronger. We came to Jamaica for eight weeks and I found my healing here. I went to the Roaring River, my good friend brought me there, she said ‘I know exactly what you need’ and that was exactly what I needed. We just stayed here and cried and healed together and prayed. And after that we had a new surprise, a little bundle of joy again. Life is full of surprises.”

Rainel added, “That made us stronger. Being there for each other in life. I knew that I need to be there for her and support her.”

Now the pair have two living sons together, Rainel’s son from a previous relationship, a grandchild and a new grandson on the way.

Having tied the knot in the land of their healing, they say their life will now mirror the last 20 years of their life with love, growth and patience.

shanel.lemmie@gleanerjm.com