Some would say they were destined to be together.
From pre-teen years, when they were practically neighbours, their lives were entwined, and the strong ties between both families also helped to cement the link.
Little did they know that years later, they would be on a lifelong journey of togetherness as husband and wife.
The Hinksons, Kerry now 33, and Oliver, 35, tied the knot on July 26. They now look at each other and just laugh at their love story, sometimes finding it unbelievable that after the twists and turns in their respective lives, this is where they both ended up – in each other’s arms.
Growing up, Kerry and Oliver lived three houses away from each other in Sargeants Village, Christ Church, and both their mothers were good friends.
Their fathers also shared a connection, as they both worked in the construction industry.
Oliver used to frequent Kerry’s home in those early years as he and her brother were friends at the time.
The two, again as pre-teens, were even paired when Oliver’s parents were getting married.
Kerry’s family later moved out of the neighbourhood and the two continued to live their separate lives with nary a care as to how the other was.
Oliver recalls though that one day when he was about 19 or 20 years old, he went to look for his old friend.
He vividly remembered that he was at football and it struck him that he hadn’t seen her for a while. She was dating someone at the time, so when he visited, he asked about her then boyfriend but she immediately burst out in tears and he left shortly after.
Kerry also remembered a time when she “liked” his pictures posted on Facebook and she messaged him to say hello. Oliver took about three to four months to respond. It took him that long because he remembered looking at Kerry and thinking she was way out of his league.
Again, these two went their separate ways.
Then, on election day February 21, 2013, everything changed for these two.
Oliver’s mother had asked Kerry if she could work election day in the Christ Church West constituency where Dr Maria Agard was the Barbados Labour Party candidate. She didn’t hesitate to help in the task of shuttling people to vote.
At Oliver’s home, he too had been approached about working and while he said yes initially, as the time approached, he started to lose interest.
Not wanting to disappoint his mother, and having given his word, he decided against opting out.
His mother asked if he remembered Kerry and if he knew where she lived because again, these two were teamed up to work.
Neither of them knew this at the time.
Oliver believed he was to drop her to cast her vote.
Recounting the details of that meeting, the first in years, Oliver said: “Kerry just looked amazing in her red shirt and jeans.”
Still thinking he had to take her to vote, he asked if she was ready to go and she said she had already voted earlier that day with her mother.
He also remembered her asking if he had children, to which he replied: “I don’t even have a goldfish to call my own.”
Today, Oliver, who works with his father in construction, has a pet fish Sylvester while Kerry, who works with Black Up, is already a mum to ten-year-old daughter Trenyce.
Kerry tells her own story of that meeting.
“There he was in his a grey shirt and muscles everywhere. I tried to fix my hair. I was upset that I didn’t even put more effort into how I looked. I had no idea Oliver looked like this now,” she said gazing lovingly his way during EASY’s chat with the couple.
Realising that Kerry had already voted, Oliver then left, but not before asking if they could link after elections. Kerry willingly gave him her numbers, letting him know that she was single.
A call from his mother about ten minutes after alerted both of them that they would be working together. Oliver was only too happy to turn around and head back to Kerry, where he picked her up. This time, Kerry was ready to go, make-up and all.
During the drive, they both filled in each other on their lives. Kerry admits though that after a while it became a little unbearable to work with Oliver as he was teasing her throughout.
Just after lunch though, she changed her mind, recalling that by then Oliver was a true gentleman.
After celebrating Agard’s win that night with a toast at a nearby gas station, the two then spent the next day at the beach. Since then, Kerry and Oliver haven’t spent a day apart.
For Oliver, Kerry made him take a “risk”to love again.
“I have never had someone worry about me the way Kerry does. I knew she was the one,” he said lovingly.
Kerry felt the same way. So when she saw a text from Oliver that stated “I think I am falling in love with you” while she was working at the airport, she immediately teared up.
“I was so excited that I told him
I was feeling the same way too,” she recalled.
She describes her husband as an “old school” type of guy who played the “waiting game”.
These two focused on their friendship first, spending time hanging out and talking on the phone.
“I just didn’t want to jeopardise what could have been,” quipped Oliver.
To seal the deal, he proposed to Kerry at the Olympus Cinemas. This was no ordinary engagement.
The special moment unfolded on the big screen.
Kerry recalls sitting eating her popcorn and seeing a picture of herself pop up on screen and saying, “This person looks a lot like me”.
It was indeed her.
Then, the words she had written to Oliver sometime on Facebook also appeared.
“I was confused and of course I am not thinking engagement at that point.
“When I looked up, I saw Oliver on one knee with a ring in his hand. I was in shock and I started to cry.”
By this time people were clapping and moments after Kerry said “yes”, glasses of wine appeared and there was a toast. The rest, they say, is history.
Oliver and Kerry say their new journey feels like a continuation of one they had already started.
With plans to have one child, this couple say they intend to continue to live every day to the fullest, laughing about new things.
