Nothing happens by chance. And everything, whether we know it or not, works together for an intended outcome. Back in 2016, two Crop Over lovers Bernadette Chikowore and Steven Jemmott ended up in a fete that neither of them was supposed to be at. An uncanny introduction was the start of what is shaping up to be a love story.
“We met in 2016 in a fete – Elevate St Tropez. At our age I guess that is the standard place to meet these days. I didn’t really want to go but I had friends who were going so I went,” said Bernadette, 26.
Steven, also 26, only attended the event because of an earlier promise to one of the fete promoters.
“I don’t think either of us was supposed to be at the particular event. We just happened to be there,” he said.
Bernadette admitted to being slightly tipsy at the time of meeting Steven, blaming that feeling on what happened next.
“I came over with one of his friends and said hi to everyone and he was the only one who didn’t say hi. So quite loudly I asked my friend Liam who he was and the introduction happened. It was totally innocent,” she said with a giggle.
After that introduction, the interest was ignited and the conversation began.
As for Bernadette, “I thought he was so fine! So I wanted to know more.
“We were next to each other the entire time and just chatting. In a fete it’s kind of hard to talk but we were finding some ways to chat. He took my number and messaged me so I would have his,” she added.
Steven told EASY magazine it was Bernadette’s heritage that piqued his interest. Her mother is Ghanaian and she and her father are Zimbabwean. They moved to Barbados when she was four years old.
“When I saw her first an African song was playing. I saw her start to sing and I was shocked that she knew it. So then she told me she was African and obviously that sparked the interest. So I wanted to know more. I got her last name spot on the very first time.” And Bernadette was equally impressed that he got her last name right on the first try.
Within a week, a friendship between the advertising executive [Bernadette] and the mobile application developer started to blossom.
“I messaged him on the Tuesday after to say hi and telling him maybe I would see him around since we had a mutual friend. At the time I was working for myself as a nanny and I had just gotten a contract to work at Starcom Network so I wanted to go to the beach before I started working. And I told him I wanted to go and he said cool let’s go so we had a nice little beach date,” Bernadette said.
Steven asked the girl he fell in love with to be his girlfriend six months later, but not in the way Bernadette expected, so he ended up having to ask her twice.
“I would still babysit on weekends for anyone who still really needed the help. And I was telling him about the kids I was dealing with and he said ‘I can’t have my girlfriend dealing with this’. And I was, like, ‘He didn’t just ask me to be his girlfriend via WhatsApp!’ So I ignored it completely. And when I saw him the next day or something he said you didn’t respond to my question. And I told him I wasn’t sure what he was asking. And he asked officially and I was, like, yes,” she said to a shared chuckle.
They have been a couple for just over a year now and they are enjoying every moment together.
“It’s been really good. A lot of people thought we were together for much longer. I think when you been through relationships that were awful you kind of know exactly what you want,” Bernadette said.
Steven added, “We haven’t really had any challenges. Our schedules clash a lot. She lives in Bagatelle, St Thomas, and I live in St Joseph. The only challenge we really have is time. The blog enables us to spend time together as well as we explore parts of the island.”
The love between the two is evident and it’s no surprise that Steven
is already thinking marriage.
“Of course I plan to propose. I can’t say the particular date but it’s on the cards for sure very soon,” he said.
A blushing Bernadette told EASY magazine from very early she knew
he was going to marry her.
“I said from the get-go that he was different. I told my mum I met this guy and he’s going to marry me and I still believe that to this day,” she added.
Steven, who held Bernadette close to his side during the entire interview, said he loves her confidence and it was one of his favourite things about her.
“My favourite thing about her is her confidence. My sister had
to be with me at work and obviously she couldn’t stay for too long and Bernadette offered to take her with her and very quickly my sister could tell me how she really likes her. My sister is a very shy person, so the fact that she could see that right away was, like, yeah,” he said while rubbing her shoulders.
Bernadette loves Steven’s genuine heart.
“Steven is very sweet and considerate. He just always wants to make sure you are OK. He tends to put me first always. From the moment I met him he was like that. He’s a true gentleman in every sense of the word.
If you think chivalry is dead, it isn’t, because I found it in him. He always wants to do something for me and I thought it was very refreshing.”
The couple also have a blog together, Bottled Sunshine, which also brings them even closer together.
“The blog initially started out as an escape route from work for Bernadette. She wanted something to do outside of work life and I would just help her out with some things. We travelled to St Lucia together and from there it took a particular theme,” Steven said.
And although the blog is being revamped, they already have travel plans in place for this year to gather content.
“We definitely have St Vincent on the cards for Easter weekend. We also have California planned as well,” Bernadette said.
And as the couple forges ahead with their relationship, they hope to remain open and honest with each other. This, they said, was key if the relationship was going to survive.
“I hope we can always speak to each other the way we do now. There’s nothing I hide from her. I’m always open and honest. I really hope we don’t ever hide things from each other,” Steven said.
Bernadette added, “We are very honest and candid. It’s not what you say but how you say it. I like our very fun nature. We have this very calm way of being with each other. It’s organised but it’s spontaneous at the same time.” (DB)
