How Clive met his wife

OUR *KOSMIC STORY

It sounds like a fairy tale, but is an example of divine providence facilitated by modern technology!

Two young ladies, “Mootie” (Clive’s mother) on the left and “Girlie” (Anthea’s mother,) on the right, in Mombasa, Kenya around 1939

In 1932, two 13yrs old British school girls began an intimate deep friendship which was to last them for the rest of their lives.

Together, they inspired one another, delighting in more audacious and memorable experiences than when alone.

They spent the years of World War 2 in Kenya, East Africa, teaching at a British Colonial boarding school, and “dancing all night” with British officers from the army barracks camped on the fields nearby.

After the war, each married their favourite from the queue of broken hearted men competing for their hands.

One married an officer from Brazil, the other a Jewish refugee who lived in Kenya. So began their first long term separation, which they overcame by exchanging long letters and photographs across the oceans between Brazil and Africa.

Mootie with Clive and Anthea in Nairobi at the age of two

A few years later, the young lady from Brazil returned to Kenya to visit her parents, and show off her 2-year old daughter to her best friend.

That’s when I met Anthea. We were both 2-years old. We imagine that we made a pact to come back together when we had learned a few lessons. The lessons took us 60 years to learn!

In their 90’s, the two matriarchs finally lost contact.

The one in Brazil asked her daughter Anthea to search for her friend on the Internet. They were re-connected thanks to Google.

First picture taken together as adults. Australia, April 2012

Anthea and I set up Skype meetings between our mothers – what a thrill to see the old friends, one half blind from macular degeneration and the other forgetful from dementia, regress and chat excitedly like young girls.

After some time I summoned the courage to talk to the beauty sitting next her mother in Brazil. It was electric.

I discovered my twin soul who knows me as well as I know my own breath.

Clive and Anthea at Uluru, Central Australia, May 2012

After 4 months of long daily conversations over Skype and Facetime, she flew to Australia for a holiday to “confirm our feelings”.

We had an unforgettable and transformative experience exploring the magical desert of central Australia and sightseeing in Sydney. Six months later we were married, beginning and sharing the next chapter in our lives.

(*) The Greek meaning of the word Kosmos includes the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual realms. Ken Wilber uses it to differentiate from the cosmos or physical dimension (matter) as ultimate reality embraces the living totality of matter body mind soul and spirit.

Wedding couple in October 2012 (Umina Beach – Australia)

Clive, Mootie and Anthea reunited 60 years later in Australia

Clive, Girlie and Anthea reunited 60 years later in Brazil