Last year, I went all out on Valentine’s Day. It was my first time taking the occasion seriously. In years past, I would send a message copied from the internet or edit the ones I’d received and forward them to my girlfriend. But last year, I wanted to make it memorable. The relationship was six months old and still fresh.

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I spent the entire week trying to get a hint of what she would prefer as a Valentine’s Day gift. She didn’t say much apart from, “No one has done anything magical for me on that occasion. All I’ve received are words.” This pushed and motivated me even more to do something special for her.

While she was at work, I hired some guys to decorate her room with red flowers. She lived in a chamber and hall. We filled the place with flowers, with bouquets hanging in the corners. I bought a big, red, fluffy teddy bear and placed it on her newly decorated bed. I set up a table in the middle of her hall and ordered food and drinks for the evening celebration.

She knew I would be at her place, but she didn’t know the plan. When she got off work, she called to ask if I was still there. I was on my way to her office, so I asked her to wait for me. The decorations at her place would make the most sense at night when the lights were on, so I went to her office and took her to the beach instead.

She started nagging, and I understood why. She said she was tired and wanted to go home first. I convinced her that it would be quick. We had some drinks and watched lovers walk by. We gossiped, laughed, and made fun of everything we saw. Around 7 p.m., I texted the caterers to deliver the food before our Uber arrived, and we left. In the Uber, I wished her a happy Valentine’s Day and told her she was the best thing in my life.

When we got to her door, she opened it and entered. I was expecting a huge surprise reflected in her mood. I anticipated screams of joy, followed by her jumping into my arms for a hug and a kiss—you know, like in the movies. Instead, she froze. She looked at the decorations and then at my face. She said, “I suspected it. So, what have you been doing all day while I was at work?”

I held her hand and led her to the bedroom, still expecting a reaction. She looked at her bed and the teddy bear lying next to her pillow and said, “Eii w’ayɛ edwuma paa ooo,” which means, “You’ve really worked hard around here.”

I responded, “It’s the day of love. I wanted to do something special.” She replied, “Wei nyinaa ɛho nhia,” meaning, “All of this wasn’t necessary. You should have given me the money instead.”

She threw her bag on the bed, destroying half of the decorations. She removed her shoes, went back to the hall, and saw the dining setup. She asked, “What’s this too? Are we in a restaurant?” At this point, I was feeling undervalued and unappreciated. She kept talking about how wasteful the whole thing was until the delivery guy arrived with the food.

I brought it in and asked her to take a bath and join me. She asked, “What’s that too?” She opened the package, stuck a finger into the cake, and licked it. She said, “I’ll gain weight tomorrow if I eat all this.”

She went to shower, and we had dinner. She said thank you and told me it was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her on Valentine’s Day. It should have ended there, but she continued, “But I’d have preferred you gave me the money instead of wasting it on all these things. Ɛho nhia. It’s just a day, and it’s gone.”

After the meal, I said goodbye and left her place, even though the plan was to spend the night together. This girl didn’t even get me a pair of boxer shorts or a handkerchief, yet she criticized everything I did that night. The next day, I tried to have a conversation about it. I told her what I didn’t like and said, “A lot of love went into what I did. I expected more than criticism.”

She apologized and later added, “I was surprised but didn’t know how to react. Do you want me to react now?”

Herh, Felicia!!

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It didn’t end well. We didn’t last long enough to celebrate another Valentine’s Day, but I know as the day approaches, she’ll think of me. She’ll remember the flowers and the dinner. If she hasn’t sold the teddy bear, she’ll look at it and remember how hard I tried. I know she won’t say it, but I hope she misses me beyond measure this Valentine’s Day.

—Antwi

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