I was going to a party at a place I wasn’t familiar with. When I got there, I called the friend whose party I was attending. She asked where I was standing and what I could see. She said, “Wait, Dave is coming for you.”

Dave came down, saw me, and asked, “Is that you?” I asked him, “Who are you looking for?” He answered, “Aren’t you coming to Bene’s party?”

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP CHANNEL TO RECEIVE ALL STORIES IN YOUR INBOX

He led the way while I followed. After ascending the first set of stairs, he stood aside and waited for me. When I got to him, he asked me to lead the way. I protested. I didn’t know my way around, so I was wondering why he wanted me to lead.

That question wasn’t answered until weeks later when I was on the phone with Dave. He said, “That day, do you know why I wanted you to lead the way? I was sure of your front. I wanted to be sure of your behind too.”

We laughed. We talked all night until the rooster crowed. We slept a little but woke up as lovers. I wasn’t so sure about him, so I called my friend Bene to ask about him. She was brutally frank with me when she said, “You’ve accepted his proposal before coming to ask me about him? Deal with whatever comes your way. I won’t interfere.”

Love itself isn’t a smooth journey, but when we are ready to deal with whatever comes our way, we succeed. I took her advice and decided to get to know Dave for myself. I asked questions until he asked me one day, “I’m not sure who you are. Do you work for the BNI?”

When I had doubts, I asked questions. When he didn’t understand my way of doing things, he asked questions. When we didn’t agree, we argued. We fought sometimes, but it was our way of dealing with whatever came our way.

Bene would call and ask how our love was thriving. Her favourite question was, “Is Dave being a good boy?” My favourite answer was, “What can I say? I can’t complain. I’m dealing with it.”

Two years later, we got married. Three months after our marriage, Dave travelled abroad. This nearly broke us into pieces, especially since I wasn’t fully aware of this trip. But we’d already signed our hearts and future away, so we dealt with it. Through it all, Bene was with me. She would call, listen to me rant, and then tell me, “You’re that strong. I know you can deal with it.”

Dave came back to Ghana in October 2024. A week later, Bene died, but her baby, the one she was giving birth to, survived. I went numb. Dave had shopped for baby stuff for her. I’d planned a surprise party for her. None of that mattered. She left us to deal with her absence.

At her funeral, when we were about to enter the door to see her body, Dave stood aside and signalled me to lead the way. It all came back to me—how I met Dave, on the stairs when he told me to lead the way, when Bene told me to deal with it. The pain was sharp, but the tears were cold. I said to her body, “Thank you. Because of you, I have a husband.”

A Man Who Haggles Over The Price Of An Item Is A Red Flag

I’ve learned to deal with whatever comes my way, but what I haven’t learned so far is how to deal with Bene’s absence. It hurts. The pain echoes through the walls and makes its home with us. It’s hard when we see her in photos, but her advice always rings true: “Learn to deal with whatever comes your way…” So, I’m learning.

— Agyeiwaa

This story you just read was sent to us by someone just like you. We know you have a story too. Email it to us at submissions@silentbeads.com. You can also drop your number and we will call you so you tell us your story.

*****