Just short of 8 years is a lot to sum up!
The fiRst tiMe WE Met
It all began at Artisan - a perfectly respectable venue for what would become a slightly less respectable level of punctuality. Jason arrived a casual 20 minutes late (traffic, he insists), while David had already reached the important life milestone of falling in love at first sight.
Over pizza and a few beers, the conversation flowed easily, helped, no doubt by the mutual decision that carbs and hops are the foundation of any strong relationship. But the real highlight of the evening? David's undeniable pride and joy: his Fiat Tipo, Julietta. Naturally, Jason was taken on a post-dinner victory lap around the block.
Not to be outdone, Jason promptly insisted that David experience his Ford Fiesta, Felicia - same route, different horsepower, equal enthusiasm, and more comfort. Because nothing says "this could be something serious" quite like a competitive car show-and tell.
At some point after the second lap and the lingering conversation, David made the first move and kissed Jason - clearly deciding that a six hour date was more than sufficient to seal the deal.
AND THEN... in a plot twist no one saw coming, Jason disappeared. For two full weeks. Not because the date went badly-but because, as he later claimed, he was "tying up loose ends." (Interpret that as you will.)
Fortunately, some stories are too good to end that quickly.
It didn't take long for David to upgrade himself from "frequent visitor" to permanent resident in Jason's tiny apartment - effectively occupying both his heart and, more noticeably, most of his cupboard space.
Not long after, in February 2020, we welcomed home our first little princess: Seiko Britney. A name chosen with great confidence and later met with what can only be described as deep personal regret (on her part obviously). Seiko quickly established herself as an independent queen - very much aligned with Jason's personality. She demands to be loved, admired, and worshipped... strictly on her terms, her schedule, and with absolutely no negotiation.
Then, in June 2021, along came Tissot Miley - marking the second time Seiko was utterly horrified by life decisions made without her consent. Adjusting to a sibling wasn't easy, and at one point Seiko expressed her feelings by attempting a dramatic four-story window escape (she's fine, just emotionally wounded). Over time, she's learned to tolerate Tissot... which, in Seiko terms, is basically unconditional love.
Tissot, on the other hand, arrived bursting with affection from day one-clearly inheriting every ounce of David's personality. Her "love tank" doesn't even resemble a tank; it's more like a sieve with a permanent leak, requiring constant refills of attention, cuddles, and reassurance. Personal space is not something she acknowledges as real.
Together, these two chaotic personalities have completely taken over our lives - and we wouldn't have it any other way. They are, without question, our world.
With Jason's deep appreciation for personal space during that phase of his life, things escalated rather quickly. He went from living comfortably in 50 square meters alone... to sharing 25 square meters with David... then down to roughly 12 square metres once Seiko arrived... and eventually what felt like a single decorative floor tile tucked away in the corner of the apartment after Tissot joined the chaos.
At that point, it was clear: an upgrade was necessary.
After many weeks of house hunting and accidentally touring some very interesting parts of Johannesburg, David discovered a beautiful townhouse tucked away in the tiny West Rand suburb of Radiokop. Naturally Jason immediately decided he knew better and protested the entire idea. He was unconvinced, sceptical and dramatically opposed to the finding.
So, of course, the very next morning... an offer was placed.
Soon after moving into Sherwood Village, it was time to introduce the cats to the great outdoors. Like two nervous first-time parents, we suited up in activewear, fully prepared to sprint after our feral apartment children the moment freedom hit them.
Instead, we were met with two deeply confused cats staring at the grass as though humanity had personally betrayed them. After years of porcelain tiles, they simply could not comprehend why the ground was suddenly soft, green, and moving slightly in the wind.
We even had to teach them how to climb trees. Seiko adapted reasonably well, while Tissot... did not. To this day, Tissot climbs down trees face-first with complete confidence and absolute confusion as to why gravity continues to oppose her.
Those three years in the townhouse became some of the happiest years of our lives. Probably because Jason finally had more than a single tile's worth of living space... and because it was where David truly evolved into his final form: Head of Domestic Affairs.
David and Jason have never really been known for doing things traditionally, and there was absolutely no reason to start when it came to getting engaged. The topic of marriage had actually been floating around for many years - mostly from David's side. To be fair, David mentally married Jason somewhere between the pizza and the Fiat Tipo ride back at The Artisan. Adding to the pressure were frequent reminders from Pam, Rags, Evania, David v B, and obviously David himself, all of whom seemed deeply invested in speeding the process along.
