BY JE’DON HOLLOWAY-TALLEY | Special to the Birmingham Times
BERNITA & RODNEY FRANKLIN
Live: Hueytown
Married: Dec. 27, 2014
Met: July 2008, at UAB Hospital, where Bernita was working as a unit secretary, and Rodney as a physical therapy assistant in the Gastrointestinal Surgery nursing unit. However, it wasn’t until September 2008 that they crossed paths.
“Me and my coworker were called to the unit to see some patients and my coworker, who was like a mother to me, said ‘Rod, don’t look, but that secretary is checking you out’,” Rodney recalled. “I looked anyway and caught Bernita looking at me and I thought she was very attractive. So later that evening, I made my move.”
“He called the unit and asked for me and when I got on the phone, he said, ‘This is Rodney, the cute therapist’, Bernita laughed. From there, the two exchanged numbers.
First date: October 2008, at Buffalo Wild Wings on Highway 280. Bernita was just getting off work when they decided to meet at her cousin Chiquita’s place on the Southside. Rodney recalled that it was nearly midnight when they met up.
“I wanted someone to meet who I was going out with before I got in the car with him and Chiquita’s apartment was close to where I worked, so we met there,” Bernita said. “I parked my car, he met my cousin, and I got in the car with him.”
“We ordered some wings and fries and sat around and talked; we were there until they closed at 2 a.m.” Rodney said, “we didn’t really want to leave.”
“It must’ve been love at first date because I had just worked an eight-hour shift and was there til 2 a.m., and still didn’t wanna leave,” Bernita laughed. “It was all uphill from there,” said Rodney.
The turn: Nov. 20, 2008, at Rodney’s father’s house in Hueytown. The two were sitting in Bernita’s car listening to music. “He was playing ‘Love Brings Changes‘ by Jamie Foxx, and he looked at me and said, ‘I love you’, and I was shocked, but I didn’t say it back,” Bernita laughed. “I wanted to, but I didn’t.”
“She was so nervous her legs was shaking,” Rodney laughed. “I could tell she wanted to say it back, but that didn’t matter … I know what we were feeling in the moment and I kissed her, and she kissed me back, and I asked her would she be mine.”
“That’s the night we fell in love. And we knew it was real when we both changed our phone numbers to cut off [exes and other entanglements],” Bernita said.
The proposal: Dec. 28, 2012, at Mugshot’s in Vestavia Hills. In previous weeks, Rodney had gotten her mother and father’s blessing on having her hand in marriage.
“It was a cold rainy day, and we were outside on the patio at Mugshots, and everybody was there from friends to coworkers and family. And I made an announcement that I had a new job proposal and was going to be moving to Florida, and Bernita had the biggest attitude,” Rodney said. “She interrupted my speech and said ‘you ain’t tell me none of that’, [and I continued] and said, ‘I want you to be a part of my job journey as my wife’ and she started tearing up,” Rodney said. “My brother passed me the ring and I got down on one knee and said ‘Bernita, will you be my wife?’, and she said ‘yes’. And after she hugged me for 10 minutes straight, when she finally let me go, I told her ‘we ain’t going nowhere, I just wanted to get you worked up,’ and she slapped me on my head.”
“I was in awe. I was speechless and overjoyed. It was total happiness,” said Bernita.
The wedding: At First Baptist Church of Ensley, officiated by Reverend Bruce Henderson Sr., of Shiloh Baptist Church, in Brighton. Their colors were turquoise, black, ivory, and silver.
Most memorable for the bride was being unable to contain her emotions as she walked down the aisle. “…I was looking so pretty but had the ugliest cry on my face,” Bernita laughed. “I was so full inside and I was trying to hold back the cry, but it just came out so ugly. And when I looked back at the video I was like ‘why didn’t nobody tell me I was looking like this crying coming down the aisle?’”
Most memorable for the groom was trying to take the mental focus off his aching bones. “While I’m standing there, I was thinking, if they don’t hurry up and get my wife out here I’m gone [lose it], because my knees and my feet were killing me. But finally, she came down the aisle, and I was like ‘it’s showtime.’ Also, we were an hour late to our reception because our limo driver forgot to come pick us up.”
“His [the limo driver] only job was to be at the church at the end of the wedding waiting for us to come outside and take us to the reception and no one showed,” Bernita added. “We had to call the company and the owner had to get up out of his bed and come pick us up and take us. Our order wasn’t placed right, and their books had no knowledge of our wedding. By the time we got there, we had missed the whole hors d’oeuvres hour, I didn’t get to do my father daughter dance, and me and Rodney had to go right into our first dance.”
Words of wisdom: “Number one, communication. Two, prayer, and three, continue dating,” Bernita said. “When you continue dating, you continue to assure one another of your satisfaction with each other. When you’re on dates, you look nice, you’re lovey dovey, it’s like you take it back to the dating stage and you’re complimenting one another. That’s important.”
“You don’t have to do it every day but have frequent check-ins with each other to ask what things you need to work on to do better, and [ask] where you’re making improvements,” Rodney said. “Talk to each other, not at each other. And be honest so you can grow. And yes– give daily compliments because if you don’t, you better know that someone else will.”
Happily ever after: The Franklin’s attend Mount Ararat Baptist Church in Ensley, where Rodney serves as a Deacon, and Bernita as a Deaconess and the praise team. They have two children, Rodney Franklin III, 8, and Ryleigh, 3.
Bernita, 41, is a Pratt City native, and Ensley Magnet High School grad. She attended Alabama State University where she studied social work, and has worked for UAB Hospital as an office service specialist for the last 18 years.
Rodney, 40, is Birmingham [Brighton] native, and Pleasant Grove High School grad. He attended Jefferson State Community College where he earned an associate’s degree in applied science, and works for UAB Hospital as a licensed physical therapy assistant. Rodney also works as a CPR instructor, facilitating classes at local churches, rec centers, and other organizations.
“You Had Me at Hello’’ highlights married couples and the love that binds them. If you would like to be considered for a future “Hello’’ column, or know someone, please send nominations to Barnett Wright bwright@birminghamtimes.com. Include the couple’s name, contact number(s) and what makes their love story unique.
