Somewhere in 2019, my friends up in the north invited me to a university for an event. It wasn’t the first time they were inviting me to an event. So I didn’t give it too much thought before I said yes. I had fun at the first event they invited me to, so I knew honoring this second invitation would be worth it. Little did I know what or who awaited me there.

I packed up a few of my belongings into my backpack and boarded a bus to the north. At the event, I excused myself to go and pray at the nearest mosque. It was at the mosque that I saw her. Her striking beauty pulled my attention from the ablution I was about to perform. I just could not take my eyes off her.

While I stood there in complete awe staring at her, I felt a strange sense of familiarity. She looked like someone I had met already. I knew I didn’t know her but I got this feeling that I had seen her before right in the same spot we were both standing in. I started to wonder if I saw her in 2017 when I received my first event invite to the north.

I couldn’t shake off my déjà vu but I also didn’t have the time to approach her. So I hurried off, finished up my prayers, joined the event, and spent time with my friends. When everything ended, I returned home.

I tried to go about my life but I couldn’t forget the pretty face of this mysterious girl I met at the mosque. I kept wondering if I would ever see her again, even though I knew I might not. We were on opposite sides of the country. What were the odds we would randomly run into each other in town? My answer was zero. So I tried to put her out of my mind.

Time passed so quickly that before I knew it, we were in 2022. I was at a place where I could get married but I hadn’t met a woman who would stoke the flames of my heart and ignite the kind of passion I was looking for. So I was practically zombying through the days. My life was all about my faith, work, friends, and social media. I had no love life.

One day, a friend of mine posted his graduation picture online. It was a group picture. I was not focused on the other people in the photo but someone caught my eye. I took a closer look and there she was, my mystery woman with the striking beauty. She stole everybody’s thunder with her graceful pose. And oh, she looked more beautiful than everyone else.

I didn’t waste time. I quickly sent my friend a message asking for the lady’s number. My friend almost dismissed me with the line, “What do you want from her? She deserves a better man than you.” I was a little upset that he didn’t think I was good enough for her but I needed him to contact her so I let it slide.

I employed all the skills of persuasion I could use on him before he finally agreed to give me her Facebook name. This took three months to achieve. We were in December by then. I told myself that if all goes well with her, we would be married in 2023. It was quite a reach but I am a man of faith.

Before I went into her inbox, I realized that the account was familiar. There was a post someone made about health workers in the past, a field I work in. So I commented on the post. Someone read my comment and didn’t like it. This person expressed her displeasure by schooling me. Guys, it was not easy. She dragged me all over the place. I felt dirtied after she was done with me.

When my friend sent me the account name of my mystery woman, I realized she was the owner of that same account that schooled me. I felt horrified. “Eii this world is so small. What if she refuses to talk to me after our not-so-pleasant past?” I asked myself.

Despite my feeling of defeat I still told myself, “There is a reason this woman keeps showing up in my life. All I have to do is make the first step and the higher powers will take care of the rest.” When I finished giving myself a pep talk I sent her a simple text. “Hey young lady, you’re good?” And then I waited for her response.

After a seventy-two-hour wait, she texted me back. Her message was direct, “I am good, you? How may I help you please?” I didn’t want to start a conversation without addressing our history. So I responded, “Madam, I know the last time you had the opportunity you schooled me. I am here to officially concede and declare you the winner in that debate.”

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“Which debate?” She asked. That was all the opening I needed to undo the damage that debate might have done to her perception of me. We talked about that awful experience and then moved on to lighter subjects.

For two weeks, we conversed on messenger. One morning I woke and decided, “Today is the day. I’m going to let her know how I feel about her.” When I took my phone to send her a message I went straight to the point. “See, I don’t know what your plans are but I want to tell you that if you give me the chance, we are getting married next week.” She responded with a smiley and a text that read, “Okay, I am ready but on one condition.”

I was full of smiles as I typed, “What’s the condition?” She asked me to tell her everything I think she needs to know about me. She then sent me her number and we continued the conversation on WhatsApp.

On 6th February 2023, I officially spoke to her parents and made my intentions known to them. On the 14th, which was Val’s day, my kinsmen went to see hers for an official introduction. We got married in May of the same 2023. While I am typing this story, my mystery woman is now my pregnant wife. We are expecting the birth of our daughter on our wedding anniversary.

Our home is filled with so much love and joy. I look back at all the little instances that finally brought us together and I am grateful that I waited for her. I am also thankful to my friend who brought us together even though he thought I would mess up. Sometimes when we are together and she is happy, I want to send him photos with the caption, “You said I am not good enough for her but look how happy I make her.”

—K.F.K

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