I first met Krystal at the Local Design/Construction (LDC) Project on Old Harbour Road in St. Catherine. The moment I saw her, I wondered, “Who is this?”. For the four months we were on the Project we never really spoke that much (even though she chatted with everyone else!). I couldn’t help but think, “Why is she avoiding me?” That feeling stayed with me throughout the entire project. Thankfully, on the next project at Orange Street, we got to work together. She was on my crew—finally! But every time I tried to talk to her she found a way to go back and talk to her friend. Over time, though, as we worked on project after project together, things began to change. One small conversation led to another, then one text led to another, then one call to another, then one video call after another… and gradually, I fell in love with her.

My first day on the Old Harbour Road LDC Project came with a surprise — because of the afternoon rain in September, the workday time moved up from 7:20am to 6am! This meant that when we arrived for the usual start time, we missed the chitchat and introductions at the beginning of the work day. At lunchtime, a sister introduced me to a great-looking guy and said, “This is Tremayne, Krystal’s brother.” From that day on, I knew I had to keep my distance so I didn’t give anything away. Week after week, I stuck to the usual pleasantries: “Hey! How’s it going?” and brief interactions during the midday rains. But everything changed at the Orange Street Project. We worked on the same crew together, and I realized I couldn’t avoid him anymore. And here we are… three years later.

My two requests for the proposal were simple: 1) it should be outside and 2) please let my nails be done! ~ Getting My Nails Done ~ Early one morning, I got a text from my nail tech that said she was giving away a free mani-pedi to the first three clients to respond. When I responded, she said yes, there was still availability. I was like great - free nails! When I finished the appointment (the Friday before the proposal), I thought Tremayne might have been behind it — but when I asked him, he kept denying it. Turns out he and Dani were behind it all. Even my nail tech was in on the surprise! ~ Getting to the Location ~ The week of the proposal was a busy one. It was the week of our Circuit Overseer’s visit and our good friends Nicole and Jermaine’s anniversary. The plan was to go to field service Saturday morning, go to the pioneer meeting in the afternoon and then have dinner in the evening at a restaurant in Mobay. I told Daddy we were going to Mobay and he said, “Oh, I have something to drop off by Sister Johnson. Since you’re going to Mobay, can you drop it off please?” So I said okay sure! As I got dressed for the dinner, I felt a strange feeling in my chest. No one was rushing, everyone else was ready, and I had this weird feeling that everyone knew something I didn’t — and usually, I’m the planner in the group! I kept wondering, “Is it happening today?” The entire drive to Mobay, I was nervous… and hungry! As we got closer to Sister Johnson’s house, Dani gave her a call to let her know we’d soon be there. As we entered, Dani and I reminisced about some of the fond memories we had when Sis Johnson used to babysit us as kids. True to her hospitable self, she said, “Come on in, guys, so you can see the rest of the house!” We eventually reached the backyard overlooking the beautiful harbour… and there he was, standing on the bridge.

~ Finding the Location ~ It was finally time to start planning the proposal and ask the question I had wanted to ask from the very beginning. The hunt began to find a location — sorry, the perfect location — beautiful in nature and not too public. Family and friends scoured the internet and social media, but every location seemed to have something missing. With many prayers to Jehovah, a memory came to mind — a time when I was with the LDC team having dinner in Montego Bay at Sister Johnson’s house. It checked all the boxes for what I was looking for. ~ Planning the Surprise ~ This was the tricky part. Krystal not only has the beauty but the brains — and I’m like plastic wrap when it comes to her; she sees right through me! Nonetheless, the plan had to be executed. ~ The Game Plan ~ - Nicole & Jermaine: Invite her to have dinner in Mobay. - Brian Boothe: Ask her to drop off something by Sister Johnson. - Tremayne: I’ll be “busy” on the day of the proposal, but still in communication throughout the day. ~ Proposal Day ~ Everything was set. It became quiet — too quiet — and with no more distractions, it began to sink in: I’m really about to ask my love to marry me. Thump thump thump — my heart started beating louder than the waves of the sea. Thump thump thump — as I heard her voice getting closer and closer. Thump thump thump — when I saw her come around the corner. Krystal joined me on that bridge and said “Yes!”, making it one of the happiest days of my life.