A love that lives forever at a bus stop

The truly meaningful things in life, never delivered through pomp and circumstance, are often missed.

Decorum was never a prop of the little guy who is more often driven by heartfelt sincerity instead. All heroes of the world’s celebrated lovers like Shakespeare’s Romeo are youthful. Franco Gorno, 86, who makes a 100-mile-round trip each month to a bus stop in Neath, Cardiff, to leave flowers and poignant notes in memory of his wife, Joan who died last year, is forever young at heart. Franco’s true story, written by Bianca London at the Daily Mail, is a reminder that you never know who’s riding on the same bus as you; that boredom and desperation are not the only things carried in the hearts of your fellow passengers; that sometimes hidden in the tedious of the commonplace is lasting inspiration. Franco’s enduring love for his lifetime mate Joan, whose 2013 death left him “forever broken-hearted”, has touched the heart of an entire village.

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“They met at a bus stop 2-3 weeks before Christmas 1950, married two years after and had four children.” (Daily Mail, March 26, 2014) Even in the daily grinding rush of the to and fro, bus commuters have been left teary-eyed when they stopped to read Franco’s moving note left on a bunch of purple tulips: “Rest in peace my darling. I’ll see you soon.” Down through the annals of time, the love of more famous Rudolph Valentinos has faded. Over 64 long years, Franco’s never did. The note among the purple tulips reads: ‘Joan and I met right here in this shelter 2-3 weeks before Xmas 1950. We married two years later. ‘Joan, my beloved, passed away on 9-3-2013 and broke my heart forever!” ‘Rest in peace my darling. I’ll see you soon, I’ll be 87 soon so I will not be long...God Bless.’ “Grandfather-of-four Franco told how he makes the monthly trip in memory of Joan. (Daily Mail) “He said, ‘Every month or so I go there and lay flowers because it is the place that I met her. ‘I do it because I know she is up there looking down at me. It is quite a journey for me, don’t forget I am 86.’ Originally from Italy, Franco moved to Cardiff in 1950, where he later ran his own business called Gorno’s Speciality Foods. Some people carve their names in the bark of an oak tree, but Franco Gorno’s message left at a bus stop reminds us that “Love conquers all”. And his beloved Joan would be so proud that her devoted husband is living proof of the Bible’s description of love: Corinthians 13:4-7 New International Version (NIV)

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.