Although Michelle and Ainsley were both equally sceptical about relationships when they first met, it took him getting into a scooter accident for her to realise just how much she really loves him.
Michelle shares with us their love story:
"Picture this: Two individuals. Both equally skeptical about relationships. Dating anyone and everyone, just looking for a good time.
"Yet, God was out to make a point.
"13 March 2010 was a Friday night and it was just another reason to hit the clubs. Before midnight, I was already more than a little tipsy and got in to a crowded lift that would bring me back to the club. In this confined space, a drunk dude swayed back and forth, complete with funny actions. Now, you must know that I have a tendency to laugh out loud inappropriately (the alcohol didn’t help). And laugh out loud I did. In between laughing, I somehow managed a conversation with a cute guy next to me – asking him if he was his friend. He half-answered, half-shouted, ‘I know him but I’m not here with him. Demetrius, are you okay?’ I asked if we should just leave him and high-fived to that.
"Later in the club, the cute guy was dancing near me and his moves caught my eye. Normally a guy dances conservatively, a side-step at best. But this guy, hoo-boy – crazy moves with arms everywhere. I couldn’t stop smiling.
"The end of the night came too quickly and after all the hard work he put in to his moves, of course I gave him my number.
"The next few days were just a flurry of messages as we scrambled to get to know each other. However, late nights at work kept us from having our first date. The only way around it… was to have an ‘MC Day’. On 31 March 2010, this bright sunny Tuesday brought us across the border to Johor and we had our first date.
"Over the course of the month, we realized our strongest common ground was how little faith we had in boy-girl relationships and how much we loved the freedom of singlehood. Don’t get me wrong, we believe strongly in the basis of love but detest how relationships often sour great love. This was the hardest hurdle to get through yet before long, the world saw two skeptics of BGRs take on the greatest challenge.
"I liked that our relationship is different and mostly fun, never just a boring dinner/movie date. We keep things fresh by going for various free events on the weekends such as kite-flying festivals or underground graffiti/art exhibitions. And on many nights when we felt too caught up with the world, we took our worries to the stars on an open beach with a bottle of wine.
"Eight months in to the relationship, we were strong and steady. Yet in my mind, I wasn’t sure just how much I loved this cute guy I met in a club. And bang! Affirmation came one night. That night, he was set to meet me at 8pm. But, 8pm came and went. At 9pm, I gave him a call, and from the other end of the phone came a lady’s voice.
"Strong and steady, she introduced herself as a paramedic and told me he had been in an accident.
"Yes, I really did mean it when I said affirmation came as a bang. He had been hit by a car and thrown off his scooter. I rushed to the hospital and found him lying straight on a gurney, a blanket covering him from neck down. All I could see was a face full of blood. My heart stopped, and then dipped far below my belly. The first thing I did was to hold his feet and said, can you move your feet? Yes, I do weird things in times of panic. The worst thing I had to do after was to call his mum and tell her her son had been in an accident. My heart ached more than ever that night, but I had to stay strong for him, breaking down only when I reached home in the morning. The next few weeks were horror and the whiplash still lasts till now but I thank God there is no permanent damage – just a few battle scars to show off.
"Everybody has a moment in their relationship when they realize how much they love their partner. This was the moment for me. The moment I made a conscious decision to step forward and love him, rather than back away with uncertainty. And I am sure it was some other dark, trying moment which convinced him of his love for me.
"He has somehow squeezed his way in to my life, infecting me with his positivity and tenacity in life. When we scuba-dive, I get major panic attacks, and only he can calm me down by holding my hands (despite the instructor’s futile attempts to hold my hand). I love roller-coasters, but contemplating outside a major ride, his fear of heights can magically transfer to me; two scaredy cats. He affects me.
"We are 22 months old this Valentine’s Day and though we will be spending it many miles apart as he leaves for Abu Dhabi, I know somehow the love we found will last. A love that is further than distance, stronger than life’s tribulations and even mightier than the relationship itself. So maybe many years from now, even if this relationship fades and we move on – I know my love for him will still be around.
"And if you would believe it, we are still squabbling over whether the drunk dude is named Demetri or Demetrius. That’s the difference between you and I."
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