Kenyan Man, 37, Speaks on His Marriage to 72-Year-Old American Woman
A 37-year-old Kenyan man who married a 72-year-old American woman has opened up about their marriage ahead of their wedding anniversary this Saturday.
Bernard Musyoki, a businessman based in Malindi, and Deborah Jan Spicer tied the knot at the registrar of marriages office in Nairobi on February 4th, 2021.
On their big day, Musyoki bought a ring worth Sh50 while Deborah spotted an old ring.
Even though Deborah is almost twice his age, Musyoki believes that theirs is true love that can conquer anything.
“I don’t have a choice on who I fall in love with. She is the perfect person, it just happens that she lives thousands of miles away,” he told a local news outlet on Monday.
“I bought a ring worth Sh50 for my wedding and my wife used the one she had. She told me she didn't mind the fact that I got a cheap ring. What mattered to her was me, her prince charming.”
Musyoki met Deborah, a resident of the US state of Michigan, on Facebook and they fell in love although friends and relatives were opposed to the relationship.
Despite being married, the love birds do not live together but they do many things together despite the long distance. Musyoki last saw his wife in June 2021.
“Our anniversary is on February 4 and both of us will go to a hotel and we will have a meal on video call. Because of time difference, she will go for lunch and I have dinner so that we can be in sync with the time difference,” he said.
“We do everything together, we shop together, take walks together, cook together, sometimes I might encounter something interesting and she is the first person I want to share it with. This has made us grow fond of each other every passing day.”
Asked about the challenges in their long-distance marriage, Musyoki said, “We experience challenges like any other relationship, sometimes I miss her so much. With distance, you don’t know sometimes what your partner is up to and so you need all the reassurance you can get.”
The man observed that when a couple trusts each other and is committed, they can overcome anything, including long distance.
“I take care of myself, I am faithful and I know my wife is faithful too. I cannot cheat on her because I know how that would hurt her and break our marriage,” he added.
Musyoki had planned to visit his wife in the US before their marriage but he was denied a Visa. He said the Visa application is a long and rigorous process requiring proof of the relationship as well as financial records.
“It was hard saying goodbye and not knowing when we’ll see each other next. I hope we can finally be together soon, she is the best thing that ever happened in my life,” he said.
“Good communication is key, don’t let a day pass without communication. If you can meet each other’s communication needs, you can feel like your partner actually isn’t thousands of miles away.”