Charlotte was married, but met her great love on vacation: ‘He kissed me in the sea’

“The moment I saw Barry standing on a bridge near a waterfall in Jamaica, I knew my life would never be the same. I felt a strange, inexplicable attraction. He wasn’t a guy I usually fell for, with his tattoos and a bald head. In any case, I was not looking for a crush or relationship, because I was neatly married and had been with my husband for eight years.

The fact that I was on vacation at all without my husband was unique. At that time I was working at Schiphol and saw an amazing offer: nine days in Jamaica for 800 euros. My husband didn’t want to come with me, so I asked my father. We shared a love for reggae music and this trip seemed like something to him.

Waterfall

Upon arrival at our hotel, we immediately booked three excursions in a row. On the second trip, to a large waterfall, I saw Barry standing. He was single and of all places with his mother on vacation. He himself had suggested Curaçao, his mother was eager to go to Jamaica. The guide paired us up to climb the waterfall together. We left our parents behind, for whom this was physically too heavy.

From the moment I saw him I was, as it were, drawn towards Barry, but I didn’t dare make any advances. We did not exchange more than a ‘how cold is the water’. After that day I couldn’t get him out of my head. All I knew was that he was staying at a beach resort that was a ten minute drive from our clifftop resort. With an excuse I lured my father to that beach the next day. However and wherever I searched, that tough, nice man was nowhere to be seen. There was nothing for it but to forget him; I would never see him again.

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Coincidence

Two days later, my father and I took a trip to a rum factory. To my surprise, I discovered Barry and his mother in the same van. They were in Jamaica for two weeks, could have chosen any other day and excursion, but just happened to choose this one! However, I still didn’t dare speak to Barry. On the way back I knew it was now or never. I made sure to pick the exact seats next to the aisle where he sat. Encouraged by the amount of alcohol I had ingested during the tasting, I tried flirting anyway. Barry snapped and invited my dad and me to swim with them at the resort on our last day.

On the beach, Barry had reserved two beds next to theirs especially for us. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. When he said to go for a swim, I immediately got up to go with him. In the sea, Barry took my hand and kissed me. Only then did I confess that I was married. “We’ll stop with this then,” he said. But I wanted nothing more than to kiss him. I was already madly in love.

‘fling’

The next day on the plane back to the Netherlands felt quite awkward. Just before we landed my father asked what my intention was; did he have to lie to my husband about this fling? No, no matter how difficult, I would confess it to him immediately and end the relationship. My ex didn’t understand. Just like those around us didn’t understand why I filed for divorce. Just before my vacation, we had added a floor to our house for possible family expansion. But I couldn’t go any further. I had no guarantee whatsoever that things would turn out for Barry, but I got enough signs that my marriage was wrong.

Now we are four years later and our story has become a real love story. We now have two children. I’m convinced it must be that Barry and I met somewhere in the Caribbean. There were all the turns we could have missed, but it was that one excursion that brought us together. Was that a coincidence? I prefer to call it fate.”

This article was previously published in Kek Mama.

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