3 married couples take Kutlwano into their closets

Source : Kutlwano

Author : Ndingililo Gaoswediwe

Location : Gaborone

Event : Valentine\'s Day interview

Her hubby chips in to explain that he first saw her when she used to work for RB2. A week later he saw her at the shops and later at Holy Ghost Church. “The first look…something clicked, ‘that`s my wife` and I started waiting by the gate after every service just to see her,” narrates Sydney.

Because love is patient, it took him two months to get her contacts. He did not have the guts to face her and a friend came to his rescue to get him a contact number. Sydney says he texted her and he got pushed aside. He followed his heart to take action to win and this time he texted, “Kante o ntshokodisetsang? You gonna be my wife” Oops! Another two months without communication and this time he decides to show that he is serious about her , “tota kgaitsadiaka, I don`t wanna date you, I want to build a family, I have searched and you are the one,” he texted again.

The two started communicating and that is how their spark started growing and a year down the line Sydney proposed because what he loved to see was enough and wanted to prove wrong all who viewed him negatively. Khumo explains that it takes a lot to say “yes” to a guy, it`s scary because no one wants to get hurt. “Ne ke bona le GC, ke ipotsa gore ke eng a ntshalatshala morago ntswa banyana ba tletse and that`s why I brushed him aside.”

She never spoke to him until she got to know him better. Like most girls, she did her mini research and 99.9 per cent of those she spoke to described Sydney as a nice guy with good personality. She gave the green light after putting him through all that. And according to Khumo that is because love is something that one should not rush into. Cosmetic love? A big NO from Khumo. Love is not about the looks rather trust, patience and appreciating your partner`s personality.

Valentine`s plans? Sydney says he first celebrated Valentine`s Day last year and describes it as less important because it was like a day like any other. This year he aims to up his game though he says women are easy to please because they like little things like attention and feeling appreciated. Indeed it`s going to be a unique Valentine`s Day for the youthful couple whose love for each other is quite evident more so that a bambino is on the way.

REAL LOVEBIRDS -  Nnyaladzi & Boitumelo Thomas
The couple has a hot, crazy spark of love that many display at the start of a relationship. Or one would expect such from crazy in love teens. However, for Nnyaladzi and Boitumelo the fire of love has been burning for almost 10 years of their marriage life.

Though Boitumelo`s husband is laid back, one can link his wife to a Type B personality theory. The ecstatic mother of two girls shares their love life with Kutlwano. The two met in a Gaborone mall in 2003 where Boitumelo used to work as a sales person in one of the clothing stores. By then she was 25 years old and her hubby 12 years older.

“O ntheile a re o montle, O tswa kae ko gae? Mpha mogala ke nne ke cheka sale kante ene o itse gore o kwaisitse eng.” Two months elapsed without a call and the following month he phoned to check if there was a sale and he drove all the way from Francistown. Though Boitumelo says she felt that there was something more than a sale, Nnyaladzi remained a gentleman, he bought her lunch and later bought clothes from the store prior to taking a five-hour drive back to Francistown.

Later than evening Boitumelo received P100 worth of airtime and because she associates herself with rural lifestyle she felt a bit uncomfortable. That is when after a week of not communicating, Nnyaladzi expressed his feelings “gore o batla go nyala eseng girlfriend. It was love over the phone because I did not visit him or him spending a night at my place.”
Boitumelo explains that his husband saw her parents for the first time during marriage negotiations because all along she was not convinced since she suspected he might be married back home.

They started their relationship in July 2003 and got married in March the following year. For the decade they have been together, Boitumelo is based here in Gaborone while her husband works in Francistown. The over 500 kilometers distance is not a factor in their love. “O nna ko Ghetto nna mo Gabs mme go monate hela. O kile a nna le kotsi and I have been supportive all the way.”

For Valentine`s Day plans, Nnyaladzi`s lips are zipped to avoid spoiling the surprise.On their first valentine, Boitumelo received a car as a present and for their tenth valentine she is eagerly waiting because her husband usually buys big things. To “revenge”, she plans to take her hubby for a weekend out somewhere in Africa.

TEEN SWEETHEARTS - Sydney & Khumo Mogagane
It takes the love in First Corinthians 13: 4-7 to embark on a long walk of love similar to that of Tebogo alias Euri and Bonolo. They started dating at a tender age. That was when a girl would wholeheartedly appreciate a simple date at a school tuckshop, and be showered with a PS candy inscribed “I love you” or a cone ice-cream.
“I met her way back when I was schooling at John Mackenzie while she schooled at Setlalekgosi…We were teens and I was around 17 years old and Bonolo was three years younger,” reveals the humble Euri.
He later went for tertiary education at University of Cape Town and distance never became a hurdle to their relationship because the two used to visit each other. In 2008, Euri moved back to Gaborone, though having not paid the bride price for her princess, he moved in with her. The couple wedded last year and were blessed with two cute boys prior to the marriage. 
“Re simolotse back in 2001 re le bananyana ba sekolo, a ya sekolong a boa, bana ba tsholwa and he has always been loyal and faithful…he is not like the rest,” explains Euri`s longtime sweetheart.
He describes marriage as a great feeling and quips, “I don`t know why I didn`t do it earlier.”
On their first valentine as a married couple, Euri has a surprise for his lovely wife and for sure dinner is part of the package. As a musician, he explains that he has partnered with The Big 5 Lodge and Majestic 5 to coordinate their dinner that will be held under the stars with a live band serenading couples.
Is valentine a day like any other or this is just a pretext by stingy or broke people? Euri responds, “Live life, don`t be strict and stern about things. If a day is set aside, take advantage of such.”
His wife says going out for dinner has been their culture. From her side, no surprises for her hubby! “Obviously nothing,” she sums up the conversation. Ends

Teaser:

Songs have been sung, books written, poems recited, all in the name of love. It is eulogised to know no reason, no boundaries, no distance. Its sole intention is to bring people together and remain trapped in a place called forever. For the reason that the official month of love is here, Kutlwano caught up with some local Romeos and Juliets to share their love tales, marriage as well as Valentine`s Day plans.