True Love Never Fails

I was reading the March 2008 Reader's Digest just last night before I went to bed. Flipping through pages after pages, I looked for titles that actually attracted me. Then, this article entitled 'An Unbreakable Bond' caught my eyes.

In short, this story brings about a lady and a man who were meant to be together right from the beginning even though there were so many obstacles between them. It was not an ordinary love story I shall remind you. There was more to it.

It revolves 2 orphans who met in a children's home in Sunderland, UK. The boy, Alan Brogan was only four when he was put in the orphanage. His mother died of cervical cancer and his father could not cope anymore. Discipline was harsh in the orphanage. Then one day, a girl called Irene was led in the orphanage. At that time, Alan was seven. He felt he had known this person all his life. *wow*. Irene was nine and her mother died of tuberculosis and her father had become an alcoholic. Friendship grew deeper between them. The staff in the orphanage did everything to keep the sexes apart. The both had fun playing with each other. Then one day, Alan asked, "When we get older, will you marry me, Irene?" ..... "Yes, of course," she replied. "But you'll have to wait a fair bit"

And, one day while the two was playing and chasing each other, Alan and Irene collapsed into a tickling match. They were in serious trouble as mention earlier, discipline was tight. Alan was taken to another children's home on the other side of Sunderland. He was sad and had many questions in his mind. He had to get back to let Irene know that he hadn't abandoned her.
Eventually, Alan finished schooling and began working. He did search for Irene. However he realised he had no way to trace her. They had never known each other's surnames. Alan then got married at 28 but his marriage failed after 7 years. He didn't want to have kids. Later, he met another lady. One day, she told Alan, "There's a woman who works there (gym) who grew up in a children's home." And her name was Irene. Such an coincidence? Is she the Irene he was looking for all this while? Alan and Irene did met and had little conversation but that was it.

Alan and the lady later broke off. Irene did get married and had 2 children with Robert, a miner. But after 7 years, their marriage failed too. She drifted through other relationships but never found security. Things moved on for while. Irene wanted to tell Alan that she had always loved him but was afraid that time she might harm his relationship with ' the lady'. But later she found out that 'the lady' had passed away and that Alan had moved to Scotland. Irene had try moving on and dated other men but later she decided, If I can't have Alan. I don't want another relationship.

One sunny day on May 10, 2004, Irene was walking down a street after workout at a gym with her friend, she saw a familiar figure. She called to Alan and suddenly they were in each other's arms. Alan explained to Irene's friend, "This is the lady I loved all my life." * Awww*

They met for a dinner and had be talking about what had been happening in each other lives in the last 44 years.

Then this was what happened...

"Maybe it would be easier in future if we had all our dinners together," Alan suggested

Alan proposed formally on a beach in December 2004.

"Yes, yes!" Irene shouted.
" I said you would have to wait a fair bit," she told him.

"It was worth it," he replied.

That was how it went.....

When I read this article, it sounds rather like a fairy-tale to me. Is this story true? But then, it was published in Reader's Digest. Where can things just drop in place so easily? So, I had to believe it. I mean yeah, I always believe that True Love Never Fails. Just have faith in it.

P.s, I wrote the story a little messy-lar. You have to read the original article.

Signing off,
Jo Lyn.