Love story

My love story started about eight or nine years ago, when I just started learning how to wear a bra.

This smallish bobo dropped an inbox on my Facebook account. In my usual madam shakara slash fine girl fashion, I scanned his entire account in less than 3 mins. This is something I usually do to see if the individual is worthy of a reply, and also what kind of reply I was going to give if found worthy..... I fell asleep while trying to figure out where to place smallie. I forgot all about it the next day. The next time he sent a message I decided he wasn't worthy of a reply. (a decision I would come to regret)

But Mr smallie's tenacity wouldn't shake. He texted me on Facebook for the next couple of months. I took pity on the guy and reluctantly replied his message one day. We talked intermittently after that day for the next 8years. I grew more fond of him as the years progressed, but still wasn't attracted to him...... Not till Mr Smallie came back to Nigeria after finishing his studies in the states.

By this time, I had finished my first degree and was already working and living alone. I was taking ice cream in my car on a very normal Friday evening because I couldn't stay in the house. I had sprayed one okrika insecticide in my apartment before leaving for work to kill the mosquitoes that have been using fork and knife to eat my skin since I moved in. Then my phone's back light flickered on, lighting up my dark car to indicate a call. "Hi, it's sammy. Your Facebook friend. Remember?" He said. I was almost confused, then I remembered I had given him my number some days back after plenty shakara.

For the first time we were hearing each other's voice after about 8 years of talking online. It was soothing. I started wondering why I had been so cruel to him all this time. After the call, I scanned his Facebook page again. A lot had changed. He looked more mature and so handsome. I spent the next 3 hours checking Mr smallie out and stalking every girl I saw him stand with in his pictures. Wow! I was falling in love with him. It was weird, I had never been in love before, but I could recognize it the instant I felt it.

I went to bed with butterflies in my belly and had the best dream ever. In my dream my mum was blessing me for marriage. OMG!!! I woke up with glee! Danced around the office and took up every task my boss gave me without questions or complaining. I was indeed happy. My tatafo besty, who is also my colleague, came to my desk. "Come Nne, did you have sex last night? This one way you just dey glow like florescent so". "Babe I think I know who I'm going to marry" I said. She was so surprised because I never talked about men or relationships and now to talk about marriage made her excited and she couldn't wait to see this man. So we practically spent the entire day and week checking his pictures on Facebook and Instagram.
My apprehension started when Mr smallie had been in touch for 2months; calls, chatting, "tell me all  about your day", "you look so beautiful in that picture you posted last on IG", "why so fine babe" and blablabla...but he still wasn't toasting. Nawa o! I started thinking I was crazy for thinking God had somehow shown me my man. I wasn't the type to make my feelings known to a man, not even if he was Reekado Banks. "So how can I know if this is real or a figment of my wild imagination", I thought. Aha! I decided to test him. Try to hook him up. Since we were already good friends, this wasn't going to be awkward.

My game plan was on (a game plan I confessed when we officially started dating). I told him about a friend and claimed she was into him and all. I asked if he'd like to meet her. To the glory of God and shame of the devil, my man was so angry and turned off.... It wasn't funny sha. We almost fought because of that move and I almost regretted pulling that stunt. At least it made him tell me for the first time in all these years that it was me he liked and felt hurt that I'd think he's good for someone else. My inner goddess did a triple back flip on hearing those words. I apologized, and life went on. It was great to get an assurance that I was bae and I wasn't crazy to have fallen for him.

Things kicked of smoothly from then. I saw my man for the first time ever on the Christmas of that year. He flew down from Lagos to visit me and my family. The moment I hugged him at the airport, I was a 100% sure this was it. My last bus stop. He smelled like heaven. I cupped my arms round his neck and he spread his around my body. "Hi" he said, gazing down at me. He kissed my forehead, raised my chin up with two fingers and pressed a kiss on my lip. "hello" I replied after recovering from the kiss, pretending to be shy.

I relocated to North Carolina the following year to start my Masters program. It wasn't so hard doing the distance thing because we had never been together in the same town before.
On the day I took my final exam, it was cold. I felt really sick, exhausted and broke. I looked like shit. Sammy had called me with a private number ( I was too stressed to care) just before I left for school to congratulate me on finishing my exams.
I was so glad to be done with school and exams, couldn't wait to leave campus and hit my bed and sleep for 3 months. I came out of class to meet the best surprise in my life yet. "Sammy?", I called his name questioning my sanity. Abi I don dey crase? Maybe going 48 hours without sleep has made me delusional. I looked harder, but the image wasn't going away. Instead it went down on BOTH KNEES, right outside my class, holding a ring box with a ring in it. Holy cow! This is real!!! Sammy actually flew all the way to propose to me. I have always loved dramatic proposals, so this was perfect. I jumped at the ring and yanked it into my finger before he could speak. Went down on my knees to hug and thank him for the most dramatic proposal ever. This man, this delicious handsome man that always smells like heaven, is mine! All mine!!!
*tear*