Finding his wife ‘was a dream come true’

“I was born in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. At school, I was in the same class with this girl in first grade, third grade and fifth grade. You could say she was my little girlfriend. I would see her in church and think, some day I’m going to marry her. You know how it is at that age.

“We were supposed to be in sixth grade together, but they put us in different classes. That’s kind of the last time we saw each other. She moved away to New York.

“When I was in 11th grade, I moved to New York with my mom. I didn’t really like it. I moved back for 12th grade, and I was living with a friend. Since I already had enough credits, I didn’t have to go to class. So I got my diploma and started working.

“One day, this fellow invited me to church. There was this beautiful girl, and I wanted to marry her. But it wasn’t to be.

“I continued praying for a wife. And guess who walked into the church? It was the girl from elementary school, now a lady. I knew it was Michelle. As soon as I saw her I told myself, I guess this is the one.

“It must have been because she was about to get married to someone else. When she went to get her marriage certificate, they said she couldn’t marry the guy because he was already married. She didn’t know. So the two of us started dating. Before you know it, about six months after we reconnected, we were married.

“It was like we were never apart. It was awesome. She was a very sweet person. Everything I wasn’t, she was. We had five kids together.

“When she got breast cancer, they wanted to give her chemo. But her veins were so small, it was kind of tough for her. In the hospital the day before she passed, she told them to take it out and let her go. So they did, and she passed on. I cried for two years.

“The funny thing is, a year or so earlier she told me, ‘When I pass, I want you to marry again.’ And I told her, ‘When I pass, I want you to marry again.’ I don’t know why she said that, unless she knew what was coming.

“I haven’t remarried. I’m thinking about it. But it’s hard because you might try to compare, and that wouldn’t be fair.

“We were together 41 years. For me, it was a dream come true.”

— Randall Bascombe