I was the maid of honor for Frimpomaa’s wedding. We grew up together. I and Frimpomaa have stuck together all through the years. She didn’t have to choose me as her maid of honor. The position fell on my lap just as kingship falls on the lap of royals. We went everywhere together trying to put things in place for the wedding. A week before the wedding, we entered a shop to get a pair of shoes. When entered the shop, a lot of things caught our attention so we moved from aisle to aisle checking things out. In one of the aisles, a gentleman passed by with his back pocket lining sticking out of his pocket. He might have picked his wallet or handkerchief for the lining to come out the way it was looking. I hissed at him. I said, “Your back pocket is out. The left one.” He dipped his hand in his pocket and got it fixed. He said, “Thanks very much.” 

We kept moving around the aisles until Frimpomaa rushed to a dress and stood behind it. She said, “Chai, I can wear this during the honeymoon but where’s the money?” I told her, “Madam, get to the shoe section, get one and let’s leave here. You can come and get it after the wedding if you still want it.” A voice from behind us said, “You can have it if you want it that much.” We both turned around at the same time. It was the guy whose pocket lining was out. Frimpomaa said, “It’s beyond our budget. Maybe we’ll get it on a later date.” He responded, “Don’t worry. It’s on me.” I looked at her face and she looked back at me. The question on our faces was, “Does he know you’re getting married?” 

I responded, “No you don’t have to. We’ll get it when we can.” He insisted so we called the attendant to take the dress for us. He paid for it and we said our thanks. He said, “Can I have your number? We can talk one of these days. Frimpomaa asked him, “My number or her number?” The guy responded, “Any will do. You’re friends. If I meet one, I’ll definitely meet the other. Frimpomaa played it smart. She said, “That’s good. My wedding is next week. I’m officially inviting you. This is my number.” I was looking at his face trying to pick a hint of disappointment when he heard about Frimpomaa’s wedding. There was none. He said, “Wow, that’s great. You’ll definitely see me there.”

When we stepped out, we laughed. I said, “He’s coming to use a dress to hit on you.” She responded, “Then I’m sorry for him. I’m already off the market.” She looked back and said, “But he’s cute though. People like him don’t have character. How can you see a lady today noor and buy a dress for her? Go and see his girlfriend, he hasn’t bought even a toffee for her the whole of this year.” He became the topic on our lips as we went around shopping. Frimpomaa got home and showed the dress to her fiancé. “Can you imagine what happened at the shop today?” He was the topic all night. We simply didn’t understand his source of kindness or the reason behind it. Frimpomaa’s fiancé said, “He might be just a good samaritan, that’s all. You gals should cut him some slack.” 

A day before the wedding, Frimpomaa called me. She said, “Your guy just called me oo. He was asking for directions. I think he will come.” I told her, “No he won’t come. Maybe he’s calling to find out if indeed you’re getting married.” It was during the photo session when he walked right to Frimpomaa and shook her hand. He saw me and he smiled. I said in my head, “Wow, he came.” We took some pictures. We introduced him to Frimpomaa’s husband and he stayed throughout the reception. I was the only one he knew so I went to him every now and then to ensure he wasn’t bored. He was good. He blended as though he belonged there. I went to him the last time and he told me would be leaving. He said, “Tell her I’m leaving. Can I have your number or I should take it from her?”

A week later he called me. “Everything is over right? Are they still on a honeymoon?” I was struggling to know who was talking but something about his voice sounded familiar. I said, “Bright?” He answered, “Who else?” 

We talked about the wedding and talked a little bit about us—work, interests and what have you. He asked, “What do you usually do on weekends? I’m free this Saturday, if you’re free, we can meet somewhere.” I called Frimpomaa and told her what he just said. She responded, “I knew it. It wasn’t about me all along. It’s about you. Just go and listen to what he has to say.” 

We met at a place where the scent of coffee was all over the place. I’m not a coffee person. I don’t like how it smells so I told him, “Can we change location? I’m not comfortable with the scent here.” We went out, stood on the terrace of the place, and spoke all evening. I asked him, “So what made you buy the dress for us that day? You didn’t know us. Is that something you do often when you go to places like that?” He answered, “I’m sorry if that inconvenienced you in any way. It’s so unlike me but when you called to tell me to tuck my pocket in, you made an impression on me. I’d wanted to talk to you but there was no way I could have had a fruitful conversation with you while she was around. It was that dress that offered me the opportunity to say something t you.”

