Woman Falls in Love with Dirty, Homeless Alcoholic Living in a Bush, They Get Married
Most people the world over have admitted to believing in some form of love-at-first sight and the notion that two people can be in the right place at just the right time.
Though writers often allude to the fantasy of the romantic notion, one particular Swedish author got to experience a happily-ever-after of her own in a surprising way.
It was 2006 when Emmy Abrahamson was on holiday in Amsterdam, waiting for a friend, when she was approached by Vic Kocula.
The 41-year-old author admitted that it was apparent at first glance that Kocula was homeless due to his “dirty” clothes and hair.
“Straight away I could see he was homeless because he was very dirty and so were his hands and fingernails,” Abrahamson said.
“He was holding a briefcase which I thought only crazy people did, and later on I found out that’s where he held his sleeping bag and cans of beer.”
However, Abrahamson saw past all of that, recalling that she had been struck by Kocula’s “beautiful brown eyes.”
After nearly 10 minutes of conversation, it was apparent that the pair had chemistry. They agreed to meet for a date in the same place later that week.
“We started chatting and I realise he had the most beautiful brown eyes I’d ever seen and he made me laugh straight away,” Abrahamson added.
The pair’s relationship developed over a picnic lunch where Abrahamson learned all about Kocula’s story and how he’d become homeless. It was at that moment her relationship with the rough sleeper would develop.
An American, Kocula had run out of money while backpacking through Europe. Not yet ready to head back home to the states, Kocula resorted to a life of homelessness — and eventually fell into a heavy drinking habit.
“The wheels fell off and the alcoholism kicked in heavy,” Kocula said. “It was such a gradual turn that one day I realized: ‘Oh my God, I’m a homeless alcoholic.’”
Yet soon after their first date, Abrahamson had to return to Vienna where she lived at the time, fearing all the while that she’d never see Kocula again. She gave the man her number, holding out hope in case he decided to call.
That action served her well when, three weeks later, Kocula called her to announce that he’d made the journey all the way to Austria to find her.
Over a decade later, the couple are happily married with 6-year-old twins, Til and Desta. Kocula even went back to school and retrained as an electrical engineer.
Seeing no better way to tell her story, Abrahamson eventually penned a book about the pair’s unlikely romance, appropriately titled “How to Fall in Love With a Man Who Lives in a Bush.”
What an amazing story! Despite homelessness and seemingly insurmountable odds, these two have made it work, and now their story is inspiring others.
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