In an interview with Punch, Bimbo Manuel gave credit to his wife for coming into his life with great purpose.
Hear him:
You were popular and lived alone, how were you able to cope with the ladies that flocked around you?
I have never been a ladies’ man even with stardom. I have always been a quiet person and a loner. I am not someone who goes to night clubs and places like that. I had my share of fun but I never really socialised. Coping with ladies was not a major challenge for me. During our time, we did not have the kind of fan reaction that exists now. People were more respectful of your privacy. They acknowledged you but it would be with respect but it is not as overt as it is now.
How were you able to raise a family with a career as demanding as yours?
I did not meet my wife until I was close to 40 years old. I cannot quantify what she brought into my life. She helped to give purpose to my life. Before she came into my life, I was going around without any sense of purpose. I just wanted to be able to live comfortably and afford anything I wanted but there was a purpose to life as she came on board. Then we began to have kids and it has been wonderful ever since we met. They helped to stabilise the kind of jobs I did. Their arrival helped to strengthen my convictions and the principles that I always act on professionally and it remains that I do not have to take every job that comes.
Is it because you are a loner that you did not get married until 40?
I don’t think it was because of that; I think it is because it was not very high on my priority list. If I wanted to get married before then, I could have but it just was not very high on my to-do list. I think I was also fortunate that I did not get pressure from my family to get married.
How did you meet your wife?
We met while I was working. She worked for a company that I was doing my project with. We met and began talking. Nobody believed we were going to get married; even I did not give it much thought. One thing led to another, we got very involved and the rest is history today. (Punch).