FOR Reinet Bekker, there was something special about the man she saw standing next to a red car in the middle of the road outside her granny’s house.

Before moving from Johannesburg to Durban, Reinet said she had a premonition of a tall, dark-haired man standing beside a red car. Little did she know that the man she would see a few days later would become her loving husband.

“I was standing at my granny’s front gate when a red car pulled up in the middle of the road and Frikkie got out, leaving the car door open. The sight left me stunned, as I recognised the man from the dream. It was a moment of déjà vu.”

Reinet grew up in Queensburgh, while Frikkie was born and bred in Ashley.

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According to Frikkie, their love story began when one of his friends spotted Reinet and told him she was a lovely girl who lived in his road.

“I confidently replied that all the girls on that road belonged to me.”

At a party, Frikkie and his friend made a bet, and Frikkie decided to ask Reinet out. “She said yes, and the rest, as they say, is history.”

The couple started dating in 1974 and married on October 9, 1976, at the NG Kerk Hillary, a week before Reinet’s birthday.

Although Frikkie was allowed to visit Reinet at home, taking her out was not always easy, as her father was very strict. “He said he couldn’t trust me,” joked Frikkie.

Over the years, the couple have shared many interests, including camping, hunting and travelling. They also worked together to build and renovate several houses in the Pinetown and Hillary areas.

The couple spent most of their married life in Ashley before moving to Hillcrest eight years ago.

Frikkie worked for an engineering company, but after hours, the couple would spend their time building and renovating houses.

“Even when the babies were small, I would put them in a pram and take them with me while we were working and renovating homes. We have always worked together and done things together,” said Reinet.

Both are creative and enjoy working with their hands. Alongside renovating homes, they have refurbished furniture and tackled numerous projects together. Frikkie is particularly skilled at steelwork and woodwork and still enjoys refurbishing furniture and making things around the house.

In his younger days, Frikkie played rugby and participated in athletics to keep fit, while Reinet spent most of her working life in the clothing industry. She discovered her love for sewing at an early age, making her first dress when she was just 11 years old.

The couple have also endured difficult times during their marriage. One of their greatest challenges was losing their son 16 and a half years ago.

“The challenging part of our marriage was when we lost our son. That was a very trying time,” said Reinet.

Today, they are grateful for their daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter, who are an important part of their lives.

To mark their 50th wedding anniversary, the Bekkers celebrated with family and close friends. In keeping with their tradition of sharing good food and happy moments, Frikkie prepared one of his specialities, curry, which he learnt to make from a former builder, Percy Govender.

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