How long have you been married?
Bimbo: We have been married for three years and June 16 was our anniversary.
Were you introduced to each other?
Sunkanmi: We met many
years ago. We were still youngsters when our paths first crossed. We
were still in secondary school and attended the same after-school
classes. We lost contact after a while because she relocated abroad to
further her education. We met again via social media and we took it off
from there.
Is that to say you have always had your eyes on her?
Sunkanmi: Of course I did. I liked her then but time and chance did not permit us to date.
Bimbo: We met again on
hi5 and I was not certain if it was the same Sunkanmi Omobolanle I used
to know. I confirmed when Muyiwa Ademola and some of his colleagues came
over to Dublin for a programme. I asked for his number and I was
obliged.
What was the attraction?
Bimbo: Without sounding
boastful, my husband is cute. Beyond the looks, he has a very good heart
which endeared him to me. Even though I was young when we started
dating and I did not know we were going to get married, I kept the hope
alive.
Sunkanmi: Till date, I
can’t tell what got me attracted to her. All I know is that I am very
comfortable around her and also she has a hairline just like my mother.
Since my mother is dead, that is always a big reminder.
How long was your courtship?
Sunkanmi: We dated for
about seven years and it was a beautiful time. Many people would
consider it long but it afforded us the opportunity to know each other
well. I proposed to her about two years before we had the marriage
ceremony.
How did you propose?
Sunkanmi: I just told
her I wanted to get married to her. I believe that if God is involved in
something, you will not go through any hassles. We were two young
adults who loved each other. Thank God we are together now and we are
happy. Since we got married, our feelings for each other have not
changed. Bimbo is not just my wife; she is also my best friend. She
knows a lot about me, even things my supposed close friends do not know.
I confide in her. If you put all these together, I don’t think I could
have been married to a better woman.
How convenient was it getting married to someone who is in the make-believe industry?
Bimbo: I don’t and have
never had a problem with it. From the initial, I made sure I came to
terms with the demands and dictates of his profession. I knew it was
something I had to fall in love with to be able to live with it.
Besides, I trust him so why bother my head?
Do his female fans make you jealous?
Bimbo: Not at all except
when one or two girls call consistently. At times like that, I query
his relationship with the person. He does not even have to be an actor
for things like that to happen. Even people who are not famous have
admirers.
Was relocating to Nigeria your idea or his?
Bimbo: I am yet to
relocate. I still shuttle Dublin and Nigeria but ensure I spend more
time here. It has not been easy but God has been faithful. He also
visits when his work schedule permits.
Did your family kick against your union?
Bimbo: My parents know the kind of job he does and they loved him from the outset.
What are some of those things you do that annoy each other?
Bimbo: He receives calls
late at midnight and he also likes to chat on his Blackberry at such
ungodly hours. These calls are not even business related and it really
gets me upset.
Sunkanmi: I don’t like
the fact that she makes me feel like a baby. Women like to dish out
instructions to their husbands and make him follow it to the letter. For
instance, if I park the car at the right spot and then she comes to
tell me to turn the car around for it to face the opposite direction.
It’s not as if we are going out anytime soon. What I do is give her the
key to go and move the car in whatever direction she desires.
How would you describe three years of being married to each other?
Bimbo: I would not say
it has been easy but it has been a beautiful experience. The first few
years of marriage are not the easiest because there are a lot of things
the couple has to get used to. There was a day he woke me up in the
midnight to say he was hungry. For me, that was a new experience.
Sunkanmi: For me,
nothing much has changed. I had to cut down on my outings and also
reduce my intake of alcohol. That is not to say I was an alcoholic
before we got married. Now, it’s no longer about me, I get to think
about my wife before I even think about myself.
Are you comfortable with the romantic roles he plays sometimes?
Bimbo: I tease him about
it occasionally. It’s not a bother because I know such roles will come
his way from time to time. Sometimes, he consults me before he takes up a
role but it is not binding on him to consult me because I can’t dictate
which roles he should take and those he should not take. He is a man
and is capable of taking good decisions. I accompany him to locations
but that does not happen all the time either.
Do you ever suspect him of having extra-marital affairs?
Bimbo: If such thoughts
occur, I ask him. Like those late night calls he makes, I will refer to
it if need be. If a particular number keeps calling him, I will commit
the number to memory and ask him if there is more to the incessant
calls. If he says there is nothing, I believe him wholly.
People are of the opinion that you got married quite early…
Sunkanmi: I have heard
that several times. They think being an actor; I ought to have given it
more time. What I tell them is that, I got married early because I found
the right woman. I am definitely going to get married someday and why
do I need to delay? Even my dad was surprised when I told him I was
ready to get married. I am better off as a married man because I used to
be what people call a town boy. My friends used to call me ‘baddo’.
I can tell you that a good number of my friends took the decision to
get married after I did. I was able to influence them positively.
How do you spend time as a couple?
Sunkanmi: We spend time
indoors playing board games such as Ludo and we also watch a lot of
Yoruba films. We go clubbing once in a while even though she does not
really like it.
Who is the first to apologise when you quarrel?
Sunkanmi: She is always
the first to apologise. At some point in our marriage, I got scared
because she is always quick to apologise. I spoke to a marriage
counsellor who said it is because she has a bigger heart than I do.
Do you believe in couples having a joint account?
Sunkanmi: My wife and I
have a joint account. We also have our individual accounts but the joint
account is better run by us and given greater priority. We don’t fight
or argue over money because it has never been a determining factor in
our marriage.
Apart from being his wife, what else do you do?
Bimbo: I am a businesswoman. I buy and sell in Dublin.
What are your pet names for each other?
Bimbo: I call him Babes.
Sunkanmi: I call her using her panegyrics.