David first brought up marriage early in the relationship during a night out at a club in Pretoria, called ETC. Thankfully, Jason had consumed a brandy or vodka special by that point for the shock to completely overwrite whatever short-term memory had existed moments before. David then asked the very important question: "So... who is going to propose?"
Without hesitation, Jason confidently responded: "I'll do the proposing."
This was, of course, less about confidence and more about strategically buying himself additional time.
A very short six years later, on 6 April 2025, it finally happened.
The formula for the proposal looked something like this:
Planning: Absolutely none
Preparedness: Why?
Romance: Depends on who you talk to
Rings: Lol, that falls under planning
Surprise Factor: Scientifically immeasurable.
The evening itself started innocently enough. Jason and Rags had gone an entire week without a Brandy Special and decided that level of deprivation simply could not continue. The three of us headed to a quiet local pub roughly 400m from home for what was supposed to be a casual refuelling session. Unfortunately Zay was out of town travelling, leaving David heavily outnumbered by the Brandy Special Enthusiast Association.
A few specials later, everyone was feeling sufficiently "hydrated", but what is life without one final questionable decision? One more round was ordered to sustain the walk home and somewhere in the conversation the topic of Rags and Zay's wedding came up. Wedding talk filled the air, setting a surprisingly dangerous atmosphere.
Jason asked to look at Rags' adjustable engagement ring and became unexpectedly fascinated by how practical the whole concept was. Conversation carried on casually while Jason absentmindedly played with the ring. Then Rags climbed down from her bar stool to head to the ladies'.
In her absence, Jason, still absentmindedly, looked at David, held his hand and casually said:
"We should just get married."
David's eyes immediately widened like a bushbaby spotting a flashlight in the wild while Jason attempted to slide the ring onto his finger. David, however, was not prepared to accept a loophole proposal and insisted the official question be asked for legal and emotional purposes.
So Jason gathered every ounce of courage and said the five words:
"Will you marry me, David?"
As David revealed every single tooth in his mouth from smiling, Rags walked back out and instantly realised what had just happened. Her shock level was only slightly lower than Jason's, whose eyes were now somehow wider than David's bushbaby eyes.
What followed was absolute chaos in the best possible way: jumping, crying, laughing, disbelief, and an overwhelming amount of joy. It should be noted at this point that the engagement ring had been temporarily liberated with Rags and Zay's blessing.
The waitress came over to investigate the commotion, immediately joined the celebration, and then called the owner over - who also joined the jumping and crying. Zay was promptly dialled in from her accommodation to participate in the festivities remotely.
What was supposed to be our final brandy turned into free champagne... which then turned into free shots... because apparently the universe itself had decided this engagement deserved a proper reception.
This was never how David and Jason imagined the proposal would happen. But looking back, neither David nor Jason would change a thing. It was spontaneous, chaotic, emotional, completely unplanned, and perfectly them (and they got their own rings).
No one saw it coming.
Especially Jason!
Just as there was never any intention of doing the proposal traditionally, there was absolutely no chance the wedding would suddenly become a formal royal affair either.
While there will be a few important formalities-and one very non-negotiable item from David's side, namely the actual legal marriage part-David and Jason decided that the day should simply be about celebrating with their greatest supporters - YOU!
So, the plan is beautifully simple: a small intimate gathering with close friends and family, a lovely lunch, a couple of drinks, plenty of laughs, and the official signing of documents confirming that Jason has, in fact, successfully worked through his commitment issues.
In true Jason-and-David fashion, the schedule is also remarkably efficient. Everything should be neatly wrapped up by around 02:00 PM. No twelve-hour marathon wedding. No dramatic midnight send-off. Just good food, good people, and a legally binding agreement.
Jason, of course, doesn't really believe in things like "cut-off times" or "going home early," while David is significantly more aligned with the concept of punctuality and structure. That said, Jason may be willing to make a rare exception-especially knowing there's an after-party on the horizon and no expectation of being tucked into bed by 7pm as if it's a school night.
That being said, plans are already in motion for a "reception" - which is really just a socially acceptable way of saying after-part at another venue. The best part? Anyone who feels like joining will be welcome.
Because honestly, what better way to celebrate your wedding day than a little bar hopping as newlyweds?