Husband sends special message to wife of 40 years
"When I saw her sitting at the dinner table, I was sure in my mind that this will be my wife," said Piet
The truest love and purest devotion extends beyond the vow of ‘in sickness and in health’.
In the late 70s, a young Piet Mollentze was serving as a fireman on the railways when the carburetor of his Ford Taunus required some work. A train driver he was familiar with was able to assist and upon being invited to the house to talk automobiles, Piet would end up staying for dinner. Sat at the table, was Patricia, a young women who would light a fire Piet could never extinguish.
Piet and Patricia Mollentze will be celebrating 40 years of marriage on Sunday, December 12. Settling in Witpoortjie in 1992, they have one child, Shaun, who was born in 1990 and now works as an air-traffic controller in Australia.
“When I saw her sitting at the dinner table, I was sure in my mind that this will be my wife,” said Piet, retelling the story from the very same living room suite they purchased after getting married. Now retired after 44 years of driving trains, Piet spends most of his time gardening, doing housework and tending to his vegetable garden. The bulk of his time, however, is taking care of his beloved wife. Sadly, Patricia was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and dementia 10 years ago and has been unable to speak for roughly five years. A lover of tennis, badminton and gardening, Patricia had been a bank employee and is now fiercely guarded by a little dog named Rambo. “I just want to say thank you to her for putting up with me for 40 years. I wish she could understand how much she means to me,” said a teary eyed Piet.
“Like all households we had our ups and downs but there was always respect and we made sure never to go to sleep angry. Sometimes she may have wanted to kill me, but never divorce me,” he joked. Dedicated to the love of his life, Piet had fitting advice for their son, Shaun, on his wedding day.
“Treat your wife the same way as I have treated your mother,” mused Piet, something he is sure Shaun is upholding. Piet’s final thank you was to the Almighty, saying, “I just want to thank God for giving me this lovely wife”.
