Elderly lovebirds prepare to tie knot

As she sat on a bench on the beach where her nuptials will take place next Saturday in Prospect, St Thomas, 84-year-old Rena Failey ensured that her gold engagement ring was visible to all.

She blushed like a teenager in love and placed her left hand on the thigh of her fiance, 70-year-old Ephraim 'Sighta' Manderson. After Saturday, she will only answer to the name 'Mrs Manderson'.

"Mi very happy man. Mi nuh see mi wedding dress yet but mi soon go try it on. It deh up by [social media influencer] Noel [Young] yard and is dere mi ago get ready and him wife ago do mi make-up and hair. She ago fix mi up and put on mi lace wig," Failey said.

The couple met almost two years ago via Young's TNation Facebook page. Young uses his page for charity purposes and often hosted an entertainment package where Manderson and Failey are featured.

"When mi realise say him (Manderson) like her, him tell mi say him nuh think him want any more relationship unless is her. Him tell mi say him want a ring fi her but mi still never know say him serious with the married ting. We always a trouble dem say dem like each other," Young said between laughter.

Manderson said he got a hint that Failey had her eyes on him for a while but he waited for the right opportunity to make his move.

"More time mi a dance and she come dance with mi and nobody else suh mi follow her go home one night when she sick and a it dat," Manderson said. On Thursday, More than a dozen persons were observed preparing the shoreline for the couple's big day. There is room to hold more than the 150 guests who are expected to attend. The event is also expected to attract thousands of viewers on Young's page.

When THE WEEKEND STAR first featured the couple late last year, Failey thought she was 72. However when Young sought a copy of her birth certificate from the Registrar General's Department, her true age was revealed. She will be celebrating her 85th birthday on her wedding day. But according to Manderson, age is merely a number.

"When mi meet har, a never age mi did notice, mi not even did check on the age suh mi nuh care she a how much. Mi younger than her but a probably she ago be the stronger one to take care of mi inna real life," he said. "Mi wish a did now mi a married, like today. Mi is a fisherman, so after mi married mi gonna go back to sea and take care of mi wife because a mi job that. Everything nice between us but yuh know say sometimes we argue, but after that we alright.

For their honeymoon, they will be travelling to a resort on the north coast for three nights of pure romance.

"Mi have mi sexy nightie put down and ready and mi just ago take it out and put it on. Mi a go be 85 but mi still have it. Mi nuh need any help from no one in the bedroom, mi can move around just right," she said.

During the interview, the couple gushed over each other and Manderson could not keep his hands off his woman. He lovingly watched as she walked closer to the seaside in her 'baby doll' dress. He caught up with her and fixed the collar of her denim jacket before holding her hands. He then held her close and for approximately 45 minutes, they slow danced to the music from the likes of Lionel Richie and Kenny Rogers.

Even though neither has any children, Manderson said their love is sufficient.

"Even if a mi knee mi did a crawl on, mi did still ago get married to Rena. And if mi dead before the wedding day, dem have to married mi same way and put the ring on the cold finger. If she dead, mi ago married her same way. Mi love har," Manderson said.

Among their supporters is Manderson's 96-year-old neighbour Talecita Cornwall. She told Failey to cherish their vow and offered words of advice.

"May God guide and protect dem. May they live in peace and unity. Mi nuh wah hear say unno married today and tomorrow one deh east and di next one west. Anything you and yuh husband have, talk it over. Sighta miserable but Rena when yuh hear him a talk, don't pay him any mind," Cornwall said.