In the summer of 1939, Bucky Bachner spent most of his time hanging out with friends on top of his apartment building in the Bronx. Girls never entered into the equation. The next year, when he turned 15, Bucky noticed a girl named Selma who lived on the floor below. What began as teasing and hair-pulling became a full-fledged romance.
But Selma was only 13, and her dad didn't want her hanging out with an older boy. Bucky and Selma found ways to spend time together in secret.
One day, Bucky asked Selma if she would like a pickle. "She would stay outside and mind the bike and I’d go in and get us penny pickles,” Bucky told the New York Times. "We'd go to this playground two blocks away, sit there, eat the pickle, talk, schmooze a little, and I would ride her home. We’d walk the last two blocks to her house. People thought we’d been just walking around the block." Thus began a summer of secret pickles, stolen kisses, and unforgettable memories.
When Bucky turned 18, he joined the Marines. Bucky sent his letters to his cousin Esther, who would pass them to Selma. Though they talked about making a life together, things changed as the distance between Bucky and Selma grew.
Bucky returned home in 1946. When he'd see Selma on the street, it was like they were strangers. When he mustered up the courage to ask Selma to dinner, she revealed she had a new boyfriend. Bucky was heartbroken.
Two years went by. One day, while Selma was babysitting her nephew, the door bell rang. There was Bucky, standing before her. "She had a smile on her face, and I knew that I had a chance," he said. Six months later, the couple married in 1949.
Today, Arthur is 90 and Selma is 88. The past 65 years have flown by in a flash. They've welcomed into the world a son, a daughter, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Selma's back problems put her in a wheelchair. Last year, doctors advised Selma to move into a nursing home. Even though Arthur is healthy, he didn't think twice about going with her. They have separate rooms down the hall from each other, but remain inseparable. "He stays in my room all day until it's time to go to sleep."
Watch the lovebirds' touching story below, and please SHARE it with your friends on Facebook. I dare you not to cry when you hear what Bucky says at the end!
