Love's chemistry

Trinidadian Aba Nailah Bowles-Mortley was just 18 when she met 19-year-old Matthew Edward Bailey of Carp, Ottawa, during their first year at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.

“We were introduced by a mutual Canadian friend, Sam Rogers,” says Aba, “and the courtship continued through our four years of study.” Last Saturday Canon Steve West and the bride’s aunt, Reverend Gloria Waldron, married the couple at All Saints Anglican Church, Marli Street, Newtown. A reception followed at Cascadia Hotel,  Cascade, after which the couple spent their honeymoon in Grenada. Now a chemical engineer, Aba, 23,  is pursuing a Master’s degree in nuclear and chemical engineering at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, while Matthew, 24,  or “Ted” as he is called, a civil engineer, is employed by the Department of National Defence also in Kingston, where they will reside.

Aba, the daughter of Cheryl Bowles, founder of the Cher-Mere line of beauty products and Basil Mortley, was given in marriage by her grandfather, Vincent Bowles. Matthew is the son of Jean Campbell and Ronald Bailey, who with several other Canadian family members from as far as Winnipeg and Halifax including his four brothers, all came to Trinidad and Tobago for the wedding. Leading a retinue of five bridesmaids wearing burgundy coloured dresses and groomsmen outfitted in black and white were the groom’s brother Ben as bestman, and Kandace Tabber the maid of honour.  Ring bearer was little Kieron Senyah. The bride’s beautiful dress of eggshell white embroidered net over peau de soie was designed and made by Monika Bishop. Cut on the empire line with beaded straps, the heavily-beaded dress was made with a simple A-line front and very long re-appliqued train at the back. Aba wore a diamante tiara and carried a sheaf of white star gazers, her favourite flower, and white anthuriums.

Many eyes were drawn to Aba, her beautiful grandmother Merle Bowles  and mother, Cheryl, who founded the Cher-Mere line of beauty products in tribute to her mother. “I  joined ‘Cher’ which happens to be the first part of my name to ‘Mer’ the first part of my mother’s name and came up with the French Cher-Mere which translates ‘Dear Mother’,” says Cheryl. A bio-chemist by profession, Cheryl was chief chemist/head of research and development at a leading company here, when 17 years ago, she “wanted to do something for our people of Trinidad and Tobago with indigenous herbs, flora and fauna. My mother reminded me that as a student at Concordia in Montreal I had sent for information on herbs, like aloes and stuff.” Cheryl started with herbal teas, however, Merle suggested “why don’t you make a hair food for Caribbean people?” “I started researching the Cher-Mere line using my mother’s shop for live testing on her customers. She has been a cosmetologist/aesthetician for eons. The feed back was good. I trademarked the name Cher-Mere, and the rest is history.”

First the Cher-Mere shops were introduced as Cheryl felt it was important that people have a tangible point for complaints and feedback. Now the unstoppable entrepreneur has moved into spa services which are unique because 99 per cent of the products used in all services and treatments are indigenous to Trinidad and Tobago, and are all formulated by Cheryl herself. Cher-Mere products are now exported to England, some of the Caribbean islands, and very selectively to the United States. While the company is preparing to go on line during the second quarter of 2004: “We have had a demand for it, people wanting to book services on line and order products on line.” Does Aba plan to return at sometime in the future to Trinidad and her heritage, Cher-Mere, a business which never ceases to expand? Although this may not be in the cards at the present time, Cheryl does not rule it out but on the other hand says “in today’s world one can manage from afar”. Aba, Cheryl’s only child has from very early been involved in the business: “from production to even quasi management “ says her mother “the staff says she is the real boss. She is very shrewd, and more into the technological part than I am. In spite of all the activities for her wedding, she worked with us on the two days before Christmas. The link is there because of her love of chemistry.”