you know who is the boss right

nice6boyt7

Love lives here, was the first thought that crossed my mind as I entered the home ofMr. and Mrs. Miguel Ambrose Younge84-year old Miguel and Uraline Younge of Hopetown, Amelia’s Ward, Linden.The couple celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary last Thursday.The evidence of that love was everywhere-it emanated from the soft soulful music playing on the stereo, hovering relatives waiting on the couple, the dozens of family portraits adorning the living room walls and the endless stream of friends and well wishers who dropped by for an anniversary visit.Miguel and Uraline are indeed a perfect match as their school teacher proclaimed over seven decades ago, while the lovebirds were still in school.Mind you, the two were in no way connected at the time, except as fellow students of the school. The teacher’s remarks simply stemmed from the fact that both students were the same age, and were born on Christmas Eve and Christmas day respectively.Both of the Younges look incredibly young for their age. They are convinced that their long lasting union is due to the fact that they always listen to each other, and are always willing to compromise.“No matter who wears the pants, you know who is the boss right?” Mr. Younge asked with a twinkle in his eyes.The couple was married at the age of 24, in the year 1951 at the Victoria Methodist Church on the East Coast of Demerara. Both resided on the Coast before their marriage but moved to Linden soon after they tied the knot. They made their new home in Silvertown, Wismar. They would later move to Amelia’s Ward.Miguel worked with the bauxite industry while Uraline worked as a seamstress and tended their grocery business. She later took up a position with the local Credit Union.Miguel said that he chose his wife over other girls because of her character, and the fact that even before they were married, she was already earning her own money as a seamstress.Uraline on the other hand said she loved her husband’s ‘quiet nature’ and the fact that he never got into any trouble. Being good-looking was also a definite plus!Surprisingly, even though the Younge pair attended the same schools from Kindergarten upwards, they swear that they never really ‘noticed’ each other until they were out of school.They have never had any biological children, but are blessed with a drove of children who call them mom and dad, and quite rightfully so, because these children, numbering almost a dozen, were taken in by the couple and nurtured until they were grown.Of course, many of them were the children of close relatives, but Miguel and Uraline loved and cared for them as if they were their own.“And you know how many people used to doubt when I told them the children were not mine biologically- they couldn’t believe that I would care for other people children like that. But I did, our house was always full- meantime I used to be praying for my own babies, but every time I prayed for a baby, another child would come to me, (adopted) and my husband would say, ‘but is how many children you want? Look is how much you got already. You better stop praying! (for children)’, Uraline pointed out.Today the couple has no regrets, and said if given the chance, they would do it all over again.Several of their ‘offspring’ flew into the country to celebrate the big day with “momma” and “papa” as the two are fondly called.Younge boasts that he has never been unfaithful to his wife.“When you really love somebody, you have everything, you don’t need anything else,” he declared.The Younges surrounded by members of their familyHis wife Uraline agrees, even though she confesses that there were times that she had her doubts, especially when they were younger.Most of her worries though, stemmed from the fact that ‘he liked he little drinks”.However over the years Miguel has mellowed, and is now content to just to take a little sip every now and then, and listen to the oldies.Both of the Younges enjoy the oldies, and even showed off a few steps during our discourse.They confessed that listening to their favourite songs brings back many sweet memories for them, especially the days when they went out dancing.Now they prefer to stay at home and do that- oh, and Miguel will of course take his ‘finee”! (Enid Joaquin)