Driving on love

Fresh out of high school, Roshaunah Bryce was attending Garmex Academy, and one evening she boarded the No. 8 Jamaica Urban Transit Company bus to head home. It was there that she met Andrew McPherson, the bus operator. Curiosity got the best of them and it wasn’t long before Andrew was driving his way into Roshaunah’s heart.

“I was travelling on Marcus Garvey Drive that evening, heading to Portmore, when I saw Roshaunah at the bus stop. Knowing her from the area that I live in, the moment she fanned down the bus, I picked her up,” Andrew explained to Island Wedding.

Roshaunah chimed in by saying, “When I went up to pay my fare, he said to me, ‘No man, you’re good,’ and he didn’t collect the money.”

Puzzled, she sat behind him, questioning his actions. And that’s when he disclosed that she was a familiar face. “Now, I was just a girl who went to school, work, church and home; nowhere else. So, for him to say that he has seen me around was strange to me,” she said.

Despite the peculiar nature of their exchange, the bit of background information she received piqued her interest. And in a turn of events, she found herself becoming increasingly curious about the handsome stranger.

This interest was certainly mutual for Andrew, who noticed that Roshaunah wasn’t at her usual stop at Garmex the following day.

Bummed that he had missed out on her company, he was surprised to see her in St Catherine.

“I didn’t go to school that day. So when I saw the bus passing my home, I ran it down and knocked on the window. He looked around and I extended my phone to him, in order to collect his number,” Roshaunah revealed.

Andrew shared that she called him that same day. The two got to talking and soon fell in love.

For the first date, the pair went to the now closed A-Bar Restaurant and Lounge on Constant Spring Road. And although she was shy, this didn’t stop them from hitting it off. Their connection flowed naturally into a relationship.

Describing Andrew as handsome, diligent, kind, caring and supportive, Roshaunah is blown away by how in sync she is with her twin flame. “We dress alike without even planning. We even look alike,” she highlighted.

She was grateful for his support during her scholastic journey, “He assisted me a whole lot throughout my journey. I went back to school to get my degree and he helped me with that. He also helped me to buy my car.”

Enchanted by her beauty, Andrew admires how hard-working, loving, caring, determined and sassy Roshaunah is. She has motivated him to strive for better, encouraging him every step of the way to achieve his goals.

“Every relationship has its ups and downs,” he says. But Roshaunah has been by his side throughout it all and he will continue to love and support her.

As foodies, they rekindle their desire for each other through romantic dinners.

Dating since 2014, Andrew asked the love of his life to be his wife, proposing to Roshaunah eight years later.

“I was so nervous. I was wondering if I was doing it right. I braved up, bought an engagement ring and popped the question privately at home. She said yes and I am so grateful.”

As a fiancée, she went into wedding mode, planning the nuptials on her own. Although it was difficult, she said she would do it all over again.

When it came down to the dress, she said yes to a statement gown from Unions Bridal Boutique, “I ended up on Instagram in search of my dress and fell in love with the dresses from Unions Bridal Boutique. The mermaid dress that I chose was a reflection of my style.”

CELEBRATING LOVE

On December 21, Andrew and Roshaunah joined hands and connected hearts in a wonderful wedding ceremony held at Faith Assembly of God in Portmore, St Catherine. The newly-weds continued the celebrations with a festive reception at BJ’s Catering in the same parish.

Both the bride and groom agreed that their wedding exceeded their expectations; they wouldn’t change a thing. “Putting on the ring was the best moment for me, because that’s the moment it really hit me that I was marrying my soulmate,” the groom declared.

While for the bride, she enjoyed every moment of the big day. “It was a morning wedding and it ended up going all day. We laughed and we celebrated love.”

Sharing their official first dance as husband and wife to Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé’s duet, Perfect, Mrs Bryce-McPherson said the moment was magical. “We flipped our whole story, closing the boyfriend-and-girlfriend chapter, elevating from the mother-and-father chapter, because we have a child together, to start a new chapter as husband and wife. Dancing together for the first time as a married couple felt surreal.”

krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com