In 1992, Barbara Reszke traveled from Adelaide to Poland to reconnect with her extended family. One afternoon, she came across a newspaper advertisement for the Warsaw Summer Jazz Days festival. On a whim, she decided to go, hoping to see Jack Bruce perform songs from his Cream days.
It was a Sunday afternoon and she arrived early at the concert hall. As she made her way to the bar, she overheard an Englishman struggling to order hamburgers. She stepped in to help, placed the order in Polish, turned to him and said, "She'll be right, mate. Just pay the money, the food will be ready in 10 minutes." That was how she met Dave, the guitar technician for Jack Bruce.
An Unlikely Connection
They arranged to meet after the concert. It was not love at first sight – far from it. He reminded her of the mullet-wearing, heavy metal headbangers she had grown up with – not her type at all. But there was kindness in his eyes, a presence of assurance, and he wore his heart on his sleeve. They wandered across the road to the Akwarium jazz club where, over the next few hours, they listened to jam sessions by world-famous musicians while they laughed and drank beers.
He invited her to England, but she was about to go traveling in Mexico. He'd had enough of the music business and England, he said, so announced he would meet her in Mexico. Fifteen hours after they met in that burger line, he boarded a plane home.
A Leap of Faith
Two days later, she called to see if he had been serious about Mexico. To her surprise, he had already set things in motion, and was even looking into an Australian working visa. She was due to leave for Mexico in three weeks, but Dave asked if she would delay her departure so he could raise enough money and secure his visa. She agreed. However, she couldn't shake the feeling she might never see him again. The whole situation seemed absurd. Who leaves behind their life to follow someone they've only met for a few hours?
Her grandparents were skeptical and not happy she was meeting this Englishman in Mexico. Her babcia was convinced he would sell her into the slave trade, and she passed those concerns on to her father in Australia who had already made up his mind about Dave.
The Moment of Truth
Seven weeks after their meeting at the festival, she arrived late at night into Mexico City. Her heart raced as she made her way through the airport. Dave had arrived the day before and promised he would be there waiting for her, but as she approached the arrivals hall, she was overcome with doubt. It was crowded with people — families reuniting, friends embracing, drivers holding signs above their heads. She scanned the sea of faces anxiously, searching for a tall blond Pom, but couldn't see him anywhere. "I knew it," she thought.
What she didn't realize was that he was standing barely a few meters away, looking directly at her, holding a single red rose. Later, Dave admitted that during those few seconds, as she looked right past him, he feared that perhaps she was searching for someone else. The instant she recognized him, a wave of relief and exhilaration washed over her. After weeks of anticipation, there he was. She walked straight into his arms.
Building a Life Together
They backpacked for three months and were together 24/7, getting to know each other in the most intense and honest way possible. Despite their differences — her liberal outlook versus his black-and-white thinking; her penchant for cheap travel as opposed to his preference for five-star hotels; her affectionate Polish nature contrasting his reserved English upbringing — they found a rhythm. He was open to everything and easy with everyone, the kind of person who could strike up a conversation anywhere. Her first impression that he was kind, genuine and warm turned out to be true. And he made her laugh – often.
With his money slowly dwindling, Dave flew to Melbourne to stay with friends they had met in Guatemala, while she continued traveling through Argentina and Chile. After two months, she flew home to Australia, where to her surprise Dave was waiting for her at the airport again, holding a rose.
A Proposal and a Wedding
The next year was complicated as they navigated time together and apart, and her parents' disapproval, all while she completed her studies. During one of the short, intermittent phone calls they shared while Dave was in England, she received a proposal: "How about it, Sheila?" It was not exactly romantic, but it did make her laugh.
The day after she submitted her thesis, she flew to London. Once again, Dave was at the arrivals gate, holding a red rose. Three weeks later, at the end of 1993, they were married in a register office in England, with Bob Marley playing as they said their vows. In 1994, they returned to Australia, then moved to Queensland to build a life together.
A Life of Love and Music
In the 22 years they shared, they built a life full of love, laughter and adventure. They raised their beautiful daughters, traveled the world, and created a home grounded in kindness and respect. Her parents' fears proved unfounded. When her mother needed care, Dave stepped in without hesitation – that was simply who he was. He was a devoted father – the school runs, lunches, after-school activities, coaching football teams – and gave everything to his family.
He left the music industry because he said it was not conducive to a family environment, but music never left him. Their home was filled with it, played loud, through the best sound system he could assemble. Even now, after his passing in 2014, the music remains. Last year in Brisbane, the girls and she went to a Metallica concert in Dave's honor. As for the roses, she still has the one he gave her in London – well, two petals. Dried, pressed and a reminder of the life they had together.