“You’re tricky, do you know that?”

“I’m not but it was the only option available to me.”

I was with him when Frimpomaa called. She asked, “How is it going? I’m calling to ensure you’ve not been kidnapped. Is he a good guy? Are you in a safe place?” I only laughed and told her I will call her later. By the time we were saying goodbye to each other, he had made it clear with his choice of words and actions that he was interested in me. My feeling toward him was undefined. He was good-looking. He spoke like a humble person. He was a bit too shy for my liking. I liked his job. That was all about it. I couldn’t connect with him romantically so I didn’t think of a date with him.

We spoke on the phone for a couple of months. He didn’t ask for another date and I didn’t create the impression that I wanted another date with him. He called so often that My phone will ring in my bag and I will say, “It’s Bright calling.” I will pick up the phone and indeed it will be him calling me. 

The next time we met was in my office. He came there unannounced looking for me. He waited till I closed so we could go and sit somewhere. The next meeting was in his house. He invited me over. He was living with his mom and dad and junior brother. 

Him: “Mom, this is the girl I told you about.”

His Mom: “This is Annette?”

Him: “Yeah, she’s the one.”

Mom: “Now I know why you couldn’t stop talking about her. Annette, welcome. We haven’t seen you but everyone here knows your name, including the cats and birds that fly over our roof. Should I offer you something?”

When we finally settled I asked him, “So what have you been telling them about me?” He said, “Should I bring my mom to tell you all the gossip?” And then he laughed out loud. “Obviously you’re such a mommy’s boy. You tell her everything,” I said. He answered, “Didn’t you hear her say that I even talked to the birds and cats about you?”

The visit was brief but I got the point. That evening when he called I asked him, “What do you have in mind that you’re not telling me?” He answered, “It’s just one thing. I want you to be my girlfriend. I don’t know about you but I like who you are and the kind of person I become when I’m with you. If you tell me to give you time to think about it, I will be here waiting for ages until you say yes.” I screamed, “Bars! Give me bars!” 

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We had known each other for only two months but the joy and laughter each time we met was too good to ignore. I told him, “Give me time to think about it. You said you can wait. A year or two won’t be a long time to wait, right?” He responded, ”Yeah, a day or two won’t be a long time to wait.” I answered, “A year not a day.” He replied, “Yeah I know. I heard you right. A day. That’s fine.” 

So I called Frimpomaa. I told her, “Your boy proposed.” She screamed excitedly, “Please say yes. I feel right about him now. Just say yes.” I told her, “But there’s one problem here. If I say yes, I will come with him to your house to collect the dress he bought for you. I don’t like it when my boyfriend goes around buying dresses for strangers.” She shouted, “Kwasia, is his money your money?”

I called him that same night and told him, “Yes. Yes, I’m your girlfriend.” He responded, “So it’s true what the bible says. A year is just a day before God. A year came so quickly.”

But guess what else also came so quickly. 

Our wedding.

Three months after dating he came to do the knocking. Three months after knocking, he was lifting my veil in church. The pastor said, “Now, you may kiss the bride.” We kissed. That kiss was our first kiss. Our relationship was going so fast that we didn’t have the time to kiss or hug. So whatever happened on our wedding day was our first time. The hug. The kiss. The looking deep into my eyes. The dance where I gave my back to him to twiii. Everything was brand new that day and it was the reason it felt so special in our eyes and heart.

Somedays, I look at him going around the house and I get this feeling of pride and luck. I ask myself, “What if we didn’t go to that shop that day? What if his pocket lining wasn’t out? What if Frimpomaa didn’t give him her contact? What if we rejected the dress offer? How can something this good come from a series of tiny unrelated events we had no control of? Is that how time works. Is that what it means when they say he makes all things beautiful in his time? I may not have all the answers to these questions but there’s one thing I know for sure and that is, my son will wake up tomorrow morning and see his face and call him “Daddy.” I will pass by him in the house and he’ll spank my ass and tell me, ”Your ass is too hard. Didn’t you bathe in warm water when you were a kid?”

These are the things I know for sure. They may sound petty and irrelevant but that’s alright because even the way we met sounds petty. 

–Annette

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