How it Happened
A Chance Encounter in Ibadan
In December 2020, I began the second phase of my internship, which required me to travel to Ibadan for a three-month stint at Nigerian Breweries. I stayed with a family friend, settling into my new routine. A month went by, and then she appeared—Christianah, my host's daughter, who I hadn't even met until then. I was instantly struck by her presence, but my shyness got the best of me. Little did I know, she had been informed about a guest who doesn’t communicate and then she took it upon herself to have a conversation. One evening, there was a knock on my door, and there she was. We had a brief but memorable chat, and before she resumed for university, we exchanged numbers, and stayed in touch. And for a while, we did until life took us in different directions.
-Him
A Surprising Reunion
It was July 2023, and my family had an event in Abeokuta, his city. To my surprise, we ended up staying at his house! I had no idea it was his home until I saw a picture of him there. I actually felt a bit relieved when someone said he wasn’t around. But later that evening, after our first day at the event, we returned, and there he was — the one opening the gate for us. I was shocked, almost unable to believe it was him standing there. But it didn’t take long for us to reconnect, and we found ourselves talking like we had never lost touch. It felt like something magical was beginning.
-Her
Searching for Signs
As much as I was drawn to her warmth and kindness, I wasn’t sure if we were meant to be. I prayed, looking for answers, and received a Bible verse that I initially interpreted as a sign she wasn’t the one. For a moment, I almost made a huge mistake by stepping away from her. But as I prayed again and again, signs appeared — little nudges that maybe I had misunderstood. It became clearer that God had been hinting at something wonderful, and I couldn’t ignore it anymore.
-Him
A Bumpy Journey
It was hard when things didn’t seem to be progressing. I could tell he was hesitant and I didn’t want to push further, I was ready to let go of the friendship since it felt like we were stuck in a confusing dance : coming close, then drifting apart. There were moments I hoped we’d have the chance to really connect, but plans would fall through, and I’d wonder if the friendship was ever going to work coupled with the fact that I had proposed some rather funny but interesting friendship standards (feel free to fill in the standards gap 🤪) which he had also agreed on but was later mostly failing to achieve. Even during the quiet times, though, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was there, something worth holding on to.
-Her
A Love That Bridged the Distance
After moving to the UK for my master’s program, I found myself thinking about her more and more. I knew I needed to stop running from whatever was drawing me to her, so I reached out to her and asked her to be my woman. Despite the physical distance between us, she gave a positive response! It turned out that God had been speaking to her, too, through dreams and moments of clarity. Even with thousands of miles separating us, our love grew stronger, and by May 2024, I knew what I had to do.
-Him
A Proposal and a Promise
In May 2024, he proposed to me, and my heart was ready. I said “YES!” without hesitation. It was the moment I had always hoped for, a culmination of years of unexpected twists, doubts, and beautiful reconnections. Now, as we prepare for our wedding in December 2024, I look back at our journey with so much gratitude, for the challenges that tested us, the laughter that brought us closer, and the love that has only grown. We can’t wait to begin this next chapter together, hand in hand.
-Her
Thank YOU ☺️
